Jade laughed. “Five.”
“Ring shopping?” Teresa echoed as she joined them.
“Teresa, let me repay you for the birthday cake with a piece of cherry cobbler,” Jade said, blushing over the good-natured teasing. Teresa was all for it, and Jade stood up, preparing to serve the pie. Starting with Chase, she asked, “Big or small slice?”
“You know the answer to that.”
“Yes.” Jade served him the biggest piece. His stricken expression after he took the first bite stopped her from serving the next piece. “Chase, what’s wrong?”
“Taste it,” he laughed and pulled her to sit between his spread legs. He scooped up another piece and held his fork to her mouth.
Jade took the challenge and chewed. “It’s good.”
“Yeah,” Chase said to her. “It is.”
Jade wasn’t sure if he meant the pie or something else. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. Her whole life felt upside down. In a good way. As she heard the others at the table clamoring for a piece of her cobbler, she knew what it must feel like to have a family like Chase’s. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Teresa taking over the serving of the mismatched pieces. Chase had a couple more bites, gave her another one, and took the last one. He scooted off the end of the bench, but instead of escaping her, he snared her arm and tugged.
Jade stood, and they excused themselves. They made the rounds then, which he explained was his way of signaling to guests the party was winding down. The woman named Allison was nowhere to be seen. Jade breathed a sigh of relief, more for herself or Chase, she wasn’t sure. Both. No sign of Kendra or Ragsdale. Again relief. She and Chase moseyed to the dance floor, and he asked the band to announce their last number. It was a fast one, and the guests crowded the area. When it was over, several people begged for an encore. With a nod from Chase, the band played their final song which was another slow one. Chase pulled her to him, and twining her arms around his neck, Jade melted into him. The lights twinkled above them as the handsome cowboy rocked the ground under her red boots.
“You have cherry cobbler on your lips,” he said.
“Do I?”
“No.”
“It’s kind of dark in here. Are you sure?”
Chase tightened his embrace, and Jade cupped a hand to the hair at the nape of his neck. Her body responded with tingles when his hands flattened to her bare midriff. This time, his thumb caressed the skin under the hem of her blouse, and a couple fingertips of his other hand dipped into the waist of her skirt. She shivered from the flood of emotions experienced only with Chase. Desire. The new craving brought Jade to her tiptoes. Passion. Kissing him with abandon literally knocked the hat off her head. Chase groaned low in his throat at her reaction, then broke the kiss and playfully leaned her backward over his arm. She snatched her hat off the floor, plopped it on her head, and Chase gave her a playful yank back against his chest. They finished the dance to applause and cheering. Chase touched the brim of his hat and, holding her hand, stretched out his arm. Jade curtsied—facing him.
CHAPTERNINE
Chase awoke on Sunday morning. Alone, but with a smile on his face. Jade Taylor. He’d never had so much fun at a barn dance. All because of her. Sure, her beauty was the first thing he’d noticed. But the more time he spent with her, the more time he wanted. Unlike a lot of women he knew, she had the confidence to laugh at herself like when she’d fallen off Jubilee. Jade wasn’t easily triggered or offended, which was a definite bonus on a cattle ranch. She was brave and took chances, such as moving to Colorado, where she knew no one. She wasn’t intimidated by other women. Instead, she was polite and hadn’t returned a single scowl, glare, or frown. He liked the way she flirted with him. He liked the way she looked at him. He liked the way she felt in his arms. He just plain liked her. If she liked him too…score.
Chase rolled out of bed and, wearing only his boxers, padded to the master bathroom. While there, he brushed his teeth and washed his face. He’d shaved yesterday. Maybe he’d shave today, maybe not. The sun had yet to rise, so he rolled back into the king-sized bed on his stomach, and when he closed his eyes, he saw her, felt her, wanted her. Seemed only minutes had passed when he heard her call his name. Was that in his dream or real? He opened his eyes to sunlight pouring into the windows.
“Jade?”
“Where are you, Chase?”
“My bedroom. C’mere.”
Sounded like her voice had come from the middle of the great room. A moment later, she appeared in the open French doors holding a tray that looked like one of Chloe’s. Stacked on it were two coffee cups, a thermos, a paper bag, and plates. He smelled the aroma of food but feasted his eyes on the woman. Blond hair framing her gorgeous face, she was sporting a bit of a tan on that soft skin. Her royal blue sundress had a scooped neck and fit snugly around her breasts. The full skirt was short and sassy, and with it, she wore her red cowboy boots.
“I thought cowboys were up at the crack of dawn,” she said.
“Not if it means breakfast in bed,” he said. He sat up with the sheet covering his lower half, leaned against the headboard, and ran a hand through his hair.
“Cash was outside retrieving the empty kegs and let me in,” Jade said. “What a magnificent four-poster bed.” Holding the tray, she stared in wonder at the carved pillars, which almost reached the ten-foot-tall ceiling. He wondered what she thought of the oval mirror inlaid in the center of the intricately carved wooden headboard. “I absolutely love it.”
Chase grinned. Jade wasn’t a prude, she was fun. “You can set that tray on the cedar chest at the end of the bed.” When she’d placed the tray on the chest, he patted the bed. “This mattress is brand-new. Come sit down and tell me what you think.”
She walked forward and sat beside him. “Not too hard. Not too soft. Just right.”
“Said Goldilocks.” Chase reached out and lifted a strand of her long, soft hair.
“To the big bad bear.”
Chase chuckled and let go of her hair. “I bought this bed and the two nightstands at an auction last month,” he said as he motioned to either side of the bed. “It belonged to a platinum and gold record singer and well-known actor who wished to remain anonymous. When the furniture arrived, the frame also had a mirrored canopy.”
