“Yes, thank you,” Jade said as Chase pulled her out of her chair.
“Just doing my job,” Derek replied.
“Let’s join the others and I’ll buy you a beer, Derek.”
“I’m off duty. Sounds good,” he said as Chase opened the door. After Jade walked through it and was in the hallway, Derek stopped, turned to him, and said quietly, “Chase, if you shoot this son of a bitch, make sure his body’s inside your house before you call me.”
“I will.”
Chase locked the door to the office and took Jade’s hand. He returned the key to Vince as they passed the bar on the way to a table in a far corner. Cash, Chloe, Richard, and Suzy were there. Kendra Desmond was there too. Chase decided he was okay with her presence because she had been friendly to Jade and planned to help with the equine certification. Just as encouraging where Kendra was concerned, a man he didn’t recognize—probably her new boyfriend—had his arm around her. There were three chairs waiting for them at the table. He pulled out a chair next to Cash for Jade and sat down next to her, leaving a chair next to Suzy open for Derek. Richard took it upon himself to introduce Kendra to Derek and the man with her, Barry, to Chase, Jade, and Derek. Chase swung his arm across the back of Jade’s chair as Kendra congratulated them on their engagement. Suzy snapped her fingers, and beers all around were promptly served.
Chloe reached across Cash and grasped Jade’s left hand. “Look at that rock, Kendra.”
“Beautiful,” Kendra said, her smile seeming genuine. “When’s the wedding?”
Chase looked at Jade and said, “Sooner than later?”
Jade’s dazzling smile was incomparable to all others. “Sooner.”
“Tomorrow?” Chase asked, only half teasing.
“No!” Chloe piped up. “She has to have a wedding dress, right Jade?”
“The only white dress I haveisa little worse for wear.” Jade grinned at Chase.
Chase chuckled. “Labor Day?” he asked her. “Combine it with the ranch picnic and Pikes Peak fireworks?”
“Yes!” Jade said. “I would love that.”
“I guess we have a wedding date,” Chase said.
“I’ll drink to that,” Cash said and clinked his beer mug to Chase’s.
“And the guests are basically already invited,” Chloe said.
“Is our standing invitation good?” Suzy asked as they all raised their glasses.
“Absolutely,” Chase replied. “What time?” he asked Jade.
“Five? Like the Memorial Day picnic?”
“Yeah,” Chase said, thinking how perfectly she fit into his life on the ranch. Wondering how he had ever lived without this woman, he pulled her close and kissed her forehead.
“Since I didn’t get to go engagement ring shopping with Chase,” Chloe began with a playful frown at him and looked to Jade to ask, “May I go wedding dress shopping with you?”
Jade nodded. “Yes, please, Chloe. How about Monday?”
“Yes! Perfect!”
Intending to keep them safe, Chase said, “I’ll go with you.”
All four women at the table erupted in various forms of, “No!”
With a laugh, Chase held up his hands in surrender and said, “Okay.”
The festive atmosphere had pulled Chloe out of her temporary shyness because Chase saw her smile across the table at Derek. Jade had noticed, too, because she placed her hand on his thigh and slightly inclined her head toward his sister. He noted the detective grin back and thought this deputy sheriff just might be able to handle feisty and fiercely independent Chloe. Toward the end of the next round, Cash said it was his last beer as he had a new batch of dude ranchers to welcome at the crack of dawn. Derek was back on duty first thing in the morning, and Chloe had guests coming to her bed-and-breakfast for the weekend.
Leaning close, Jade whispered in his ear, “Know what I’m thinking ‘bout, cowboy?”
