Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Chase's fingers hesitated on the saddle's worn leather, preparing to mount. He paused, glancing back at Jewel, the late afternoon sun casting a warm glow on her wild blond hair. "When are you going to tell her about the DNA test?" he asked, his brow furrowed with concern.
Jewel shook her head, a strand of hair escaping her ponytail. "Next weekend when camp's over. She'll be at her cousins', but this is a conversation that's better in person."
Before Chase could respond, the vet's office door burst open, and Kayla emerged, the same calm etched into her wrinkled face. "Jewel, there's an emergency call from the McBride place. Do you want me to call Gemma, since she's on call this evening?"
The name McBride sent a bolt of unease through Chase, his hand instinctively tightening on the reins as his horse shifted beside him. His palms grew sweaty even as a chill skittered down his spine.
"No, I'll handle it," Jewel said calmly, turning to the secretary. "Close up shop for today, since there are no more appointments."
"Will do," Kayla replied before disappearing back inside.
Jewel waved goodbye to him and gave her soft little smile before following Kayla.
Chase wrapped the reins around the hitching post again, his movements stiff. There was no fucking choice; he couldn't leave her alone to handle a McBride.
He followed Jewel into the clinic, navigating the narrow hallway that led to the employees-only area. The smell of antiseptic and the distant sound of a dog whimpering in the kennel did nothing to ease the tightness in his chest.
"Jewel, you can't go out there alone," he said, his voice low and tense. "The McBrides are too dangerous."
She glanced back at him in surprise before her expression turned resolute. "They have animals that need help, Chase. That's why I was called. They won't hurt me—I'm there to help."
"Doesn't matter," Chase insisted, his jaw set. "I'm going with you. I can't let you go by yourself."
"Ridiculous," Jewel scoffed, a hint of annoyance flashing in her eyes. "Why would you even?—"
"Because I care about you," Chase cut in, his resolve firm. "And I'm not taking any chances, not after what I went through with Andre."
"I don't know what you're talking about, but I have to go, Chase."
Chase's heart pulsed in his ears as he watched Jewel gather her medical bag, her movements efficient and unaffected by the tension that had rooted itself deep within him. He took a steadying breath, his gaze fixed on the worn linoleum floor, the pattern blurring as unwelcome memories surged to the surface.
"Jewel." His voice was barely above a whisper, but it halted her in her tracks. "When I started tutoring Andre McBride after you went back to college… things went sideways."
She turned to face him, her eyes searching his as she leaned against the counter and crossed her arms. Chase felt a shiver run through him, and he continued, the words tumbling out like stones down a hillside.
"The first few sessions, he paid cash. But each session went longer than the last, and eventually he started calling me names and pushing me to smoke pot and drink with him afterward. Then he stopped paying cash—wanted to pay with drugs and beer instead." His hands clenched at his sides as the confession hung between them, heavy and raw.
"Did you accept them as payment?" Jewel asked, her brows rising in surprise.
Chase shoved his hands in his pockets and frowned as he glanced down. "I didn't want to. At first, I just took them and dumped them on the side of the road. He wasn't going to graduate if he didn't pass pre-cal though, and I felt sorry for him. I had convinced the school to double my classes so I could graduate, but it was—too much. Too stressful."
She winced. "Then what happened?"
"That night, the accident… I was under the influence because of him." He struggled to keep his emotions at bay, the pain of the revelation etching lines across his face.
Everyone in town knew of his horrible mistakes. They'd been plastered on the town's newspaper for weeks, months even. Admitting it out loud might have gotten easier after years of therapy, but to admit it to her…
He forced himself to meet her gaze and accept responsibility for his actions. "I should have said no, but he has a way with words. I don't trust him, Jewel, not one bit. I wouldn't put it past him to try to pay you in some sick way for your help with whatever animal is there."
Jewel's response was immediate and tender. She stepped forward, cradling his face in her hands with a gentleness that made his defenses crumble.
"Oh, Chase," she murmured, her thumbs brushing away the shadows beneath his eyes. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that."
He leaned into her embrace, his chest aching and tight as his hands found her waist. "I should've been stronger," he admitted, his voice muffled against her shoulder. "Should've said no, demanded cash."
He was a weak man for craving this woman's touch, her comfort and understanding even after all this time.
Drawing back, Jewel's chuckle was soft, tinged with understanding. She looked up at him, her gaze warm and knowing. "If there's anything I know from raising a strong-willed teenager, it's that you can't tell them anything. It's not your fault entirely, and it's not his. The shoulda, woulda, coulda game will drive you crazy."
Chase searched her face, seeking solace in her words. "You're right, of course. It's just hard to give him in particular the benefit of the doubt."
"But isn't it possible that he's grown up just like you have? More mature and responsible?" Her voice held a note of hope, but Chase could only muster a half-hearted shrug, the skepticism still lodged firmly in his heart. As he looked into Jewel's eyes, he considered that possibility, if only for her sake.
"Maybe, but I've heard enough rumors around town to believe he's only gotten worse with time," he warned. "Saw him at the Electric Cowboy once and promptly turned around and left after I saw him handing a baggie to someone."
Her scent drew him closer, teasing him. Chase pressed his lips to Jewel's cheek, inhaling the soft fragrance of her hair that always reminded him of wildflowers and sunshine. The scent filled his senses, a soothing balm to his frayed nerves.
"I had hoped he'd changed," Chase murmured against her skin, the uncertainty in his voice betraying the hope he wanted to feel. "But I can't risk you being around him. Let me go with you."
His mouth trailed along her jawline, each kiss leaving a trail of fire that seemed to melt her resolve. When he nibbled gently on her earlobe, a moan vibrated from deep within her chest, and she became pliant in his arms, her breaths coming in quick pants as her hands gripped his biceps.
"Please, Jewel," he whispered, his voice laced with need. "Let me protect you." His lips hovered over hers as he talked, their lips barely brushing with each word.
"Fine," she breathed out, just as Chase's lips found hers, locking them into a searing, deep kiss that enveloped them both in a world where nothing else existed—not McBride, not past mistakes, just the two of them and the undeniable connection that sparked between their bodies.
Chase felt every muscle in his body tighten, his toes curling in his boots as if trying to ground himself from the intensity of the moment. He'd dreamed of her lips. He'd kissed two other girls in high school before her, but it had felt nothing like her kiss. There was no one to compare to Jewel.
Reality intruded all too soon when Jordan cleared her throat pointedly from across the room.
"Excuse me, just need to get my bag, and I'll get outta your way."
Jewel jerked back at the sound, breaking the spellbinding kiss. Chase caught the smirk on Jordan's face as she glanced at Jewel, who was now blushing fiercely. Stepping away, Jewel stammered, "It's fine, we're done here. Have a great night, Jordan!"
Chase forced himself not to reach down and adjust himself, acutely aware of the tension that still thrummed through his body.
Jordan chuckled at the too bright words. "You too. Have a wonderful night, girl." She grabbed her bag with a wiggle of her eyebrows and went back out the door to the front lobby.
Jewel glanced at him, her fingers on her lips and questions in her eyes, a blush staining her cheeks. He didn't know how to answer those questions and just remained silent, watching her.
Finally she said, "You can lead your horse around back to the barn, and we'll put her up in a stall with some food and water so we can take my truck to the McBrides."
His arms felt empty without her, but he strode through the clinic and out the door, leading his horse to the barn and securing her in a stall with a pat and a promise to return.
Minutes later, Chase hopped into the passenger seat of Jewel's truck, the engine humming a comforting tune beneath them. As they drove down the dusty road, Jewel glanced over at him, an unreadable expression on her face.
"Do you miss driving?" she asked, navigating a tight bend with practiced ease.
"Actually, not really." Chase watched the landscape roll by, feeling a strange sense of detachment from the man he used to be. "I miss being in control more than anything. Prison didn't offer many choices, and not driving this past year… it was like another form of confinement. Made me focus on what was right in front of me."
Jewel nodded, her brow furrowed. "I'm surprised you can talk about it so casually. I'd be a mess."
"Group therapy," he admitted, turning to look at her profile. "It helps. So did all the other therapies in prison. Talking about it… it gives you a kind of power over the past."
She was silent for a moment, then sighed, her hands tightening momentarily on the steering wheel. "Well, I'm glad you're not letting it rule your life anymore."
The rest of the drive unfolded with the hum of the engine and the rustling of thoughts that swirled through Chase's mind. He was about to come face to face with someone he'd hated for years, although therapy had helped him see that he was just projecting his guilt instead of accepting responsibility for his own actions.
The truck rolled to a stop, dust kicking up around the tires as they pulled into the weedy yard of the McBride place. The single-wide trailer sat lopsided, its windows grimy and the paint peeling away like sunburnt skin. Chickens pecked aimlessly among the overgrowth, scattering as Chase stepped out into the crunching dryness.
"Who are you and what the hell are y'all doin' here?" Andre barked from the doorway, his voice rough as gravel. His once lean frame had succumbed to years of neglect, a sagging beer gut stretching his dirty brown shirt.
Before Jewel could answer, a skinny woman burst through the door, her face drawn tight with worry. "Thank God you're here," she gasped, her voice trembling with relief and fatigue. "It's the dog. He's been barkin' nonstop all day, and I didn't get a wink of sleep. I was hoping someone would come look at her before my night shift."
Chase clenched his jaw as the woman led them around to the back, her words tumbling out in an anxious stream. He could feel the old animosity for Andre stirring within him like a coiled snake, ready to strike. But he pushed it down, focusing on staying close to Jewel, knowing that his past was just that—past.
"Stay close," he murmured to Jewel, his gaze darting between the long weeds and the dilapidated surroundings, vigilant for any sign of danger.
"Always do," she replied softly, her attention on the frantic woman.
In the backyard, tied to a stake, was a border collie that looked more like a ghost of a dog than a living creature. Its fur was matted and filthy, eyes filled with a quiet desperation—one brown, the other blue. A soft whimper escaped its parched lips as Jewel approached, her voice dropping to a soothing whisper.
"Hey there, sweetheart," she cooed, gently inspecting the malnourished animal while it shivered at her touch.
"Damn thing's more trouble than it's worth," Andre grumbled from behind them, his voice carrying a hint of menace. "Should be put out of her misery. Can't even keep the rats at bay."
Chase stiffened, but kept silent watch, crossing his arms and waiting.
* * *
Jewel kneeled in the dirt, her fingers brushing through the matted fur of the border collie, whose chain clinked softly with each shivering breath. The dog watched her with a weary resignation that tugged at Jewel's heartstrings. Malnutrition had whittled its body down to a fragile frame, and patches of irritated skin hinted at an untreated condition.
The woman twisted her hands. "Never mind him. Can you help her? She's been like this for a few days now, and I don't know that she's eaten anything today."
"I'll try my best," Jewel said, asking a few more questions.
Finally, the woman said, "I'm going to finish getting ready for work. I'll be right back," the woman said, disappearing inside the back door that didn't quite close all the way.
"Maybe she got into the rat bait. It's poisonous, and she's a dumb dog," Andre's voice sliced through the stillness of the backyard, grating against Jewel's nerves like sandpaper. She could feel his presence looming behind her, an unwelcome echo of a past she knew Chase would rather forget. "Useless mutt."
Chase's silhouette, tall and vigilant, remained unmoved, his gaze fixed on the potential threat in the weeds rather than the human one behind them. He didn't flinch as Andre stepped closer, radiating hostility.
"Didn't know the pretty vet had a boyfriend. Where'd Gemma find you?" Andre sneered, seeking a reaction.
Jewel ignored his comment, not surprised that he'd mistaken her for her sister.
Chase removed his sunglasses and tilted his head. "Don't recognize me, do you? Just as well. You've changed a lot in the past fifteen years too. Really took care of yourself."
Jewel's nose wrinkled at the sarcastic comment, and she couldn't help but hear Destini's voice saying that comment. Perhaps Chase was her father after all. The thought made her hands shake, and she pushed it away so she could focus on the whimpering, limp dog.
Jewel glanced up, watching the two even as she felt the dog's ribs and then began to time her heartbeats.
Andre's brows rose, then he grinned, revealing two missing teeth. "Shit, is that you, Willy? Back from prison, are ya?"
Chase scowled but turned back to watching Jewel.
Andre stepped closer to where Chase stood with arms crossed. "I'm talking to you, Willy. Seriously, did prison make you deaf?"
Chase snorted, "Nope, just taught me how to ignore dumbasses." His stance was casual, but the tension in his jaw betrayed his irritation as he put his sunglasses back on as if unaffected.
Andre's face reddened, a vein pulsing at his temple as he spat back, "You think you're so much better than me? Still, even after going to prison? Shit, you're the dumbass for getting caught, not me."
The screen door creaked, and the woman emerged, her work uniform stark against the drabness of the yard. "I have to leave for work. What's the verdict?"
"An infection," Jewel said, her voice steady as she stroked the collie's head, offering silent comfort. "She needs antibiotics, treatment for her skin, fluids—she's severely dehydrated."
"Probably from the rats," Andre interjected, unhelpful. "Been putting out poison for them, too."
"If she's ingested poison, we need to pump her stomach as soon as possible." A muscle twitched in Jewel's cheek, her disapproval unvoiced as she gathered the limp dog into her arms. Chase relieved her of the weight, his hands gentle under the dog's frail form.
The woman wrung her hands, fretting. "I… we can't afford the medicine."
"Then surrender her to us," Jewel offered, her resolve hardening. "We'll get her better, find her a home." She stood up, dusting off her knees, her eyes never leaving the woman's conflicted gaze. "If you come to the truck, you can sign the form, and we'll take her with us."
Chase's eyes met hers briefly, a silent exchange of shared determination and a flicker of something deeper—an understanding born from facing cruelty, both human and otherwise, side by side.
Andre's voice sliced through the tension like a knife, his voice gruff and unwavering. "No," he declared. "Ain't surrendering nothing. If you can't fix her here, then leave her be."
They both paused at his words, Chase's arms tightening around the dog.
Jewel's jaw clenched, her eyes betraying the turmoil roiling within her. "Let me rephrase. If you don't sign the dog over to us, I'll have to report the dog to animal control for neglect and abuse. The law will come out with animal control to investigate."
The woman paused halfway to her beat-up little car to watch Andre with a frown.
"The hell you say." Andre stepped closer, his hands clenching at his sides.
Chase stepped easily between them, but with the dog in his arms, there wasn't much he could do if this went south.
Andre continued, glaring up at Chase, "If the cops come out here, I'm going to hold you responsible, Willy. And you'll end up in a box six feet under instead of a cell at the pen."
Jewel's chest burned at the threat, the careful dead look in Andre's eyes. He meant every word. She licked her lips as her stomach twisted.
"Put her back, Chase," Jewel ordered, her words heavy with unspoken grief. Chase's nostrils flared, his body rigid with resistance as he looked down at the fragile creature in his arms.
Sensing his hesitation, Andre stepped forward, his presence an impenetrable barrier.
"Did you hear her? Or are you too good to follow orders now?" Andre sneered, his taunt aimed like an arrow at Chase's pride.
With a silent snarl, Chase complied, his hands gentle despite the inferno of anger clear from his tensing jaw. As he secured the chain around the stake, Andre crossed his arms and smirked with cruel satisfaction. Together, they walked away from dog and dirtbag to the truck.
The woman cast an apologetic glance at them as she got into her car, torn between her obligations and the life of the dog. The woman turned the key in her car's ignition, the engine sputtering to life, while Jewel climbed into her truck, the slam of the door echoing Chase's inner turmoil. They followed the woman's car to the road, parting ways with a chasm of unspoken words between them.
As they drove in silence, Jewel's grip on the steering wheel tightened until her knuckles turned white. Chase broke the quiet, the bitterness palpable in his tone. "You know that dog's going to die, don't you?"
She nodded, a single tear carving its way down her cheek, which she brushed away furiously with a shaky hand. "Sometimes we can't do the right thing, even though we know what it is. Our hands are tied," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the rumble of the truck.
"Reminds me of Destini," Chase muttered, the mention of her daughter igniting a familiar ache in her heart—a tug-of-war between wanting to protect her and wanting to see her succeed.
Jewel nodded, taking a drink of her water before saying, "If I make her move here before school starts, even though it's the right thing for us, she'll hate me."
Back at the clinic, they parked in a haze of defeat. Chase went to fetch his horse, his footsteps heavy, each one a reminder of their failure today. Jewel hastily wiped down the interior of her truck, her movements mechanical, a shield against the pain of knowing the dog's fate. A rumble had her looking up as Chase led the horse around the side of the building.
The same beat-up car pulled up beside them, the woman hurriedly stepping out. "I'll sign whatever you need," she said, breathless with urgency. "Just make sure she gets help and the cops stay away."
Jewel handed her the form and asked more questions about the dog and the rat poison while the woman merely scribbled her signature at the bottom, her eyes darting nervously toward her watch.
"Andre will be passed out by midnight. You can take her then," she confided, handing the paper back and turning to her car.
Jewel's hand on her arm stopped her. "Are you safe there? Is he treating you better than he's treating the dog?"
The woman's back stiffened, and she jerked her hand out of Jewel's grasp. "I'm fine. Just save the dog," she grumbled before rushing back to her car and climbing inside. She left in a swirl of dirt.
Jewel finished filling out the form, her hands shaky as she planned how to rescue the dog when she was barely holding it together physically. She'd not been able to even pick the thing up, and it couldn't have weighed more than thirty or forty pounds.
"Jewel, you're not doing this alone," Chase stated firmly, his protective tone sending a shiver up her spine.
They were both knee deep in this mess, but when she looked up to argue, he stared at her with a firm jaw, resolute and stubborn. She recognized that look from Destini, and her chest burned with emotion. She'd never been able to deny Destini anything, and now it seemed she couldn't deny Chase either.
Damn it.
She met his gaze, a silent pact forming between them. "I'll pick you up at eleven tonight?"
He nodded and mounted his horse, the animal's solid presence taking his weight easily. "I'll be ready."
He turned and rode out of the parking lot, the plastic bag tied around the pommel now. Jewel got back in her truck and drove home, her mind wandering to the events of this afternoon. She was almost home when her phone alarm went off, and she glanced down.
Shit, she'd completely forgotten about her date with Hunter, and she barely had an hour to get ready.