Mistletoe Rodeo (Welcome to Ramblewood) (6 page)

Through the thin leather of her jacket, Chase’s thumb grazed her breast. “You’re driving me crazy,” he whispered.

“Not half as crazy as you’re making me.” Nola closed her eyes and reveled in the warmth of his body while one random thought ran through her head.
Thank you, George.

Chapter Four

Chase dropped Nola off at her condo a few hours later. While her body yearned to invite him in, the little angel sitting on her shoulder won the coin toss and Nola said goodbye at the door. Now she was kicking herself for the restraint.

She would’ve been able to handle Chase’s departure better if he hadn’t kissed her goodbye. Their first kiss under the moonlight in the sparkling pecan grove definitely won the prize for most magical, but this one had been more intimate and passionate, wrapping her in a euphoric cocoon.

Resting her head against the door, Nola resisted the temptation to peer through the peephole to see if Chase still lingered in the hallway. She turned, flattening her back against the doorjamb as her fingers skimmed over her lips—lips that still tingled from the memory of his mouth upon hers.

Curious to know how the public perceived Chase’s interview, Nola dragged herself away from the doorway and headed to her computer. She checked the social media sites first, then the local stations. The impact was good, but it could’ve been better, at least in Nola’s eyes.

The majority of people had sympathized with Chase rather than condemned their hometown hero. Then there were those who just resented the Langtrys in general and didn’t hesitate to call them out. Nola compared her interview to ones shot moments before his Vegas ride. His nervousness had been virtually undetectable, which was surprising considering what she now knew about his injury. Years in the spotlight had seasoned Chase in hiding his emotions. Nola hoped that facade didn’t carry over into his personal life, although she herself had been schooled in the art of hiding her true feelings when she was only a child. “Keep it to yourself,” her father would command whenever she and her brother had shown any sign of
weakness
. Once someone knew how you felt, you were at their mercy.

One person repeatedly blasted the Langtrys in the comments section on multiple sites. Scott David. Nola recalled hearing the name before but couldn’t quite place it. A quick search revealed he was a wealthy Texas cattle baron. Why would he hold such a strong grudge against the Langtrys? His comments weren’t directed at Chase, per se; instead, they were aimed at his deceased father.

In all her coverage of the family over the years, Nola had never heard anyone speak harshly against Joe Langtry. He had been a tough yet fair businessman who had aided many fallen ranchers in the community by offering them above-market value for their land so they wouldn’t go into foreclosure. Sometimes he had leased it back to them when they chose to stay in business. Other times he had absorbed the land into Bridle Dance, growing it to the size it was today.

Scott David wasn’t specific in his jabs, but it was clear the man had an ax to grind. Then again, what was a handful of negative comments amid thousands of good ones?

Nola closed her laptop and dug through her bag for her phone. She hadn’t checked her messages since George had left, and she prayed she hadn’t missed a call from the station. Normally she didn’t silence her ringer, but she hadn’t wanted to offend her hosts by having it go off in the middle of the meal. Engrossed in the Langtry family revelry, she’d forgotten to turn it back on afterward.

There was one voice mail from Pete asking Nola to meet with him in the morning and two texts from George:
Was I right?
Followed by another, two hours later:
Since I haven’t heard back from you, I take that as a yes. Lunch is on you tomorrow.

Checking the time, Nola decided it wasn’t too late to call George to see if he’d heard anything from the station.

The cameraman’s deep chuckle resonated through the phone. “I can’t decide if I want fish tacos from Jimmy’s or vodka rigatoni from Clark’s.”

“You’re that sure of yourself?” Nola knew enough not to play coy with George. He’d see right through her.

“You’re not using your normal exasperated tone, so...yes, I am.”

“Okay, you win, but don’t expect me to kiss and tell, so—”

“You kissed him?” George fumbled with the phone. “Hey, Betty, she kissed him.”

Nola heard George’s wife in the background cheering at the news. She hadn’t meant to give away their kiss, and normally she wouldn’t have if Chase hadn’t left her so flustered.

“You’re not getting another thing out of me.” Nola wanted to steer the conversation away from her love life, if you could call it that. “I got a voice mail from Pete telling me to meet with him tomorrow. Have you heard any rumblings on what it’s about?”

“I stopped at the studio after I left the ranch. I know they liked the segment, but keep in mind, Nola, it’s not what they asked for.”

No, it wasn’t. Nola knew she’d be up all night worrying about it.

“I won’t keep you. I’ll give you a call after my meeting tomorrow.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing big,” George reassured her. “Pete probably wants to know the direction you’re taking this story.”

“I hope so. Have a good night.”

“Sweet dreams. Not that I have to tell you that—I’m sure you’ll be dreaming of Prince Charming.”

“Hush up.” Nola hung up the phone. George was half right. She would be thinking of Chase, but the inflection in Pete’s voice had left her uneasy. She was grateful for her job and gave it her all, even when she was covering the local 4-H livestock competition.

Nola decided on a cup of chamomile tea to help calm her nerves. While she waited for the water to boil, she looked out over her combination kitchen, dining and living room. The stark walls in the long, narrow room were cold in comparison to the warmth of the Langtrys’ home. Her small condo had always been her refuge at the end of the day, but tonight it felt more like a prison.

She vowed to call her cousin Kylie the next day to catch up, and maybe she’d even stop in and visit with her aunt and uncle in Ramblewood. She couldn’t remember when they were last together. Maybe a year ago? Too long, considering they were the only family she had stateside.
Family
wasn’t a word Nola thought of often, but it was fast becoming one she missed.

* * *

C
HASE
AWOKE
THE
following morning with Nola on his mind. He hadn’t planned on kissing her when they went for their walk, but the thought of kissing her in general had entered his mind once—okay, maybe ten times—throughout the evening. His physical attraction to her was nothing new and his family had reiterated that fact after he arrived home from dropping Nola off. He hadn’t expected everyone to still be there. Normally they would’ve dispersed and gone home by that time, especially when the kids had to be in school the next day.

Instead, they’d sat around analyzing not only every look Chase had given Nola over dinner, but also every look he’d
ever
given her. He’d discovered that their scrutiny of his relationship—or whatever you called it—with Nola had been taking place for a while now. Embarrassed by his transparency, Chase made certain not to mention their kiss...kisses. He’d at least like some part of their evening to remain private.

Chase had dated his share of women, but he wasn’t even dating Nola. Not yet anyway. Kissing her last night may have been a fluke thing, and at this stage, he’d be wise not to invest too much into it. In the back of his mind, the thought of Nola’s occupation was like a red flag waving in his direction.

She was too driven and focused to devote much time to anything other than her job, whereas Chase was in the opposite position, walking away from his lifelong career. That was something she would never do. She might be regretting their time together already.

Chase headed downstairs and hesitated when he saw his mother in the kitchen. He braced himself for an onslaught of questions about Nola.

“Good morning, dear.” Kay cracked a couple of eggs into a bowl. “I’m fixing myself some scrambled eggs and bacon. Would you like any?”

If Chase was smart, he’d say no and make a mad dash for the stables. But his growling stomach made the decision for him. “That would be great, thank you.”

“Any idea when you’ll take Nola to the food bank?”

“No, I forgot to mention it again last night. I’ll give her a call later to arrange something.” Chase rolled his shoulders to relieve the tension, feeling an instant jolt of pain on one side. Swallowing hard, he attempted to ignore his discomfort. “I’d prefer to stay busy, so if there’s anything extra you need me to handle for the Mistletoe Rodeo, just let me know and I’ll take care of it.”

“Aren’t you teaching today?” His mother faced him, spatula in hand.

“I can’t do much with my shoulder. I have a doctor’s appointment this afternoon, so I’m taking it easy until I hear what he has to say. All I can really offer is support and guidance from the rails.”

“Are you avoiding the rodeo school or your brother?”

Chase had anticipated the third degree from his mother this morning, only he’d thought it would be over Nola, not Shane. “I am not avoiding anyone or anything, Mom.”

“Yes, you are.” His mother dropped slices of bacon onto a hot iron skillet. “You didn’t want to talk about what happened in Vegas and I left it alone. We all did. We’re giving you that respect and moving on, but I don’t want to see you avoid everything rodeo related. Do you think you’ll be able to perform at the Mistletoe event?”

While there was some light competition planned for the Mistletoe Rodeo, Chase had arranged for the majority of it to be executed by the Junior Rodeo kids to showcase their talents. He had even added pig and ostrich races to the roster. The barrel racers would compete dressed as elves and the bullfighters would wear Santa suits instead of their regular clown garb. It definitely wouldn’t be a typical competition, and Chase had no issue with being a part of it. He just hoped Nola had been right when she’d said the good it did for the community would shift attention away from him and his epic fail. Ramblewood had never had a hometown hero, and this year had been his chance.

“I’ll be there. Stop worrying. I’m not shirking my duties. Quite the contrary.” Chase decided to test his decision out on his mother before he spoke with Shane. “I’ve already discussed this with Cole and I wanted you to hear it from me first... As far as I’m concerned, my professional rodeo days are over.”

Chase watched his mother still for a moment at the stove, then continue to cook breakfast without any response.

“Mom, did you hear what I said?”

“I heard you.”

Kay remained silent, leaving Chase uncertain what to say next. He fixed them both a cup of coffee while Kay set their plates on the table.

“I really expected you to say something about this.” Chase joined her, pushing his plate to the side.

“I’m weighing my words very carefully.” Kay shook some salt and pepper over her eggs. “You’d think I’d be elated to hear that I no longer have to worry about any of my sons getting killed or seriously injured in another rodeo. But this doesn’t sit well with me and I’m trying to figure out why.”

“It’s what you’ve always wanted,” Chase mumbled before taking a sip of coffee.

“Oh, no, you don’t.” Kay waved a fork at him. “Don’t you put this on me. This is the first I’ve heard you say you were retiring. After what happened this week, I feel as if you’ve given up on yourself. And as much as I’ve always hated that blasted rodeo, that’s not what I want for any of my children. If you love something, do it...no matter how difficult it becomes and how many times you might fail.”

Chase winced at her choice of words. “I’m not giving up by choice, necessarily. The doctors have already told me I risk potentially injuring my shoulder to the point where I won’t be able to pick up my children. That’s huge, Mom. To not be able to hold my own child because I was too stubborn to walk away. What kind of man would that make me? All that aside, I was coming to this decision long before the National Finals. I really want to devote more time to the ranch and the school. I’d expected to make this decision after my win this year, but it didn’t turn out that way. I’ve accepted it and I hope you will, too.”

“Have you spoken to Shane?”

“Not yet, but I plan to this morning. I’m annoyed at myself for even worrying about that conversation. I know my winning and staying on the circuit helps business at the school, but Shane can’t live his dreams through me. He made his decision to walk away and nobody gave him any grief. I’d appreciate the same consideration. This is my decision, not his.” Chase stood, leaving his untouched plate on the table. “I’m sorry, Mom, but I’m just not hungry anymore.”

He should have gone to Cancun.

Retiring was a major deal for him and a decision he had struggled with since his father’s death three and a half years earlier. Cole had immediately left the rodeo and devoted his full attention to running Bridle Dance. Chase admired his older brother for taking on the massive responsibility of a multimillion-dollar paint and cutting horse operation, but a part of him felt guilty, as well.

Their father’s will had left each brother an equal percentage of Bridle Dance, yet Cole had done—and still did—the majority of the work while the rest of them had reaped the rewards. Jesse reinvested every penny of his share back into the ranch, living off the profits of his own smaller operation. Shane and Chase did a limited amount of work on the ranch itself, devoting the majority of their time to the rodeo school. Chase did even less when he was on the rodeo circuit.

His family had been through hell since Joe’s death. Especially when Shane and Chase had battled Cole and Jesse for control of the ranch’s finances. The rodeo school and hippotherapy center almost hadn’t been built because of a war among brothers. Chase had been the deciding vote, and he’d almost lost Shane when he had sided against him. He had no desire to escalate the tensions between them ever again, but he feared his decision to quit the rodeo might do just that.

The rodeo had been a part of his life for as long as he could remember. It was the last common thread he’d had with his father, and now it was gone. He hoped to regain some connection to his father by dedicating more time to Bridle Dance. Shane would have to accept it.