clothes off and make love with him right here in Doc’s
office. She wanted him to tell her that it had all somehow been a
mistake. That he hadn’t meant to hurt her. That he still loved her
as she did him. That he would always love her.
But he didn’t. He hadn’t
eight years ago and he didn’t now. Caroline tensed. Her palms
flattened on his massive chest and she pushed hard against him.
“Stop,” she managed between savage kisses.
His breath was ragged when
he finally drew his mouth from hers. “Caroline, I—”
She shook her head and
backed away from him. “This isn’t going to happen, Chase. It’s over
between us. It was over a long time ago.”
He stared at the floor for
a long moment before he spoke. “I know it’s over. I just...I don’t
know.” He looked straight at her then. “Seeing you here like this,
it just made me wish things had been different.”
“ But they’re not.” She
wiped her mouth with a trembling hand and let go a shaky breath.
“Lock up, would you? I have to go.”
She left the office without
looking back. She couldn’t look back. There was no changing the
past. She’d survived Chase Garrett once. She wasn’t about to go
through that kind of pain again.
~*~
“To your last night as a
bachelor,” Chase said as he lifted his mug of beer to his good
friend Rob.
Rob bumped his mug with
Chase’s; Zac followed suit.
“ To wedded bliss,” Rob
countered. “And to all that it entails.”
Zac remained suspiciously
quiet. He looked like a guy who’d just lost his best hunting
dog.
Chase swallowed a sip of
beer and studied his two closest friends. Rob Benton was marrying
Julie McGill at ten a.m. tomorrow morning. The chapel was back in
working order and all was set. The image of Caroline instantly
popped into Chase’s head and he immediately banished it. He would
not think about Caroline or the stupid thing he’d done on Tuesday.
Twice now he’d kissed her. Was he a glutton for punishment, or
what?’
Rob’s expression suddenly
turned almost as solemn as Zac’s. “I don’t know though, it may not
be all blissful.”
Chase sat up straighter in
his chair. They’d taken the proverbial room in the back at the pool
hall. A three-man bachelor party had ensued. Jason Walker, one of
Chase’s deputies, was coming by at midnight to drive them home. No
drinking and driving in his county, Chase mused. His attention
zoomed back to Rob’s remark.
“ What do you mean by that?
You and Julie have been dating for two years.”
Rob shrugged. He’d shed his
jacket and tie. He was rarely seen without his financial armor. He
claimed he had an image to maintain seeing that he was the bank’s
president. People expected him to look professional.
“ I don’t know,” he finally
said. “Something just isn’t right between us lately.”
Zac kept his gaze fixed
firmly on his sweating mug of beer and said nothing.
Chase frowned. This wasn’t
right. “What kind of something?”
“ Sometimes I think we just
aren’t on the same court with this game.”
Zac grunted, but quickly
cleared his throat. Rob glanced at him but didn’t seem to take
offense. Chase looked from one to the other. Tension was there, but
he wasn’t quite sure where it was coming from.
Chase produced a smile.
“Hey, buddy, don’t sweat it. Everybody’s gets a little of the old
cold feet.”
Rob took another hefty
swallow of beer. “Of course you’re right.” He lifted his mug once
more. “To my lovely bride.”
“ Hear, hear,” Chase
agreed.
Zac lifted his mug and
tapped it to theirs. “Cheers,” he said sullenly.
Completely ignoring the
lack of enthusiasm from his friend, Rob grinned at Chase. “So,
what’s this I hear about you and the good doctor? Rumors are
flying, my friend. They say—” he leaned forward conspiratorially
“—the two of you might get back together.”
Chase took another swig of
beer to wet his suddenly dry throat. “It’s just a rumor. Caroline
will be
office. She wanted him to tell her that it had all somehow been a
mistake. That he hadn’t meant to hurt her. That he still loved her
as she did him. That he would always love her.
But he didn’t. He hadn’t
eight years ago and he didn’t now. Caroline tensed. Her palms
flattened on his massive chest and she pushed hard against him.
“Stop,” she managed between savage kisses.
His breath was ragged when
he finally drew his mouth from hers. “Caroline, I—”
She shook her head and
backed away from him. “This isn’t going to happen, Chase. It’s over
between us. It was over a long time ago.”
He stared at the floor for
a long moment before he spoke. “I know it’s over. I just...I don’t
know.” He looked straight at her then. “Seeing you here like this,
it just made me wish things had been different.”
“ But they’re not.” She
wiped her mouth with a trembling hand and let go a shaky breath.
“Lock up, would you? I have to go.”
She left the office without
looking back. She couldn’t look back. There was no changing the
past. She’d survived Chase Garrett once. She wasn’t about to go
through that kind of pain again.
~*~
“To your last night as a
bachelor,” Chase said as he lifted his mug of beer to his good
friend Rob.
Rob bumped his mug with
Chase’s; Zac followed suit.
“ To wedded bliss,” Rob
countered. “And to all that it entails.”
Zac remained suspiciously
quiet. He looked like a guy who’d just lost his best hunting
dog.
Chase swallowed a sip of
beer and studied his two closest friends. Rob Benton was marrying
Julie McGill at ten a.m. tomorrow morning. The chapel was back in
working order and all was set. The image of Caroline instantly
popped into Chase’s head and he immediately banished it. He would
not think about Caroline or the stupid thing he’d done on Tuesday.
Twice now he’d kissed her. Was he a glutton for punishment, or
what?’
Rob’s expression suddenly
turned almost as solemn as Zac’s. “I don’t know though, it may not
be all blissful.”
Chase sat up straighter in
his chair. They’d taken the proverbial room in the back at the pool
hall. A three-man bachelor party had ensued. Jason Walker, one of
Chase’s deputies, was coming by at midnight to drive them home. No
drinking and driving in his county, Chase mused. His attention
zoomed back to Rob’s remark.
“ What do you mean by that?
You and Julie have been dating for two years.”
Rob shrugged. He’d shed his
jacket and tie. He was rarely seen without his financial armor. He
claimed he had an image to maintain seeing that he was the bank’s
president. People expected him to look professional.
“ I don’t know,” he finally
said. “Something just isn’t right between us lately.”
Zac kept his gaze fixed
firmly on his sweating mug of beer and said nothing.
Chase frowned. This wasn’t
right. “What kind of something?”
“ Sometimes I think we just
aren’t on the same court with this game.”
Zac grunted, but quickly
cleared his throat. Rob glanced at him but didn’t seem to take
offense. Chase looked from one to the other. Tension was there, but
he wasn’t quite sure where it was coming from.
Chase produced a smile.
“Hey, buddy, don’t sweat it. Everybody’s gets a little of the old
cold feet.”
Rob took another hefty
swallow of beer. “Of course you’re right.” He lifted his mug once
more. “To my lovely bride.”
“ Hear, hear,” Chase
agreed.
Zac lifted his mug and
tapped it to theirs. “Cheers,” he said sullenly.
Completely ignoring the
lack of enthusiasm from his friend, Rob grinned at Chase. “So,
what’s this I hear about you and the good doctor? Rumors are
flying, my friend. They say—” he leaned forward conspiratorially
“—the two of you might get back together.”
Chase took another swig of
beer to wet his suddenly dry throat. “It’s just a rumor. Caroline
will be
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