01 - The Heartbreaker (18 page)

“Anyway, she doesn’t know that Chase knows the truth. Not yet. So if you saw anything today, it’s because Mom wanted you to think that she was sick and report back to Chase.”

“So he’d feel bad and start thinking I might be a good candidate?” Sloane guessed accurately.

Chase nodded. “Bingo. But she’s got a grandchild coming from Roman and Charlotte, and with Kendall she’s got Hannah. She’s being ridiculous still trying to set me up.”

“Is that why you told her we were an item?”

She glanced at him warily, trepidation in her eyes, and he couldn’t bring himself to hurt her.

“I told her that so she’d back off, yes,” he admitted, careful to be honest. But he also wanted Sloane to know she wasn’t just a convenience for him. “I also told her that we’re a couple because while you’re here, it’s the truth.”

She licked her lips and his gaze followed the movement. “Yes, it’s true. While I’m here, I mean. Nothing beyond.”

She parroted his words, but coming from the mouth that he knew intimately, they sounded too hollow for his liking.

Rick cleared his throat. “Okay, folks. Now that we’ve established Mom’s good health, let’s move on and talk about Samson’s.”

Before Chase could ask questions or Rick could explain further, Kendall slipped into the open fourth chair. “Hi, guys.”

Chase groaned at the interruption, but he figured it would be too much to expect Rick to ask his wife to leave.

Sloane turned her gorgeous smile toward Chase’s sister-in-law. “Hi, Kendall. Nice to see you again.”

“Hi, honey.” Rick wrapped an arm around his wife’s shoulder. “Can you give us a second? We’re conducting business.”

Chase raised an eyebrow. Apparently, he’d misjudged his sibling.

Kendall gave him an understanding smile. “Sure. I’ll just go say hi to Pearl and Eldin. They’re up front placing an order. A huge order, come to think of it.”

“Pearl and Eldin?” Sloane asked, leaning forward, propping her chin in one hand. “Who are they?”

“My tenants,” Kendall said.

“Hard to call them tenants when they’re living in our guesthouse for free,” Rick said wryly.

Chase laughed. “It’s a long story,” he said to Sloane.

Sloane’s eyes lit up. “I’d like to hear it. I’m beginning to enjoy small-town life.”

He wondered if she was serious or if Sloane Carlisle was just being polite.

“Tell you what. I’ll bring them by after you finish talking, and I promise you, Pearl will sum up her life story in one minute flat.” Kendall planted a kiss on Rick’s lips and headed for the front of the restaurant.

“She’s my dream wife,” Rick said, laughing. “Never questions when I have to do business and disappears when I need her to.”

“Something tells me she’s your dream wife for more reasons than that,” Sloane said indulgently.

Chase caught the hint of wistfulness in her voice and knew he wasn’t imagining things. She’d been through so much recently, not the least of which was the betrayal of her parents. She was missing out on love, trust, and dependability, Chase knew. And she sensed the depth of which Kendall and Rick felt those things for each other. She wanted it for herself.

The notion brought a lump of pure fear to his throat. Because he had a hunch that Sloane’s vision of love, trust, and dependability included hearth, home, and stability, the very things he swore he was finished with.

“Earth to Chase.” Rick tapped his fist on the table, jarring the silverware and Chase jumped. “What the hell’s got you so distracted? Kendall’s gone, so let’s talk.”

Chase blinked and realized his brother and Sloane were staring, waiting for him to focus. “I’m ready now,” he muttered, offering no explanation for spacing out on them.

“Okay.” Rick leaned forward, motioning for them to do the same. “First things first. Off the record, the explosion at Samson’s was no accident. The boiler had been tampered with.”

“What?” Sloane’s voice raised to a high pitch and Chase lay his hand over hers to calm her down.

“I thought you should know.” Rick splayed his hands in front of him.

“We appreciate that. And we have something we need to tell you too,” Chase said.

Sloane tipped her head to the side and whispered in his ear. “No, please. Not yet.”

“You promised if we found out that the explosion was deliberate, we’d go to Rick,” he reminded her.

“What’s going on?” his brother demanded. “If it has anything to do with the explosion, I don’t want you holding out on me.”

Chase met and held Sloane’s gaze, knowing he had to push her and hating it at the same time. “Do you want to fill Rick in or should I?”

Sloane grit her teeth. Chase’s tone brooked no argument. Someone would be informing Rick that her father’s men had threatened Samson and two days later, his house had exploded.

“It’s my story to tell.” She explained what she’d overheard between her father’s men and how she and Chase planned to go back to Crazy Eights in Harrington in order to look for Samson. Tonight.

Rick pinched the bridge of his nose, and in that instant, the brothers who didn’t look alike suddenly had an eerie resemblance. “You two don’t do anything halfway, do you?” Rick asked, and motioned to his wife to rejoin them.

“She plans on going with or without me,” Chase muttered. “So I’m in.”

“And so am I. I’m off duty tonight, so I’ll go along.” Rick patted the gun in his holster. “Because you two might need backup.”

Sloane was shocked to discover her eyes welling up with tears. The bond between the brothers, the lengths to which they would go to help one another, were all something she envied. Something she shared with her family, but since finding out that her life had been based on a lie—that her family wasn’t really her family—she felt the enormous loss.

She cleared her throat, trying to push the emotion aside. “Thank you, Rick.”

“He’s the best,” Chase assured her. He winked at his brother, and Sloane cleared her throat once more.

“We already have an APB out on Samson,” Rick said, all business. “Carlisle’s men can be questioned, but tipping them off without real evidence isn’t smart. In the meantime, we’re all going to Crazy Eights tonight,” Rick said.

“That place is the epitome of slime,” Kendall said, slipping back into her seat. “Why would we want to go there?”

Chase groaned, something he seemed to do often since sitting down at the table. Not that Sloane blamed him. Now they had Kendall to deal with and she obviously planned to accompany
them. If Sloane were married to Rick, she’d plan to do the same thing.

“Why don’t you explain everything,” she said to Rick. If Kendall was going to go with them, she deserved to know details. “Kendall’s coming with us can work in our favor. We’ll seem more normal going out as two couples anyway.”

“I don’t believe this,” Chase muttered.

Sloane grasped his hand beneath the table. “I’m sorry.”

“For turning my life upside down?” He treated her to the lopsided grin she adored.

She opened her mouth to reply and he took advantage of the opportunity, kissing her into silence. As always, his touch was electric, fueling a desire that always simmered just below the surface, no matter what went on around them.

“What was that for?” she asked when he finally let her up for air. Rick and Kendall, she noticed, were deep in conversation.

He shrugged, looking sheepish. “Because I felt like it.”

He wasn’t normally an impulsive man, and though the change surprised her, she was careful not to read too much into it or attribute it to her influence. Though he cared about her, he’d also admitted that he had an agenda. Making this relationship public was a way to keep his mother off guard and avoid her matchmaking. And now the entire town was in on the act. The charade would continue while she stayed in Yorkshire Falls, not any longer.

Something she’d better remember and quit getting so attached to Chase or to his wonderful family.

“Okay, we’re on for tonight.” Kendall smiled, obviously pleased to be in on the action.

Rick frowned and Sloane recognized his stern cop face. “Only because she promised to behave herself and not get into any trouble.”

“We won’t stay long,” Sloane promised. “Just long enough to see if Samson shows up.”

“Sodas for everyone!” Izzy interrupted, placing drinks on the table. “I provided all your favorites. If you want to order lunch, just give me a wave.”

“We’re ready now, Izzy,” Chase said. “If we wait any longer, it’ll be dinnertime. What are today’s specials?”

“I love you Chandler boys and your appetites.” She pulled her pad out and read from the back. “Today’s specials are Norman’s potpie—”

“Since when do you need to refer to a pad for specials, Iz?” Rick asked.

“Since they involve more than just food.” She winked and continued. “In addition to the daily special, we’ve got a betting pool going. The more people who enter, the bigger the winnings, so I’ve been told to mention it to every table. But seeing as how two people here have the inside track, only Rick and Kendall are eligible.”

Sloane narrowed her gaze. “What are you talking about?” She turned to Chase. “Do you know what she’s talking about?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” He actually envied Sloane her confusion. “Come on, Izzy. Why the hell are you bringing this up here?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” She placed her hands on her generous hips. “The pot’s bigger than the Super Bowl. I want to win and you two can give me the advantage.”

Rick snickered. Damn fool obviously knew what was going on too.

Chase groaned. “Sloane, it seems we’re the subject of a pool.”

“I’ll just put up some burgers on the house.”

Rick chuckled. “Good idea, Iz.”

“What kind of pool?” Sloane asked.

“They’re laying odds on whether or not you’re
it
. For me.” Chase’s cheeks burned and he could only imagine what shade of red he’d turned during this embarrassing conversation.

“It?”
She bit down on her lower lip.

He itched to kiss that mouth and forget everything else.

“Everyone in town is betting on whether you’re the one for Chase,” Kendall piped in.

“The woman to finally make the heartbreaker part of a couple. A permanent couple,” Rick added, and wagged his eyebrows in exaggeration. “Get it?”

“Got it,” Sloane said, obviously shell-shocked and stunned.

“It started as a
Gazette
office pool and somehow became a town bet.” Chase held his head in his hands. “Still enjoying small-town life?” he asked Sloane wryly.

Her eyes opened wide. He wondered what she was thinking and wouldn’t blame her if she ran far and fast. Instead, she burst out laughing, obviously amused by it all. “I am. I really am enjoying this town and these people.”

The truth was as much a revelation to Sloane as it obviously was to Chase. But sitting here, the subject of town speculation, watching Rick laugh at his brother’s predicament and seeing Chase squirm, Sloane felt lighter than she had in years. She was happy despite her very personal, now very dangerous, circumstances.

Because she wasn’t
on call
. Wasn’t expected to perform.

Wasn’t expected to be a Carlisle who fit the family mold. She was just a woman whom Chase Chandler seemed to enjoy, whom his family seemed to like and approved of.

Izzy returned with a bottle of ketchup and extra napkins. “So? Any inside tips?”

Sloane chuckled. “I’m not sure what to tell you. You know yourself, Chase is the ultimate heartbreaker and I’m only in town for a short time,” she said over her shoulder.

“Oh pooh.” Izzy waved her hand in the air. “That’s what they all say. Just ask Kendall. You’re here now and I’m laying odds on you going all the way.” She snickered; then to the older woman’s credit, she turned a beet-red shade. “Didn’t mean that the way it came out.”

Sloane grinned, laughter bubbling forth again.

“Hello, all.” An older woman in a housecoat, her hair pulled into a gray bun, strode up to the table. “Say hello, Eldin.” Packages filled her and her companion’s arms, yet she managed to elbow him in the side anyway. “Who’s this new woman in town?” She eyed Sloane curiously.

“I’m Sloane—”

“A friend of the family,” Chase said before she could advertise her last name.

“I’m Pearl Robinson and this here’s my significant other, Eldin Wingate.”

“Hello.” Eldin shuffled the bags. “Sorry. Can’t shake with my hands full.”

“That’s okay.” Sloane smiled. “Nice to meet you both. Kendall mentioned you earlier.”

“Which means she told you we’re living in sin,” Pearl said, lowering her voice. “If Eldin didn’t have a bad back, he’d carry me over the threshold and we’d get married. But until he can, we’re living in sin.” She nodded, pleased with her explanation.

“I see,” Sloane murmured. Kendall had a point when she said the woman could sum things up quickly. “Kendall just said you rent out her guesthouse.”

“When her aunt Crystal was alive, she used to let us live in the main house in exchange for upkeep, bless her soul.” Pearl sniffed. “Then Kendall came to town and she fixed up what we couldn’t and gave us an easier place to live. The guesthouse has no stairs, so it’s easier on Eldin’s back.”

“Are you having a party?” Kendall pointed to the bags of food.

Pearl started to cough. “Heavens no. It’s just hard for me to cook and so it’s easier if I load up for the week.”

“I understand,” Sloane said, laughing.

“We’ve got to be going,” Eldin said. “If I don’t stop her, Pearl will talk all day.”

“Eldin Wingate, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Pearl shot him an annoyed glare. “Bye,
Kendall. It was nice meeting you, Sloane. Boys, you say hello to Raina for me.”

“We will,” both Chase and Rick said at the same time.

The elderly couple took their leave, Pearl talking Eldin’s ear off the entire way out of the restaurant.

“They seem nice.” Too afraid she’d laugh again, Sloane bit the inside of her cheek and didn’t meet anyone’s gaze.

“You mean weird,” Chase muttered.

“Odd,” Rick added.

“They’re just old and harmless.” Kendall chuckled. “You guys better be careful because one day people will be talking about those old Chandler brothers and their strange habits.”