The Son He Never Knew

“She’s here with me. Do you want to speak with her?”

“I’d like that. I’m worried about her.”

Jess waved him away when he tried to hand her the phone. “Just talk to her for a minute,” he said. “She’s one of your best friends and she’s concerned.”

After a brief hesitation, Jess reluctantly took the cell and murmured a soft “Hello.”

Chase waited and watched while Jess spoke with Rachel. She sounded meek, very un-Jess-like, but he could understand why she might. While he put away his gun in the locked cabinet in the corner, he listened as Jess repeated the accident scenario without any details. And after a few brief questions about Dalton’s condition, she ended the conversation.

“At least he’s still alive,” she said as she handed him back the phone.

He could tell she found little relief in Dalton’s status. “If he makes it through the night, he’ll probably be okay.”

“And if that’s not the case?” she asked. “What happens then?”

Nothing good. He leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms. “Let’s just worry about that if and when the time comes. Right now you need some sleep.”

“I’ve already told you I can’t sleep.” Her irritable tone said otherwise.

“You can try.” He pushed away from the cabinet and returned to the table. “I’ll show you to my room.”

“I told you I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“You’ll be closer to Danny if you’re in my room.”

That seemed to get her attention. “I guess that would probably be better.”

Jess took her time coming to her feet while he picked up her bag from the floor in the den. She slowly and silently followed behind him as he made his way down the hall and paused outside the guestroom.

“Do you think I can hear Danny if he calls me?” she asked.

“You’ll be right next door,” he said as he pointed out his bedroom.

After a slight hesitation, she entered the area and looked around before her gaze settled on the king-size bed.

He nodded toward the closed door to his right. “The bathroom’s through there. After you’re done, I need to take a quick shower.”

She took the bag from him and clutched it like a life-line. “Is this the only bathroom?”

“The only one with a shower,” he said. “There’s a half-bath next to the laundry room. I’ve just started framing out two more bedrooms and another bath at the back of the house.”

“Why?” she asked, catching him off guard.

“Why not?” he answered back.

“I don’t see why you’d need four bedrooms unless you plan on having a family,” she said. “And since you’re not a settling down kind of guy, well…”

Exactly what he’d told her all those years ago. “Extra bedrooms add to resale value.”

“Are you going to move after you’re finished with the renovations?” Her tone held an edge of alarm, like she worried he might desert her.

“I hadn’t planned on it, but it doesn’t hurt to prepare for the future.”

She lowered her eyes. “Sometimes you can’t prepare for what life throws your way.”

He hated she couldn’t look at him straight on, that she’d obviously lost her confidence, unlike the girl he used to know. But then her bastard of an ex-husband had played a huge role in that.

“We all make errors in judgment, Jess.” He’d made more than his fair share, one that had been particularly serious. Two if he counted what had happened in her dorm room a decade ago.

She took a few steps back and pointed behind her. “I’m going to wash up now.”

“Fine. I’ll be right here.”

“I won’t be long,” she said as she turned, hurried into the bath and closed the door behind her.

Chase sat on the edge of the bed and streaked both hands over his face. He should be dog-tired, but he wasn’t. He should be convinced of Jess’s innocence, but he had his doubts. He should disregard duty and demand the truth, but he couldn’t…and not only because of job.

The truth could very well be more than he could handle.

AFTER CHECKING ON DANNY one more time, Jess climbed into the king-size bed, pulled the sheets up to her chin and surveyed the area cast in overhead light. The room had been painted neutral beige and the accessories were patently masculine, from the leather chair in the corner to the heavy pine furniture. Funny, this place had barely been four rickety walls and rough-hewn wood floors when they used to play here as kids. She smiled as she recalled their childhood games and her ongoing argument with Chase—she refused to play damsel-in-distress to his superhero just because she was a girl. Over and over she’d insisted she was quite capable of using her pretend powers to save him. But with a flash of his dimples and a few well-chosen words, he’d won the battle.

These days, he rarely smiled. These days, she had barely been able to save herself. Especially tonight.

As Jess settled deeper into the feather pillow, she absorbed the fresh, clean scent of cotton and a hint of Chase’s favorite soap. She allowed the memories to take her back to a better time when she’d given him some fancy, manly shower gel one Christmas—which he’d promptly given back and said, “No offense, but no, thanks.” She’d known all along he’d been a bar soap kind of guy but she’d reasoned that he could change. She should have known better.

People didn’t change, at least not for the better. She’d learned that hard lesson from her ex-husband.

In response to a sudden, strong chill, Jess chafed her arms with her palms and felt the tender spot right above her elbow. She shuddered at the sudden surge of recent recollections. Horrible recollections of what had transpired only a few hours before.

The sound of the opening door startled Jess and thankfully thrust her back into the here and now. Chase came out of the bathroom wearing a pair of navy pajama bottoms and a seen-better-days gray T-shirt.

As she scooted up against the headboard, he headed to the closet, where he placed his boots beneath the neat row of jeans and shirts hanging on the rack.

“Nice place,” she said, grasping for a topic other than why she had landed in his house.

“It’s fairly simple.”

“You have a whirlpool tub and granite countertops, Chase. I don’t think that qualifies as simple.”

He tossed a glance over his shoulder. “I had some help decorating.”

Jess imagined he did. Female help, and she doubted his mom had contributed. Missy Reed was as country as country came. “I’m sure the county girls stood in line to help you out.”

“Just Savannah,” he said as he pulled out a khaki uniform shirt and hung it on a wall hook next to the closet. “She and Sam are redoing the farmhouse so she volunteered.”

She experienced a little bite of guilt over jumping to conclusions. But considering Chase’s legendary ladies-man reputation, who could blame her? “That was nice of her to help. I’m sorry to say I haven’t seen much of her since she moved back from Chicago.” She hadn’t seen much of anyone for that matter.

Chase pulled some bedding from the top of the closet, closed the door and finally faced her. “You might want to give her a call when she’s back in town.”