“I was.”
“But you could say I decided to take a leap, too. I had a good feeling all along. The first phone interviews, the face-to-face when you flew out. I’ve got a lot of Irish in me, and Chippewa. It sort of negates the more practical French blood that’s in there. I believe in feelings, and following them when you can.”
“So here we are.”
“And here’s to us.” Bodine tapped her glass to Jessica’s.
The sun dipped toward the white peaks, giving them a gloss of pale gold, as Bodine drove toward home.
With her Christmas list complete—and the painting even now in the hands of the jubilant artist for that last, sentimental touch—she foresaw clear sailing in these last two weeks before the big day.
“I’m so glad you talked me into this. Even if I do think that red vest is a mistake.”
“It looked amazing on you. You can pull off vivid colors. I don’t know why you don’t wear red and more jewel tones.”
The absent tone had Bodine glancing over. With every mile Jessica had grown quieter, more subdued.
“You okay?”
“Hmm? Yes. Yes, I’m fine.” But she lapsed into silence again, seemed content to stare out the window as the light went soft with dusk.
Then she straightened in her seat. “We’re friends.”
“Sure.”
On a frustrated sound, Jessica shook her head. “I’ve been careful about making friends nearly all my life. I make exceptionally good acquaintances, interesting casual friends—the sort you have a drink with every couple months. I’ve had work friends, but I’ve been careful about making friends who don’t have all those qualifications, those limitations.”
“Why is that?”
“Child of divorce maybe. I barely remember my parents being together, and honestly didn’t spend that much time with either one of them. My grandparents raised me. At first there was this illusion. You’re staying with us because your mother’s taking a trip or because your father’s working. After a while the illusion was obvious even to a child. My parents didn’t want me.”
“I’m sorry. That’s—” Bodine couldn’t find words. “I’m just sorry.”
“My grandparents did want me, loved me, and they showed me every day. But it’s a hard thing to shake. Your own parents don’t want you. Anyway, that’s probably the foundation for being careful about making friends. But we’re friends, and I really, really don’t want to screw that up.”
“Why would you?”
“I kissed Chase. Or he kissed me. I’d say we kissed each other by the time we were finished.”
To give herself a moment to absorb, Bodine lifted a hand off the wheel, held it out in a stop gesture. “What?”
“It wasn’t planned, on either side. The horse knocked me into him. Well, no, didn’t knock me, but the horse—Cal’s horse—sniffed at my hair, and it jolted me into Chase. Then it just happened.”
“When? Thanksgiving?”
“Yes.”
“I knew it.” Bodine shook her fist in the air. “Not the kiss, but I knew something. Chase had that flustered and trying not to show it look he’s always gotten when he’s been up to something.”
She put her hand back on the wheel, realized she’d punched the gas as well as the air, and eased off the speed a little. “A real kiss? On the mouth?”
“Yes, a real kiss. And it occurred to me he’s your brother. I’m your friend, but I’m also your employee, so—”
“Oh, just bucket the employee business. Chase is a grown man and can kiss whoever he wants to kiss—if they want it. And he wouldn’t kiss somebody who didn’t because he’s not made that way, so if the two of you were fine with it, why wouldn’t I be?”
“I wouldn’t say he was fine with it. He’s the one who stopped, then started apologizing all over himself until I wanted to knock him down. I mean, what kind of idiot—” She broke off. “He’s your brother.”
“I can love and stick up for my brother and still know he’s an idiot in some areas. Apologized about kissing you?”
“Taking advantage of me.” Realizing she had a sympathetic audience, Jessica let it fly. “Advantage of me? Do I look like someone who’d let anyone take advantage of her? I’m from New York! Does he think I haven’t put down my share of men who pushed when I didn’t want to be pushed? Then it’s how he didn’t want me to feel obligated—like I’d start something with him because I felt pressured as a resort employee. That’s what he gets out of me kissing him? Oh, I better go along with this if I want to keep my job! If I felt sexually harassed, he’d know it like that!”
She snapped her fingers. “I’m not some scared, weak little mouse who can be taken advantage of or pressured.”
Bodine let her wind down. “I’m going to say this. Apologizing like that? It’s just like him. And I’m going to guess he’d thought about kissing you for a while. Chase isn’t one for impulses—unless he’s running around with Skinner, who brings out that side of Chase. He … deliberates things, and he obviously hadn’t finished deliberating about you before you ended up in this particular situation. Then he straight off feels responsible. I’m not saying don’t be pissed a little at how he fumbled it, and his fumbling was downright insulting, but I hope you can give him a little leeway, seeing as he was only being Chase.”
“I can try.”
Reaching over, Bodine poked Jessica’s arm. “I’m not sticking up for him, or only a little. I expect you let him know he’d insulted you.”
“Oh, I did.”
“Which would’ve confused and frustrated him, and when it sank in, would’ve appalled him, as he’s got a powerful respect for women. I’d never call him smooth.”
Jessica let out a short laugh at the very idea.
“Not like Rory is, and just to digress a minute on that? Rory’s going to do more than flirt with the adorable Chelsea sooner or later, if she’d like more than flirting. He reads people as well as a scholar reads books, it’s why he’s so good in sales. He wouldn’t take advantage any more than Chase, but he’ll move a lot faster. Anyway.”
She drove for another minute as she put her thoughts together. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he—Chase—worked up an apology for the apology, so I’m going to ask you, as a friend, do you like him?”
“Of course I do,” Jessica began. “He’s a very nice man.”
“Rory’s a nice man. Are you planning on kissing him?”
Jessica blew out a breath. “No.” Friends, Jessica thought. Not just work friends, not just acquaintances.
Friends. She could take that next leap.
“I’m attracted to Chase. I’m interested in him.”
“Then if you want a repeat, or more, you’re going to have to make the next move. He won’t, or it’ll be a year or so before he works up to it on his own.”
“Just to be clear”—Jessica held up a finger—“are you saying I should go after your brother?”