Loving Lauren (3 page)

“Continue,” Lauren said when she thought Mr. Holton had lost his nerve. She knew it was bad news; she could see it clearly on both man’s faces.

“Well, after that day”—Mr. Holton cleared his throat and shifted in his seat—“after we lost your mother, Richard took out some loans.”

“Mr. Holton, how much did my father owe the bank?” She wanted the bottom line. Holding her breath, she waited.

“Well, that's the tricky part. You see, Richard didn't trust in banks all that much.” The two older men looked between themselves. “Maybe this will explain it better.” He set the file on the desk in front of her.

She opened the file with shaky fingers. There, in her father's handwriting, was her future.

I, Richard Winter, being of sound body and mind, do solemnly promise to pay back the total sum of $100,000.00 to Johnathan Graham Sr. and Grant Holton II. If anything should happen to me, the proceeds of my ranch, Saddleback Ranch, would go to both men in equal amounts until paid back in full. They would have a say in the running of the ranch until said amount was paid in full.

It had been dated and signed by her father, John Graham, and Grant Holton Sr. over ten years ago.

“I understand your concerns.” She looked up from the paper. “As head of the house now, I will fulfill my father's obligations.”

“Well, that's all well and good.” Dr. Graham smiled. “But, well, we had an understanding between the three of us. If anything happened to him and we saw that you three or the ranch was in any jeopardy, we'd step in and run this place until we saw fit.”

Lauren listened as the men told her the scheme the three of them—her father, Mr. Holton and Dr. Graham—had come up with ten years ago in case anything like this should happen. How they'd take over the running of the land, the handling of the finances, even deciding how to deal with her and her sisters. She was being pushed out before she'd even had the chance to try and run things her way. She'd practically raised her sisters, and now these two men wanted to take control of everything, even her. Her heart sank upon hearing this news. She asked for some time to think about it and the men apologized and quickly excused themselves.

After the older men had driven away, Chase stayed behind and offered her another option. The next day Lauren stood in front of the courthouse in Tyler, wearing her Sunday best. She knew her life would never be the same again after that day.

Seven years later…             

Chase stood in the middle of the street and took a deep breath. He was finally home. It wasn't that he'd been avoiding the place, or that he hadn't had the will to return, but life had led him down a twisted path. He was happy that he'd finally ended up back here, at least for now. A car horn honked at him, and he waved and moved from the center of the road. Walking up the stone steps to his father's building, he realized that the old green place had never looked better. He knew the money he'd been sending home over the last nine years had helped with fixing up the clinic.

When he opened the front door, the bell above the door chimed and he smiled.

“Morning, how can I—” Cheryl, his father's receptionist, stood slowly. “Son of a...”

“Now, Cheryl, you know you're not supposed to say that around here.” He walked forward and received her welcome hug. The woman almost engulfed him, but he smiled and took the beating as she patted his back hard. Her arms were like vices, but her front was soft and she smelled just like he remembered, like chocolate and wet puppies. The odd mix of aromas had always warmed his spirits.

“What are you doing back in town?” she asked. She gasped. “Does your father know?” She looked toward the back room.

He shook his head. “I wanted to surprise him.” He smiled.

Her smile slipped a little. “Well, you sure will.” Then she bit her bottom lip and he knew something was up.

“Spill.” He took her shoulders before she could turn away.

“What?” She tried to look innocent.

“Cheryl, how long have I known you?”

She smiled. “Going on twenty-eight years next June.” He smiled. Cheryl always did remembered his birthday.

“And in all that time, I've come to know that when you bite your bottom lip, you have something you're trying to hide. So...”—he motioned with his hand—“spill.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Fine. It's just your father's health. I know he hasn't mentioned it over the phone to you.”

“What about it?” Chase began to get worried and felt like rushing to the back room to check up on his dad. Cheryl had never mentioned anything personal about his father's health in their conversations. Neither had his father.

“Well, he injured his leg a while back.” She twisted her shirtfront.

“And?” He waited.

“And, well, he's walking with a cane now,” she blurted out, just as his father walked through the back door.

“Thank you, Cheryl. That will be enough out of you.” His father smiled. Sure enough, his father was leaning on a black cane. “Well, boy?” He held out his arm. “Don't make me hobble over to you for that hug.”

Chase rushed across the room and gave his old man a bear hug like he always had, noticing that his father was not only skinnier, but felt frailer. He had a million questions he wanted to ask, but knew his father wouldn't answer until he was good and ready.

“Come on back here, boy. Tell me what you've been up to.” His father started walking towards the back and Chase watched him hobble. Then his father turned. “Are you back to stay?”

“Yes,” Chase said absentmindedly. He hadn't meant to stay, had he?

“Good.” His father turned into his office and took a seat, setting the cane down beside him. Chase sat in the chair across from him, waiting.

“Well, I suppose I should tell you, you couldn't have come home at a better time. I'm retiring.”

“What?” Chase sat up. His father raised his hands, holding off the million questions he had.

“Yes, at the end of the year. I've been kicked one too many times.” His father smiled. “This old body doesn't want to work like it used to. I was going to give you a call later this month.”

“Dad?” He looked at him.

“I know, I know. I told you I'd never retire, but...” he looked down at his leg. “The doctors are telling me I have to be off this damned leg for six hours a day. Six! You and I both know that in this line of work you'd be lucky to sit for five minutes a day.”

Chase smiled. “I guess it's a good thing I'm home, then.”

His father smiled and nodded his head. “What do you say we go grab some lunch? I'm buying.”

Fairplay, Texas, had one place to sit and eat. Mama's Diner, a huge brown barn that had been turned into a restaurant, had been the best place to eat in two counties since as far back as Chase could remember. Even now the place looked new and smelled like greasy burgers.

His father took his usual booth. It almost made Chase laugh, knowing the man never sat in a different spot. Even if someone was in it, he'd stand and wait until the table was cleared. There were new menus and he took his time looking over the list of new items.

“How are you today, beautiful?” his father asked the waitress when she stopped by.

Chase looked up and stared into the most beautiful green eyes he'd ever seen. Her hair was longer than before, and her dark curls hung just below the most perfect breasts he'd ever had the pleasure of being up against. She was tall and limber and he could remember the softness of every curve he’d been allowed to feel. She looked down at him like he was in her way and he started coughing. He couldn't explain how it happened, but he was choking on air. Nothing was getting through to his lungs or to his brain. Finally, she smacked his back hard, and he took a deep breath. He stood and grabbed Lauren's arm and demanded in a low voice, “What the hell are you doing working here?”

Chapter Two

Lauren jerked her arm away and stared back at Chase. Two minutes earlier she'd gotten the shock of her life as she’d watched him and his father walk across the street from the clinic. She'd almost dropped the tray carrying Mrs. Jenkins’s spaghetti. Luckily, she'd learned to handle unexpected circumstances and recovered quite quickly.

Maybe he's just visiting, she kept saying over and over in her head. He was a lot taller than she remembered, and she had to crane her neck to glare into his chocolate eyes. She slowly crossed her arms over her chest and said, “I don't see how it's any of your business where I work.” She dismissed him and turned to his father and gave him a huge smile. “How are you doing today, Doc?”

“Oh, just fine, just fine. My boy's back in town to stay, and I have a hankering for one of your sloppy joe's and some sweet tea, please.” The older man smiled up at her, then turned to frown at his son, who was still standing beside her and glaring at her. “Sit down, boy. You're making a spectacle of yourself.”

Chase sat without taking his eyes off her. She wrote down the doc's order, then turned and gave Chase a big smile. “What'll you have?”

“An answer to my question.” He crossed his arms and smiled a little. The dimple at the side of his mouth winked and for a split second, she forgot to breath. How had he grown so handsome? Sure, he'd been good looking in school, but nothing like he was now. His hair was a lot shorter, and it looked like he'd dropped ten pounds. He was very lean and had a bunch of new muscles. She was impressed with the ones she could see on his arms as he crossed them over his chest, which led her to look at his chest. It was wider than before. She could see the tension in his shoulder muscles and wondered what they'd look like, what they'd feel like. Shaking her head, she walked away without saying another word.

When she made it to the back, she leaned against the wall and took several deep breaths. What was Chase doing back in town? Why couldn't he just leave her alone? She felt herself hyperventilating. Then the words, “My boy's back in town to stay,” hit her and her hands began shaking. What did his return mean for her and the ranch?

“You okay, honey?” Jamella asked. Her boss was fifty years older and about a hundred pounds heavier than she was. She was Mama in every sense. Her family had owned Mama's Diner since coming to Fairplay from Louisiana when Jamella was ten. Now, after raising her own children, who had all quickly vacated the small town, she was Mama to everyone under the age of thirty. She knew everyone's business, and most important, knew how to keep a secret.