“Chase!” Chloe said. “Jade, I don’t know what’s gotten into my big brother.”
Chase winked at Jade and opened her door. He said a quieter hello just to Jade, and she echoed a soft hello back. Chloe popped open the back of the Jeep, where there were bowls of corn on the cob, pasta salad, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, deviled eggs, and watermelon. Chase ignored the food and admired Jade. With her new Stetson, she wore a red halter top that showed off the silver buckle of her red belt looped through a short, blue jean skirt. With her outfit, she wore her new red boots. She would turn heads all night. His included.
“Howdy, Chase,” Martyman called, stopping his truck next to Chloe’s Jeep.
“Great day for a picnic,” Rachel said as she and Martyman hopped out of the truck.
“It is,” Chase replied, his eyes on Jade.
“Did Cash get his dude ranchers over here to set things up for the barn dance?” Martyman asked as he and Rachel filled their arms with bags of chips and dips from the back seat of his extended cab.
“Yup,” Chase said. “Kegs delivered, stage for the band is assembled, barn swept, picnic tables placed, and hay bales arranged. He’ll ride back over here with them later.”
“I hope at least one of his dude ranchers is my type: single, handsome, tall, and has dark blond hair,” Chloe said. She looked at Jade and asked, “Is that too specific?”
Fitting in so easily, Jade laughed good-naturedly and said, “Not at all, Chloe.”
Chloe sighed, “Maybe someday.”
“Hey, y’all,” Coop called. Coming from the barn, he pulled an empty two-shelf cart toward them. “Just got the guys to unload the ice into the freezer.” With a smile at his former daughter-in-law, whom he would always love, he said, “Plenty of ice for your famous sweet tea, Rachel.”
This event was a well-oiled machine, and Chloe directed the action of bowls being set here and there on Coop’s cart. When the cart was loaded, Chloe handed several sleeves of plastic cups to Jade, gathered up bags of paper plates and plastic utensils, and shut the Jeep doors.
“Let me pull that cart for you, Coop,” Martyman offered, shifting some chips and dips.
“No thanks, Martyman. I’m fitter than a fiddle,” Coop said, leading the way to the barn.
Marty looked at Chase, who smiled and nodded. As Martyman, Rachel, and Chloe fell in with Coop and began talking about the food, music, and dancing to come, Chase pulled the cart holding the kegs. Letting the others go ahead, Jade walked beside him.
“You know I was just teasing you with the hot dish comment.”
“I thought the hot dish was your meat,” Jade said innocently.
“The meat we’re grilling this evening is from my ranch.” Chase looked at her, thinking there was a lot more to Jade Taylor than met the eye. “Is that what you meant?”
From under the brim of her hat, she gave him a shy smile. “Of course.”
“Right.” Chase wasn’t sure about that. She was intelligent and quick, a level of challenge he wasn’t used to but welcomed. She intrigued him at every turn. “Bob and I built that big fire pit for the chuck wagon-style grill,” he said and pointed. “We’ll have the best Black Angus steaks, ribs, and burgers in Colorado for supper.”
When they reached the barn, Chloe called to Jade, asking her to leave all but four sleeves of cups with Chase. Jade did so, then sashayed away from him, taking the rest of the cups inside the barn for Rachel’s sweet tea and other soft drinks. Chase delivered his cart of kegs to the opposite side of the barn’s double doors from the grill. He didn’t want anyone stumbling into the fire pit and wouldn’t hesitate to cut them off if they were drunk. Cash always kept a close watch on the guests as well, as he couldn’t have one of them falling off a horse on the way back to his ranch. If all else failed, Chase and Cash saw to it that folks were driven to a Triple C Ranch-East or West, left in an Uber, or with a designated driver.
Reno and Faro hurried forward and, with help from Mitch and Thatch, relocated the kegs onto sturdy tables. Chase stacked the cups near the kegs as he chatted with Red and Mean Pete. When Chase glanced into the barn, he saw three of his ranch hands surrounding Jade. No doubt the story of her life. Should he check on her, or would she come to him on her own? Then again, she was his guest. No, actually, she was Chloe’s. He held back and nodded in sympathy as Mean Pete mentioned his late wife. This Memorial Day marked three years since her passing.
* * *
The band had takena quick break, and on their way back to the stage, a couple of them joined the others surrounding Jade. From the center of the wolves, Jade’s gaze collided with Chase’s. When she subtly rolled those big emerald eyes, he didn’t hesitate. He excused himself from Mean Pete and Red and headed straight for Jade. As he neared them, Rafe and Hank politely greeted him and moved on. The band members he’d hired tipped their hats and hopped back onto the stage. Only the new ranch hand, Ragsdale, stayed put next to Jade.
Chase stepped up to Jade and whispered in her ear, “Need rescuing?”
“Yes, please.”
Chase took her hand and said, “Excuse us.”
“Got no choice,” Ragsdale muttered.
Chase didn’t need to comment. But to Jade, as he walked her away, he said, “Sorry about that. If it happens again, feel free to tell them you’re with me. They will back off.”
“Thank you, Chase. I will.”
