Chapter 12—Reluctant Bride by CJ

He awoke only because Sophie was in his room making a heap of noise.  Groggy because he had slept way too long, Chase opened only one eye and stared across the room at his housekeeper.  Wearing jeans and a blue denim shirt, Sophie was humming the bars of some country tune and placing neatly folded clothes in a drawer.

Slowly Chase turned his head, expecting to see Tori.  Instead, all he caught sight of was an empty bed.  Where in damnation was his wife and why in the hell was Sophie in his room?

Opening both eyes and sitting up, Chase called across the large master suite to Sophie, “Sophie, what are you doing?”

“Puttin’ your wife’s things where they belong,” she answered, not even looking in his direction.

Things?  He focused his eyes on the clothes in Sophie’s hands and sure enough, they were Tori’s.

“Does she know this?” he inquired.

Sophie shrugged.  “Heck if I know.  Ask me if I care.  A husband and wife should live in the same bedroom.  And since you brought her back and I heard ya’lls carrying on until all hours of the night, I suppose this is the rightful place for her things.”

“Carrying on?  We were not,” Chase defended.

“Sure you was.  Up late eating and laughing in the kitchen, then her giggling on the way up the stairs.  How’s an old woman supposed to get her rest with you two newlyweds livin’ here?”  The ornery woman then gave Chase a sly, taunting glance.  “By the way, Tori’s down in the horse barn with her calf if you want her.”

“Down in the…?” he started to say, only to realize that Tori had made her own way down to see the calf and he hadn’t wanted her to do it alone.  Certainly he had wanted her to face her fears, but to do so on the day they returned and alone…well, he’d better run down there and check. 

As he began to extract himself from bed, however, he realized he was totally naked under the sheets.  His and Tori’s romantic escapades had followed them home from the Dallas hotel and he had fallen asleep last night without putting anything on.  Certainly he wasn’t about to leave his bed, naked, in front of his housekeeper.

“Uh, could you…leave?” he requested.

Sophie gave a snort of impatience, straightened from her work and grumbled, “It’s not like I haven’t seen you buck-ass naked before, Chase.  Hell, I’ve only been living here since you were a boy.”

She was teasing him and he threw her a mock glare and replied, “Yes, but there’s a big difference between me as a boy and me as a man, Sophie.  A huge difference.”

He caused her to blush.  It wasn’t often he could do that.  Sophie had lived too much of life to be embarrassed by much, but this time, Chase had gotten her.

“Fine, I’ll finish this up later,” she mumbled, heading for the door.  She paused in the doorway and said seriously, “I’m glad she’s back, Chase.  You did good.”

Yes, he too was glad Tori was back, glad she was home.  Though it had been a short time, it just felt right for her to be here on this ranch and it certainly felt right to have her in his bed.

He showered quickly, skipped the shave and dressed in jeans and a T-shirt.  Hair still damp and skipping breakfast, actually brunch by this late hour, he hurried to the barn where Tori kept her calf.  When he arrived, he was pleasantly pleased to see her sitting at ease in the clean straw, feeing the hungry animal and talking to her like it was her best friend.

“I really hope you didn’t miss me too much, Ellie,” she was saying.  “I’m so sorry I was gone so long.  I was being silly, really.  But I plan to hang around for a while…especially since I’ve discovered just how much fun my new husband can be.”  She laughed like a school girl and Chase hated to interrupt her “conversation” but to go on eavesdropping would just be plain rude.

“Well, darlin’, glad to hear you think I’m fun,” Chase drawled and when Tori’s eyes widened in disbelief and her head swiveled his way, he chuckled at her.

“I didn’t know you where standing there, Chase,” Tori gasped.  “That’s not nice to spy.”

“I wasn’t spying, I just got here,” he defended.

“Hmmm, I’m beginning to think that perhaps you aren’t as much fun as I originally thought.”  She was playing mad now, Chase could see it in the glint of her smoky eyes.  There was no malice there, no hint of fiery sparks, and he was glad they could finally joke easily about things without one or the other taking words too seriously.

“Keep talking like that, little girl, and I’ll come right in there and prove otherwise.”

Tori shook her head.  “Not in front of the baby, dear.”

“Tori, honey, you are a certified nut,” Chase teased, smiling wider because she certainly did make his day that much brighter.

Not looking at him, her attention completely on the calf now, Tori replied, “This coming from a man who blackmailed his bride.  Yes, I can see how I’m the nut around here.”

“You are the one who married said man for your inheritance,” he countered.

Then would have been the perfect time to bring up the conversation he’d had with her father just the day before.  Norton had warned him that Tori’s mother was scheming.  That could mean a million things.  When a woman got to scheming, watch out!  Especially a woman like Mary Ambrose.  Yet Chase didn’t want to ruin the perfection they had achieved by delving into the territory of Tori’s mother and money.

“True.  But the sex is so good, can you blame me?” she asked innocently as she turned her eyes to focus on his face. 

That little vixen had learned and learned well the past few days!  She knew how to turn him on now.  What control she had gained over him.  Instead of taking the bait, however, he played it cool and instead asked, “So, no qualms about coming down here alone?”

“Nope.  Told you there wouldn’t be.”

“Good.  I’m glad you’re feeling better about everything.”

“I am.  I’m feeling better about a lot of things, Chase.”

Again, the opportunity had presented itself for him to have a real heart to heart talk with her about their feelings and future.  But just before he could open his mouth, Jake, the ranch foreman, entered the barn.

“Hey, Chase, there you are,” the man announced.  “I was just going to let you know that I had to run into town and pick up some more vaccines from the vet.  Didn’t buy enough and the boys are out in the east pasture today trying to get them cattle inoculated.  Anything you need while I’m in town?”

Tori suddenly jumped to her feet.  “Town?  There’s a town around here?  Where?  How far?”

Chase laughed and Jake looked at him and shook his head. 

“I suppose that means you two will be going instead?” Jake asked.

“I suppose it does.  Although, I’m afraid Tori may be very disappointed when she sees our…town,” Chase drawled.

“I don’t care if it has only one stoplight, a DQ and Wal-Mart for shopping.  Anything has got to be better than staying on this ranch for every waking hour,” she whined.

“Darlin’, we just got back from Dallas,” Chase reminded her.

“Yes, but before that, I never left this place.”  Tori scurried out of the stall.  She grabbed Chase and began pulling him down the isle.  “Come on, show me this town so that in the future, I can actually get away.”

**

Tori almost giggled as they drove into “town” in Chase’s large, double-wheeled pick-up truck.  Indeed, it did have only one stop-light, a DQ and some all-purpose general store.  Granted, there were a few other stores—a feed store, a coffee shop/diner, a leather smith, one used car dealership and two grocery stores.  Tori saw more storefronts, all with small boutiques and such, but the town wasn’t much at all.

“Dang, you weren’t kidding,” she quipped as she peered out the passenger window.  “This place is small.”

“Well, that’s small-town Texas for you, sweetheart,” Chase drawled.  He pulled in front of the veterinarian’s clinic.  “But it has all we need…more or less.”

Chase slid out of his truck.  Tori admired the fit of his jeans as he stood, closed the door and walked around to open her door.  She hadn’t been waiting on purpose for the gentlemanly act, she’d only been too caught up gawking at that fine specimen of man she was legally wed to.

He assisted her out of the high truck and was about to take her hand and lead her into the vet’s office when Tori balked.  Her eyes were spying everything around her and Chase had the feeling his new wife wanted to do some exploring that didn’t involve the vet’s office.

“I’d like to look around,” Tori announced.

Chase was already reaching into his back pocket to fetch some money from his wallet for her.  He handed her a couple of twenties.

“Oh, I don’t really need money,” Tori argued.

“Take it.  Sophie needed some milk and eggs from the market.  You could do that while I get my vaccines.  Besides, we have to come up with some sort of plan for you to have spending money.  I don’t want you to feel like you’re constantly at my mercy.  The same goes for a car.  You can drive the Mercedes whenever you want.”

Tori looked up at him and wrinkled her nose as if something had struck her wrong.

“Actually, I was thinking I’d like to buy a less…luxurious car…” she started to say.

“Darlin’, if you insist on driving some 1960’s style beetle, I’m putting my foot down.”

Tori laughed.  “No, I was thinking more along the lines of something more…cost effective and energy efficient.  You know, one of those Honda hybrids or…or a diesel VW.”

Chase bit back his chuckle and hoped he didn’t look too sarcastic as he agreed, “If that’s what you truly want.”  He’d be the laughing stock of the town with his wife driving something like that, but hell, she had her quirks and everyone would just have to get used to them.

“Great,” she said excitedly, then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly…in public…before she trotted off down the sidewalk.

It was a short jaunt to a nearby general store.  Tori went inside amid curious stares from the shopkeeper and a couple of other older gentlemen who were sidled up next to the counter, no doubt gossiping.  She wondered how many people in town new Chase.  All?  Some?  More than likely, all.  After all, he and his family had lived in these parts for decades.

Tori gave a self-conscious smile and walked down the aisles of sundries, canned goods, wares and candy until she found the cold storage and picked up a half-gallon of milk and a dozen eggs.

She grabbed a candy-bar for herself on the way back and plopped her purchases on the counter in front of the four older men.

“That be all for you, ma’am?” the aging storekeeper inquired.

“Yep,” Tori replied.

All the men were eyeing her--not in a lecherous way, only with wonder and intense curiosity.

“Something wrong?” Tori swiveled her head to ask the old customers.

“Nope, ‘cept we ain’t never seen you ‘round here ‘fore,” one very southern sounding old man said.

“First time in town.  I haven’t been off the ranch yet,” Tori explained.  “But now that Chase has shown me the way, I’m sure you’ll be seeing me around much more.”

“Chase?  Chase McNamara?” another man piped up.

“Yes,” Tori answered nonchalant.

Suddenly all four old men smiled.  “Oooo-eee, I heard he had tied the knot!”  The shopkeeper stared pointedly at her left hand bearing her rings.  “You must be the missus, Mrs. McNamara.”

“No, I’m Tori Ambrose, his wife.  I’m no one’s missus and no one’s Mrs.—whichever way you say it,” she snapped defiantly.  The way they had said that made it sound like she was someone’s property.

“Well, you sure ain’t much bigger than Tinkerbell, but you sure pack one attitude.  S’pose you need that though to get on with Chase.  He’s a bit of a pistol himself,” another man then declared.

Frowning because she didn’t like being compared to a Disney cartoon character, Tori mumbled, “I suppose he is,” then walked out of the store amid their low chuckles.  “Small towns,” Tori grumbled to herself as he continued down the street and around the corner.  That’s when she saw it…

**

When Chase exited the vet’s office, vaccinations in hand, it didn’t entirely surprise him to find his truck empty of his wife.  No doubt Tori was still exploring.  But they didn’t have time to explore for long today, the foreman needed the vaccinations so that the ranch work wouldn’t come to a grinding halt.

Chase loaded his things in the truck and started on foot across the street in the same direction in which Tori had left.  He entered the general store and found old man Winston, the shopkeeper (who had been the shopkeeper and owner ever since Chase could remember) and his usual three cronies.  The old men were all retired ranchers and cowboys.  They did nothing but hang out at the general store, play checkers and gossip.  They were harmless old men, but they gossiped more than a pack of old ladies at a hair salon.

“Well, if it isn’t the newlywed,” Winston drawled as Chase walked into the store.  “Life on that ranch of yours been interestin’ since you took on that hell-cat?”

“Hell-cat?”  Chase frowned.  “No doubt Tori was in here?”

“In here is right.  What a fire-cracker you married.”

Chase gave a small shrug.  “Keeps me on my toes.  And speaking of the ‘hell-cat’…was she in here?”

“Was,” Winston answered.  “Gone now.”

Suddenly, the old wooden and glass door opened quickly, the bell above it tinkling with announcement, and Chase turned only to see Tori jogging in, slightly winded and carrying a bag of groceries.

“Chase,” she said with relief.  “Can I have the keys to the truck?”

She was pulling them out of his hand before he had a chance to ask why and Chase should have known it was only going to be bad when she raced back out of the store, sprinted across the street, jumped into the driver’s seat, revved the engine and squealed the tires as she sped down the main drag and around the block.

“Ah, hell,” Chase cursed and as he headed out the door he heard old man Winston calling in his wake, “Yep, one hell-cat is right, McNamara!  Good luck!”

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Reluctant Bride – Chapter 13