The band struck up a fast number, and Kendra grabbed Ragsdale’s hand but had her eye on Chase. Allison was waving at Chloe as she beelined it toward the potluck table. Cash, on the other hand, casually gestured them his way with a grilling fork. They met up with Cash, and he handed them each a plate.
Cash said, “Tell me if that’s not the best filet you’ve ever eaten, Jade.”
“It might be until she has mine,” Chase said. “Thanks, Cash.”
“Thank you, Cash,” Jade said.
Since they both had worked and mingled for most of the evening, Chase led the way to a table away from the music and crowd. He straddled the end of the bench, and Jade wondered if that was for another quick escape. Coop joined them with a plate of his own. Chloe brought a couple of side dishes, and Rachel arrived with Martyman and cobbler. Coop dug into his meal, and the others were served steaks by Cash. As they enjoyed their meals, the grilling died down, so Cash let one of his guests try his hand at the grill. He said the dude rancher was a chef in town, and feeling comfortable with that, Cash took a seat beside Coop. Food, sweet tea, and beer were consumed by the hungry group. Since the sun had set, lights both outside and inside the barn had come on and twinkled like stars.
“You have to try the cherry cobbler for dessert,” Chloe said. “Jade made it.”
“Really?” Chase asked Jade with surprise in his voice.
Jade shrugged. “Chloe had all of the ingredients.”
“Chase, I see the new ranch hand is monopolizing the beer kegs,” Cash said.
“Yup.” Chase had noticed as well. From the grill, Bob made eye contact with Chase, and after a tilt of Chase’s head, Bob spoke to Ragsdale. “Luckily, the kegs are almost empty.”
“What do you think of Ragsdale, boss?” Mean Pete asked, strolling up to the table.
Frowning, Chase said, “I suspect he won’t make the cut.”
“I ‘spect not,” Coop agreed. “But at least he’s monopolizing the Desmond woman.”
“Speaking of those not making the cut, I think I got rid of Allison,” Chloe said.
“I never trusted her,” Rachel said bluntly. “She has an air of ulterior motive about her.”
Chase asked, “What makes you think you got rid of her, Chloe?”
“Well,” Chloe began and looked from Chase to Jade and back to Chase, “after that kiss on the dance floor, Allison practically broke her neck racing to ask me about you and Jade. I said the one thing I knew would send her packing.”
“Which was?” Chase asked evenly.
“I’ll get us some dessert plates,” Jade suggested self-consciously, not wanting to intrude on Chase’s personal life and what felt like a family-only discussion.
“Stay and slice up your cobbler,” Chase said. “This’ll be good. Chloe?”
Chloe indicated some dessert plates at the opposite end of the table. Jade busied herself with slicing the cobbler. But feeling anxious, the pieces came out big, small, and not at all even.
“I said in addition to the Memorial Day weekend celebration, tonight was an engagement party,” Chloe told them. “I didn’t say whose engagement, and certainly somewhere, somebody is having an engagement party. We’re helping them celebrate, they just don’t know it.”
Cash choked on his beer. Coop, Mean Pete, and Martyman howled as Rachel nodded, saying she had heard Chloe make the statement. Jade was almost afraid to glance at Chase. But when he chuckled, she looked at him. He was nodding and pointing his fork at his sister.
“That oughta do it.” Chase glanced at Jade and said, “Told you it would be good.”
“We thought you’d sworn off women forever until that slow dance.” Cash smiled at Jade and looked back at Chase, “‘bout time you were back among the living, brother.”
“Shut up, Cash,” Chase said but grinned.
“Jade, are you free to be engaged to my nephew?” Rachel asked, all in good fun. “Because that would, at the very least, make my niece’s statement less of a fib.”
“Of course,” Jade smiled from under the brim of her hat. It was the same innocent yet flirtatious answer she had given Chase about the meat.
“Right,” Chase responded just like he had about the meat comment. He was letting her know he knew which meat she’d meant. She raised innocent brows.
“Yay!” Chloe cheered. “Ring shopping! What size is your ring finger, Jade?”
