Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Jewel's phone vibrated against the counter, its screen lighting up with a picture of her daughter's beaming face, framed by the backdrop of a simulated Martian landscape. She answered, balancing the phone between her ear and shoulder as she continued to fill out paperwork at the veterinary clinic.
"Mom! Camp is incredible!" Destini's voice crackled with excitement through the line as she explained about the little kids and the projects they were doing. "We're wrapping up next weekend, but guess what? I've applied for an internship here at NASA!"
Jewel's hand paused mid-signature, the pen's tip hovering over the paper as her heart sank. "That's... amazing, honey," she managed, the words tasting like ash. An internship? She wasn't even sixteen yet, but she was champing at the bit to get a job. Not just any job—Destini was aiming for the stars with NASA.
"I know, right?" Destini bubbled on. "I'll find out in a few weeks if I get it. Until then, I can stay with Aunt Liz and Uncle Joe. I talked to them about it last night, and they're cool with it."
Jewel tossed the pen down and gritted her teeth. She loved her cousin Joe like a brother, but this was between her and Destini.
"Destini," Jewel interrupted gently, her throat tight. "We've talked about this. We need to be in Crimson Creek. It's our new home, and I'm looking at a few houses. Don't you want to be part of the process?"
"But why, Mom?" There was a note of frustration creeping into Destini's usually sunny demeanor. "Everything we want is here in Houston."
Jewel gripped the phone tighter, the edges biting into her palm as she fought the urge to confess the gnawing secret that had been eating away at her. "I just... I have commitments in Crimson Creek that I can't put off any longer," she said evasively, hating herself for the web of half-truths she'd spun. "Your grandpa and Aunt Gemma need me, and it's better for my health."
The silence stretched between them, filled only by the distant chatter of the clinic behind Jewel and the muted sounds of the camp from Destini's end. When her daughter finally spoke, her voice was tinged with confusion and hurt.
"Is there something you're not telling me, Mom?"
Jewel rubbed her forehead then her neck. Destini's voice, charged with dreams and determination, filtered through the receiver, and it made her both proud and weary.
Guilt clawed at Jewel's insides, an unwelcome companion. She closed her eyes briefly, willing strength into her voice. "It's complicated, sweetie," she whispered, her gaze dropping to her trembling hands, "but it's well overdue."
"Mom, it doesn't make sense to uproot everything now," Destini said, her words quick and earnest. "I can finish out the school year living with Aunt Liz and Uncle Joe. The internship will start next summer, and if I get it—Mom, do you understand what that means for my future career with NASA?"
Jewel hesitated, her breath catching in her throat. She knew all too well what it meant for Destini; it was the chance of a lifetime. But how could she explain the urgency of her own needs without revealing the truth? She couldn't bring herself to say more, to burden her daughter with the weight of her illness.
"Destini, honey, I know it's an amazing opportunity, but?—"
Destini cut her off mid-sentence. "I've already talked to my counselors here—I went with Carmen to freshman orientation—and they said I could graduate early if I homeschool."
Destini continued, undeterred as the excitement mounted in her voice. "If I graduate with a homeschool diploma, then I could focus all my energy on the NASA internship, show them what I can do, and then they'll hire me full time by the time I'm eighteen."
Each word from Destini's lips was like a nail in Jewel's resolve. The image of her daughter, so vibrant and full of potential, refusing to let anything stand in the way of her dreams, clashed with the reality of Jewel's silent struggle. It reminded her so much of Chase when he'd decided to graduate early and join her at A&M. She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she could be as brave as her child, as him.
Anger bubbled to the surface at being denied her girlish dreams of them going to college together, and the fact that Destini wanted to be away from her was like pouring salt into the wound.
"Destini, we can discuss this when I see you next weekend, but the move to Crimson Creek is already said and done. We're not staying in Houston." The words cut through the phone line like a knife, sharper than Jewel intended.
She winced, knowing from the past few years how Destini would react to that tone of voice, yet unable to stop herself from speaking them. Her hand trembled as she gripped the device, her heart racing with the sudden fear of her daughter slipping away.
"Mom! You're not even listening to me!" Destini's voice cracked, a mixture of frustration and hurt clear in her tone.
"Destini, it's not that simple. We've talked about this. Crimson Creek is where we need to be right now." Jewel's attempt at calm authority was betrayed by the quiver in her voice.
"You just don't get it, do you?" And with that, the line went dead. Jewel stared at the phone, the silence suddenly oppressive. She had wanted to soothe, to explain, but she had driven a wedge between them. Again.
These teenage years were almost worse than the terrible twos. She was fifteen going on thirty and thought she knew everything. It'd been so much easier when she'd been a toddlersaurus.
Jewel's chest tightened, and she felt the harsh fluorescent lights of the vet's office closing in on her. She needed air—now.
Shoving the door open, Jewel stumbled into the heat of the Texas sun, seeking the cool reprieve of the building's shadow. Leaning against the weathered bricks, she tried to steady her breath, only to have it catch at the sight before her.
Her brows rose in surprise. Chase rode up casually on his horse, a stark reminder of a simpler life she once knew. She really didn't want to deal with him right now and all the emotions he brought up. Yet she couldn't seem to make herself escape inside.
As he dismounted with the ease of long practice, Jewel's frayed nerves splintered into pieces. She wanted to launch herself into his arms, have him hold her and tell her they'd get through this phase with Destini together. Wasn't that ridiculous?
He smiled easily without a care in the world and touched the tip of his baseball cap. "Morning, Jewel. Fancy seeing you here."
Anger spiked within her that he could be so happy when her life was one constant storm, and she crossed her arms and popped a hip. "It's like I work here or something. Imagine that. Having a job."
He frowned and took off his sunglasses as he strode closer to the awning of the vet clinic. "What's that supposed to mean?"
She shrugged, her entire body aflame with anger, frustration with Destini, and the ever-present sexual tension that seemed to flare anytime he was near. The way his jeans clung to his hips, the green t-shirt making his biceps pop, and the old baseball cap he used to wear in high school a perfect frame for his square scruffy jaw.
She blinked and scowled. "So much for your grand plans of going to college and being a millionaire. You're just a ranch hand, same as everyone else."
He paused, looping the reins over the hitching post Henry insisted on keeping. "Where's this anger coming from?"
Her hands fisted and her feet widened. "I'm not angry, just frustrated."
"At me? For working on my parents' ranch? Yet you're working for your dad, so…" His voice drifted off as he stared at her, his eyes hidden behind the sunglasses.
Her nose wrinkled. "It's nice to have a built-in job, isn't it? Guess that makes us two peas in a pod."
His jaw tensed as he frowned, tucking the sunglasses into his t-shirt. "If you're worried about either Hunter or I being able to pay for child support because we're just ranch hands , you can stop. Nothing to worry about from either of us on the money front. We'll take care of Destini."
Jewel growled, her anger bubbling to the surface. "That's not what I fucking meant. God, Chase, why do you always try to push yourself in where you don't belong? I said I can fucking take care of my daughter, and I meant it."
"Whoa, what's really going on here?" Chase's brow creased in concern as he stroked the horse's nose. "You okay? Is this really about me or is something else going on?"
"Does it really matter? What are you even doing here, anyway?" she snapped, more harshly than she'd intended. She'd never been so jealous of a fucking horse.
He hesitated, sensing the tension, his hand pausing mid-motion on the horse. "I'm just here for some meds for the folks," he explained.
"Great, our secretary can take care of that for you. I have work to do," she spat out, the words laced with the venom of her fresh conflict with Destini.
Chase's expression shifted from concerned to guarded, a small frown forming on his lips as he took a step toward the door next to her. "Sorry to bother you, then," he said quietly.
Chase's boots scuffed the dirt as he came closer, then passed her, his silhouette framed by the doorway of the vet's office before it swallowed him whole. The door closed with a faint jingle, leaving Jewel alone with the echo of their strained exchange.
She pressed her palms against her eyes and groaned softly, the rough texture of the clinic wall scraping at her back through her shirt. What was she doing?
Chase wasn't the enemy. He was just caught in the crossfire of her maelstrom of emotions—a hurricane with her daughter at its eye. Guilt gnawed at her insides like a relentless pest, churning alongside the embers of anger still smoldering from her phone call with Destini.
Minutes passed in a haze of self-reproach, her fury dissolving into regret until she heard the door open again. Chase emerged, medicine in a plastic bag, his posture still broadcasting the hurt she'd inflicted. His gaze met hers, and for a moment, the air between them was thick with unsaid apologies.
She opened her mouth to apologize, but he stepped around her without a word, slipping his hat back on as he walked to his horse. He looped the ends of the plastic bag of medicine around his belt loop before patting his horse, his voice too soft to hear.
Chase loosened the reins from around the hitching post, his movements deliberate and familiar. Her gaze followed the outline of the horse—a beautiful chestnut she knew he adored by how he caressed her neck. It was an image straight out of a Western, incongruous with the modern world bustling just streets away. All he was missing was a cowboy hat, but he'd never been fond of their rigidity.
How did she know that? A memory of their childhood flashed along with her anger.
He was just going to ride away and leave her in the dust, when all she really wanted was to have him hold her and tell her it was going to be alright. The realization of just how alone she was in all this chaos of her life—and the fact that she wanted him to kiss her and make it all better—made her emotions spike. Logically, she knew what she was feeling and what she wanted were irrational, but she couldn't seem to stop herself from mouthing off.
"Always have to be different, don't you?" she said, her voice carrying a bite that was more about her own turmoil than any real irritation at his choice of transportation.
Chase looked up, confusion washing over his open face before it settled into something more reserved. "Beg pardon?"
"I see you're still the weird Williams brother. Why don't you drive a truck like a normal person?" Jewel continued, unable to stop the words tumbling out, similar to what she'd heard in high school for years.
The transformation in Chase was immediate. The easygoing warmth that usually radiated from him seemed to evaporate as his shoulders squared, and his eyes lost their gentle spark. His lips pressed into a thin line, and he reached up to adjust the brim of his baseball hat—an old habit when discomfort edged into his space.
"Don't have a license," he replied, his voice low and even. "You know, because of vehicular manslaughter and all."
Jewel winced, the aftermath of her outburst settling heavily on her conscience. His tone, his words, his body language—it penetrated her mind and pulled her back from her own emotions, forcing her to think of him.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before rubbing a hand on the back of her neck.
"Chase, I—" Jewel's voice cracked, but she cleared her throat and forced herself to continue. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you. It's just—Destini called, and we had this big fight and—well, you don't want to hear about that. Just know, I'm sorry for my attitude. Today is all about me and my mess. You haven't done anything wrong, and you're not weird."
"Ah, Destini has you so upset then," he said, the relief in his voice obvious.
She dug her toe into the dirt, frustrated with herself for making him feel bad. "I didn't mean to bring up painful memories about the accident or imply you were less than for not having a vehicle."
Chase snorted. "Imply? Hell, woman, you straight up called me weird."
Jewel's head snapped up at his tone, but when he winked, she snorted a laugh. "Well, to be fair, you always were, not that I minded. Can you blame me?"
He stroked his horse's neck and smiled, the tension around his eyes relaxing. "I'd never blame you for anything, my Jewel. You know that."
Her cheeks heated at the intense flash of desire on his face as he continued speaking.
"I'm working with the lawyer to get my license reinstated, though it could take a long time. At this rate, Destini might drive before I do. Does she have her permit yet? Does she know how to drive?"
The eagerness in his expression nearly broke her heart. It was almost as if he wanted to be Destini's father. Her stomach twisted at the thought, but she didn't know whether with happiness or dread.
"She knows how to drive but won't get her permit until she turns sixteen this fall. I'm sure she's already looked up ways to get her permit early though, since she wants to stay in Houston."
His hand paused on the horse, and he frowned at her. "She wants to stay in Houston?"
Jewel sighed and leaned her head back against the cool brick wall, closing her eyes. "Yeah," she said, and explained about the call that had made her so upset. The helplessness filled her again, and she felt like the worst mother in the world for not being able to have a simple conversation with her daughter.
He listened, the lines of his face softening as she poured out the frustrating details.
"Do you think she'll get the internship?"
Jewel shrugged. "Normally it goes to college kids, but she could. Everyone there loves her, but that doesn't change the fact that she's only fifteen. She has her whole life ahead of her to work and get a job and start a career. She doesn't need to throw away the rest of her high school for it."
Their silence was peaceful for a few moments, and Chase resumed stroking the chestnut's neck.
"Can you compromise? Let her finish the semester there instead of the year. Whether she hears about the internship or not," Chase suggested, a note of encouragement threading through his words.
Jewel frowned. "And be away from her for months more? It was hard enough to move up here while she was in camp this summer."
"The kid's gotta chase her dreams, Jewel, and if you try to hold her back, it could be worse than letting her try and fail. She has to know that you support her."
"I do support her," Jewel said, remembering all their past conversations on her dreams. She loved how excited Destini got about the future. But this past year, their relationship had deteriorated so much, and she didn't know how to fix it.
"Of course you do. Maybe she just needs to see it instead of hearing it." His gaze locked onto hers, unwavering, the remnants of their earlier tension now replaced by a different gravity. "Maybe tell her that you'll agree to let her remain for the semester if she agrees to do the DNA test before Thanksgiving break, which she should spend here."
Jewel nodded, acknowledging the weight of his request—a lingering obligation that tugged at the frayed edges of her patience. "Yeah, we need to figure that out. I just don't know how to tell her it's necessary," she agreed, her voice heavy with a weary acceptance of the complicated path ahead.
Chase paused, and she felt the weight of his stare. "She doesn't know?—"
"No," Jewel said softly.
"Well, shit," he said.
"Tell me about it," she said.