Chapter 10
Chapter
Ten
S ummer followed Chance home from Dallas in her brand-new Rogue, getting used to driving again.
She had cautioned him that she would be a little tentative since she hadn’t been behind the wheel of a car in years, and he had kept his truck at the speed limit or slightly under.
She could feel her confidence returning as they left the heavy traffic of Dallas behind and headed toward Hawthorne.
When they had returned to Buzz’s dealership, the paperwork had been complete.
She contacted her bank, which had branches across the country, even one in Hawthorne, which had proved to be convenient.
She assumed things went so smoothly because Chance was a personal friend of Buzz’s, plus the fact that Buzz seemed to want to wash his hands of her.
Jim had been a peach, though, taking Summer through the car and pointing out all its features.
He paired her cell with the Rogue, even helping her set her radio to stations she might enjoy.
By the time she drove off the lot, she knew exactly how all the bells and whistles worked.
Jim told her he would text her when her license plates came in, and she had thanked him for spending so much time with her.
Chance texted her, and she touched her screen, hearing a voice read the message aloud to her. He wanted her to pull into the Sonic which would be coming up soon on the right. She followed him down the exit ramp, pulling into the space next to his. He motioned for her to join him in his truck.
When she did, he said, “I thought we could take advantage of happy hour,” causing her to giggle. Sonic happy hour at the burger place offered half-priced soft drinks and slushes. She and Autumn had been big fans of happy hour when they were growing up.
“I know you used to order a cherry slush,” he said.
“How do you remember that?” she asked.
Chance shrugged. Then mischief lit his eyes. “Maybe I was paying more attention than you thought.”
He touched the button and ordered a large Dr Pepper for himself and a cherry slush for her.
As they waited, he told her, “You’ll need to get the Sonic app for your phone. If you do, you get half-priced slushes and drinks all day.”
“Really?” She frowned. “So, happy hour isn’t all that special anymore.
I guess I’ll have to roll with the changes.
I’m thrilled to be near a Sonic again, though.
They have the best crushed ice in the world.
I don’t feel a bit guilty eating it. You know how the dentist always warns you not to crunch ice?
Well, Sonic ice doesn’t count,” she declared, causing Chance to laugh heartily.
“How do you like your new SUV?” he asked. “Are you feeling more comfortable behind the wheel now?”
“More since we left Dallas. The traffic there is way worse than I remember. It’s almost New York-like, and that’s not a compliment.”
“It’s worse everywhere in the state. Houston is a downright nightmare.
At least they’ve built a loop around Austin.
You go out of your way a bit and have to pay a toll, but it’s worth every penny to do so.
If you stay on I-35 and get near downtown Austin, things slow to a crawl and then become a standstill. Like a parking lot.”
The carhop brought their drinks, and Chance handed her a few dollars for a tip since he had already paid.
“Thank you for doing that,” Summer said. “I remember when you and West used to come to Sonic when I was carhopping. You always left me a generous tip.”
“You were working hard. You’ve always had a great work ethic, Summer.
That’s why I think you’ll be successful as a novelist. You’re disciplined.
You’ll get your writing done.” He grinned.
“I might even ask to read what you write. Or maybe you could work out your romantic scenes with me. Practice on me.”
His words caused her to blush, knowing what she had written in her first novel. The thought of having sex with Chance caused her pulse to race.
He smiled knowingly. “I see your characters must do more than kiss by the look on your face.”
She nodded. “There are different kinds of romances. Sweet ones, where there’s barely a kiss. Then some where the door is closed to more intimate action between characters.”
“And I gather that your door stays wide open?”
“It does,” she said, feeling her face burning now.
“Well, if you need a research partner to help you work anything out, you know you can text me anytime.”
She laughed. “Now it sounds as if you want booty texts from me.”
His eyes darkened to a stormy gray. “Maybe I do.”
A shiver ran through her. She caught the heat in his eyes and wondered if the same might be reflected in her own.
“Slow down, Cowboy,” she said. “We’ve just gotten started. I’m not ready to jump into bed with you yet.”
Actually, she was ready. At least her body was telling her that was the case, but Summer wanted more than a physical relationship with Chance. She wanted the whole package.
“I know,” he said. “We’re taking it slowly. We’ll have to agree to step things up at the same time. For now, we’ll stick to kissing.” He took a sip of his DP. “Ready to hit the road again?”
“Sure.”
Summer turned to open the door, but Chance took her chin in his hand. He leaned over and gave her a sweet, soft kiss.
“How about you come back to the ranch with me? See if you can get Tammy to show you how to cook a pork chop?”
“I’d like that. Let me text Autumn and tell her not to expect me for dinner.”
He moved close and brushed his lips against hers again. “Okay. Get out of the truck, Summer. If you don’t, I’m afraid we won’t make it back to Hawthorne anytime soon.”
She looked at him, searching him. “Do you really mean that?”
“That I’m heavily attracted to you and would be willing to sit at Sonic and kiss you ravenously for hours? Absolutely.”
A warmth spread within her. “Good answer, Cowboy.”
Summer returned to her Rogue, taking her drink with her.
She placed it in one of the cupholders and started her car.
As they got back on the highway, she used voice text to let Autumn know she’d be at Blackstone Ranch for dinner.
Autumn replied that she was interested in hearing all about Summer’s day.
She read into the text that her twin wanted to know more than about the SUV her sister had bought.
They arrived back in Hawthorne, and happiness flooded her as they drove through town.
She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed her hometown until she’d moved back permanently.
She’d been a little homesick when she’d graduated from college and moved to New York, but everything had been new and exciting then.
The job. The people. Her neighbors. Making new friends.
Dating. Hawthorne had always simmered in the back of her mind, and each trip she’d made home had caused the pull toward home to grow stronger.
Although she still hated the way her career at Liberty House had ended, Summer knew things were working out for the best.
Especially since Chance Blackstone was a growing part of her life in Hawthorne.
They went through town and exited the other side. Blackstone Ranch was slightly north of Hawthorne, and she followed Chance through the front gates, heading toward what he’d always called the big house. She could see cattle grazing in the distance.
He pulled up in front of the house, and she parked behind him. Before she could get out, he was already at her door, opening it, helping her from it.
“Thank you,” she said. “I’d forgotten how gentlemanly you were.”
He threaded his fingers through hers. “Or how possessive I can be. I hated the way Buzz looked at you. As if he wanted to jump your bones right on the showroom floor.”
“Is that why you referred to me as your girlfriend?” she asked coyly.
“Damn straight. And I don’t want you to think we’re friends. I haven’t seen him since I left SMU. I called him out of the blue last night. Buzz and I may have been fraternity brothers, but we weren’t close back then. I thought he was really immature. From the looks of it, he still hasn’t grown up.”
“Agreed. I almost wanted to leave when we got there.”
“I’m glad we didn’t,” he told her. “I liked how you worked him. You knew what you wanted and went for it. You were ready to walk out if you didn’t get what you wanted. That was very sexy, Sutherland.”
“It was?” she said, batting her eyelashes in an exaggerated manner.
“Definitely a turn on.” He kissed her hard, once, and said, “Let’s go inside.”
She was still reeling from the quick, possessive kiss when they entered the house.
“Something smells good,” she said.
“Tammy’s a terrific cook. Seems like she’s already started dinner.” He paused. “I called her the minute we left the dealership and told her I was bringing you home for dinner. We only had cold meatloaf, so I guess she decided to make something better for us.”
Chance led her to the kitchen, where Tammy was standing at the stove, placing chicken in a cast iron pan.
“Hey, Tammy,” Chance said, causing her to turn.
Tammy smiled at Summer. “I hear you bought a car today.”
“I sure did,” she said proudly.
“Chance told me about it,” Tammy said. “He also said you were coming for dinner. I hear you’re interested in learning about how to cook pork chops.”
“I am. I love them, and Chance says yours are the most tender and tastiest he’s ever had.”
“How long before we eat?” Chance asked.
“About twenty minutes,” Tammy replied.
“Okay. I’m going to go send a few emails. I’ll be back.”
He released Summer’s hand and kissed her. “Be back in a few.”
She watched him go and then turned, seeing the satisfied smile on Tammy’s face. Suddenly, the woman wrapped her in a tight embrace.