“No. You just need a gun that fits you and some practice. Come on.”
Leaving their ear protection at their respective booths, he grabbed her hand. Heading into the club’s shop where firearms were sold, he pointed out several to a friend of his who was working behind the counter. As usual, this man, like all the rest, was impressed with Jade’s beauty. He silently let Chase know how spectacular she was, and Chase acknowledged it with a single nod. Jade was oblivious as she concentrated on picking up and holding the empty guns. When she chose her favorite, Chase had her try racking it. She succeeded and smiled up at him. The man working the counter said it was a popular choice among women as it was easy to rack.
“I like this one,” Jade said.
“Let’s try it out,” Chase said, and they headed back to the shooting range. On the way, he told her it was a sample gun, and if she did well with it, he’d buy her one. And no, he wasn’t going to argue about the cost or paying him back. At their booths, he said, “This is a Smith and Wesson Military and Police .380. It holds eight rounds. Line up the sites.” He pointed out the three sites. “Shoot once to start.”
With their ear protection in place again, he handed her the gun and watched as she held the semiautomatic weapon just as he’d taught her with the Ruger and Kimber. She took up the proper position, but just to be on the safe side, he stood behind her. She fired the gun, and when she wasn’t knocked backward, Chase moved from behind her. But she’d missed the target again, so he pressed a button in her booth, bringing the mark closer.
Jade nodded. “I’m going to catch the pancake this time.”
“Do it. You’ve got seven more shots,” he said. She fired seven times. When he brought the target back to them this time, they both grinned. “Two shots to the body. Good job.”
Jade looked at the gun and asked, “Is this a sissy popgun?”
“Not for a sissy,” Chase teased. When she opened her green eyes wide and then narrowed them to slits, he laughed and said, “This M&P .380 is not a sissy popgun, and you’re not a sissy. Not only is this gun more powerful than a .22, you hit the target and didn’t fall down.” He showed her how to reload the magazine, and she racked it. “Now, shoot to kill, buttercup.”
After thirty minutes of shooting and reloading, four bullets consistently hit the body of the target. Smiling broadly, Jade placed the pistol on the shelf and hugged Chase. Snaring her hand, he led the way into the gun shop and bought a brand-new one for her. The universal background check turned up a clean record for Jade, and since there was no waiting period in Colorado, she walked out with her very first gun and holster.
Before getting into his pickup, Chase removed her gun from the box it had come in and helped her load it. Reminding her to keep the safety on, he slid the gun into the holster. She slid the holstered pistol onto her Triple C Ranch red belt, then pulled the gun out of the holster and slid it back into place. He nodded his approval, and they hopped into his truck.
* * *
Just as Chaseturned into the horseshoe driveway of his ranch, he got a text from Teresa letting him know dinner was in the oven. After parking the truck in the garage, from the cab, Chase called the stables to ask that Valor and Jubilee be saddled. He also requested having Hank put up targets in the shooting range area of the ranch, which they all used for practice.
Jade had already exited the truck, and when he got off the phone, he found her leaning against the tailgate. Holding her pistol with both hands, Jade ran her tongue over her cherry-red lips and then blew on the end of the gun’s barrel. Knowing where he’d like to have her lips, Chase lowered his head and cocked a brow. With a saucy grin, she lifted her chin and slid her gun back into the holster. Chase yanked her away from the tailgate, and with a giggle, Jade twined her arms around his neck. There was a low groan in his chuckle as she wrapped her legs around his waist and planted her mouth across his in a wild, wet kiss. As their tongues played, he slid his hands underneath her and gave her sexy bottom a squeeze.
“You’re a smokin’ hot pistol, buttercup.”
The garage door dropped along with a couple pair of jeans, and dinner was delayed. By the time they made it to the kitchen, they were starved. After cleaning up their dishes, they were off to get Valor and Jubilee. Chase headed the horses to a part of the ranch where his father had taught him how to shoot. Hank had stapled paper targets to several fence posts and set tin cans on top of the posts. The more they practiced, the better Jade got. In the end, she came away with all eight bullets hitting the target, one headshot, and she’d sent a can flying off the fence post. Satisfied she could handle her new gun, Chase ended the lesson, and they raced the horses back to the stables. He won, but she was becoming a damn fine cowgirl.
“Did you know shooting a gun causes the same chemical reaction in the brain as a passionate kiss?” Jade asked as they strolled toward the house. He didn’t know that and shook his head. “Wanna find out, cowboy?”
He did.
* * *
The next morningwas moving day. Though she’d been looking forward to this, Jade felt the apprehension of the situation even before she was fully awake. It was still early as she reached for Chase. He was up and gone. Instantly alert, she hopped out of bed, hoping he hadn’t left to meet the movers without her. Wearing one of his tee shirts and boxers, she hurried out of his bedroom into the great room. Carrying her cell, it signaled a text. She stopped to read the text and then looked right and left, not knowing if Chase was in the kitchen, his office, somewhere else in the house, outside, or already down the road.
“Chase!”
“Yeah.” Chase sauntered out of his office, phone in his right hand. Jade hurried across the room and wrapped both arms around him. He swung his left arm around her and patted her fanny. “I just got a text from your neighbor, Bill, stating your VW is in the driveway.”
“I just got the same text.”
“Good,” Chase said. “Maybe with the heat on Mateo, Franco has decided to back off.”
“I hope so,” Jade said. Still feeling anxious, she eased out of his embrace. “I’ll get ready, and we can go.”
“I wish you’d stay here on the ranch, Jade,” Chase said.
“I need to oversee the moving. I don’t want the moving guys packing up my bras and panties. Do you?”
Chase frowned at the idea. “No. I’ll do that.”
“Chase, I need to be there, and then I can drive my car back here. We’ll be done with the Spatafores at the end of today.”
“I like the idea of being done with them at the end of the day. How about we go to the rental house for an hour? Long enough for you to get your clothes. You come back here, and I can stay there as long as I need to.”
