Loving the Chase (Heart of the Storm #1) (9 page)

“And I would have killed anyone who tried to put a camera in your face,” Zach said through his teeth, his jaw muscles tight as he closed the inches between them. Anger, hot and fast, lit him up as he could feel her breath on his face, fueled by an old hurt he’d thought was long buried.

Maddi sucked in a breath, and her hard expression faltered. He could feel the heat coming off of her. Blinking rapidly, she backed up another few inches and tried to compose herself. Zach had to back up, too. Out of the weird zone they’d just created for themselves where no one else existed. Not even Rudy, who stood just two feet away, shuffling his feet like a teenager and sweating through his T-shirt. Zach wanted to shake her until her teeth knocked together, but he didn’t trust himself touching her.

“And I don’t remember anyone tying you to the hood or begging you to get in the car,” he said, his voice sounding hoarse. “That was your choice.”

“Someone’s getting tied to the hood?” said a voice behind him. A voice that set his already frayed patience on the edge. “This job just got more interesting. Now, Maddi Hayes—there’s a blast from the past.”

Maddi’s eyes went neutral again as Jonah Boudreau and his cocky grin landed next to Zach and he reached for her hand.

“Jonah,” she said, a cool smile morphing her face back into the professional mask. “How’ve you been?”

“Good,” he said, still holding her hand. Zach had the unnatural urge to sock him in the neck to make him let go. “Always good. One thing that never goes away is weather.”

“Very true,” she said, pulling her hand back and tucking it in a pocket. “So you’re still running around doing this, too, I see?”

Jonah’s smile stuck there for a second as he probably tried to decide if that was a dig or not. Once upon a time, Maddi and Zach were a team, and she never hesitated to put any of the Boudreaus in their place. As Zach watched her now, with her careful mannerisms and polite coolness, he had no idea where she stood.

“Yeah, still running around,” Jonah said softly, holding his hands out as if everything was his kingdom. “What can I say? Best office in the world.” He laughed, and to Zach’s disgust, Maddi laughed, too. Jonah had that charm, much like Simon. “So, what brings you here?”

“Work,” she said, darting a glance Zach’s way. “Zach’s—helping me with a project.”

Zach narrowed his gaze to hold hers, a little amazed at what she was doing. A yip broke their eye contact, as they both turned to see an old man being pulled by an older mutt on a leash. The dog was straining to get to Beatrice, and she all but threw her purse on the ground to get to her husband and little dog.

Zach breathed a sigh of relief for the old woman. The important things were still there. He looked back at Maddi, remembering her covered in concrete dust and dirt, her arms and hands scraped and bloody and her face streaked with tears, and thinking he’d never seen anything more beautiful.

Now she was gazing on the elderly couple with an expression he couldn’t read. He saw her blink two tears free that she quickly wiped away before looking his way again.

“Gotta go,” Jonah said then, apparently bored with the lull in conversation. He squeezed Maddi’s shoulder on his way past. “Good seeing you.”

“You didn’t sell us out,” he said, when Jonah was out of earshot.

She blinked a few times. “I didn’t sell the
show
out.”

Of fucking course. “Well, as long as you have your priorities straight,” Zach said, his voice hard, his patience shot. “That’s the good stuff, by the way,” he continued with a head tilt in that direction. “Not her pain, but her joy. But if you’d rather follow me around filming rubble, be my guest.”

He turned and walked away, eyes closed for the first few seconds. What the fuck was all that? Where the hell had all that fire come from before Jonah had arrived?

Simon was already at what was left of the taco stand, chatting with a couple of girls in shorts and bikini tops. Zach’s practiced eye pegged them around twenty. The melodic laughter they shared as they took Simon’s cards and sashayed away told him that might be optimistic.

“And they call
me
the man-whore,” Zach said, rubbing his neck. He took a look over his shoulder at Maddi’s retreating figure. She and Rudy were headed to the family reunion after all, thank God. He needed five minutes away from her to get his head straight again. But she hadn’t told Jonah about the show. She could have gotten the Boudreaus all up in it and really spiked some
reality-show drama
. “You know those two were barely legal, right?”

“Do I look like a perv?” Simon asked, pretending to be insulted.

“Is that candy in your pocket?”

“Very funny,” Simon said. “They asked me if I was that guy on TV,” he said with a shrug and a grin. “I have fans, what can I say?”

“Yeah, they probably see you on the news after dinner with their parents,” Zach said. “Before a game of Scrabble and
Wild Kingdom
.”

“
Wild Kingdom?
Really?” Simon said, nudging a fallen metal sign with his shoe.

Zach pointed at the cards Simon still held in his hand. “You have business cards?”

Simon gave him a look and shook his head. “Of course, doesn’t everyone—oh, that would be people with jobs, sorry.”

“I have a job,” Zach said, putting a vise grip on the back of Simon’s neck. “It’s driving you freaks around.”

“Ah, a chauffeur, I knew there was a name for it,” Simon said, ducking when Zach aimed for his head. Laughing, he added, “Besides, Blonde and Blonder can now tell their parents they met me, and one day when we’re reality stars they can say they met us at a storm site after they rode it out in their car. They’ll have a story to tell.”

“Did you autograph your cards?” Zach asked.

“Oh, hell,” Simon asked, stopping short. “Should I have done that?”

Zach laughed. “No, I think you’re good.” He gestured at what was left of the building. “Anything here? It looks vacant.”

“It was,” Simon said. “Guy told me it’s been shut down for two months.” He looked around. “Damn good thing. This could have been worse.”

“No shit,” Zach said, his mind already moving on. His eyes went back to Maddi. He couldn’t stop himself.

There was a pause, and he felt Simon’s eyes on him. “What’s going on with that?”

Zach watched Maddi as she shook the old man’s hand and smiled at Beatrice. She’d pulled her ponytail loose and raked her dark hair back with her fingers and let it fall, her head tilted slightly as she listened to what Beatrice’s husband was saying.

“The death of me.”

Chapter Seven

M
addi rubbed her palms against her jeans for the seventh time since she’d seen the sign announcing their upcoming exit. Nicole’s voice droned on and on about how excited she was, how impressed Brown was, how amazing the real deal was going be after seeing the raw footage. All the while tapping her fingernails against the steering wheel in the nanoseconds between words. Maddi needed quiet to steady her nerves. Hell, she probably needed a bottle of something. Going back to Cody was never in the plan.

“This is going to end up so prime-time,” Nicole said, scooping her dark-red hair back and resuming her finger tapping. “Thank you for agreeing to take this on and coming out here this week.”

Agreeing to take it on?
Maddi cut her eyes at Nicole, but she didn’t see. “Yeah. No problem.”

“And hey, don’t let Brown get to you,” Nicole said. “I wanted to tell you that the other day. He’s a tool, just brush him off.”

Maddi raised one eyebrow. “Is that what you do? Brush him off?”

Nicole shrugged, displeasure washing over her face. “I just have to be more delicate about my brushing. I think sometimes he lies in wait to screw me over.”

“He doesn’t like me very much,” Maddi said.

Nicole frowned as she glanced over at Maddi. “He doesn’t like anyone unless it benefits him in some way,” she said. “Don’t take it personally. And he’s shoved so far up Woodbriar’s ass, he hasn’t seen color in years.”

Maddi snickered. “Well, I just wish he’d stop seeing me as an invisible peon and take me seriously. Hayseed Hick Maddi or not.”

Nicole laughed. “Keep turning in footage like this and he will. God, I wish I could ride along with y’all,” she said, continuing. “How cool would that be?”

“Feel free,” Maddi interjected, garnering a surprised glance from her boss. “Seriously,” she continued. “I’ve sailed that ship more than once. I’ll be glad to share.”

When it came to pass that she and Nicole were going to Cody, she’d had to fess up. Not about Zach per se, but about knowing the family. About being from Cody. Which had only excited Nicole more, figuring that would give them the inside scoop.

Nicole snickered. “No such luck,
Madison
,” she said with a grin and an eye roll. “I wish I could be more hands-on with this one, but with
The Flip Side
going into production next week, I’m not even going to see the light of day for God knows how long. I’ll have to pay a neighbor kid to feed my dog.”

“Yeah,” Maddi said, “that’s true, but—”

“And this could up your cred,” Nicole continued. “Don’t forget that.”

Don’t forget that
. It was the only reason Maddi’d gotten in the car.

She pinched the bridge of her nose and forced a smile as a sign loomed ahead: “Cody—Next Three Exits.”
Breathe deep
, she told herself. It would be fine. She’d keep her distance; there would be no close-proximity heated exchanges about the past, the present, or anything for that matter. This was business. This wasn’t about the feel of his hand finding hers during a tornado passing over. It wasn’t about how everything turned upside down when he got up in her personal space. It wasn’t about the fire and emotion in his face when he—

“Exit here,” she said, her voice sounding funny.

“But the GPS says we have another half mile,” Nicole said, gesturing to the dashboard map.

“This one’s closer,” Maddi said, suddenly feeling sweaty. It wasn’t closer. This exit led to the paper mill. Logistically, the GPS was correct. Mentally, Maddi didn’t think she could stomach the gleeful smiling family that probably still graced the “Welcome to Cody” sign at the next exit. Or the quaintness of the old downtown market.

Or the small apartment complex they would pass before turning off for the Chase property. Assuming it had been rebuilt. She’d never asked.

They’d go the back way.

Nicole hit the blinker so the van following would know the plan, and maneuvered the twisty exit. Almost instantly, a large, very pristine white building appeared out of the trees at their left. “Chase Auto Body” rested in heavy black letters across the top.

Maddi sighed. “It begins.”

“What?” Nicole asked.

“Nothing,” Maddi said, running a hand over her face. “That must be Eli’s shop,” she said as they passed it.

After a series of twists and turns and heading back toward the highway from the back-assward direction Maddi had taken them, she pointed out a road ahead marked by a huge sprawling oak with a giant red water pump in front. She was glad to see the ancient tree was still intact; she’d always thought it beautiful with its low hanging branches and split trunk. As if it were reaching out to hug you.

“Turn here,” she said, her heart pounding in her ears. She pulled her shirt away from her skin and fanned it.

“Jesus, we could hang meat in here, Maddi,” Nicole said, checking the temp on the air conditioning, which was always frigid in her car. “How could you possibly be hot?”

“I’m—good,” Maddi lied, letting her eyes soak in the old town that had just gotten older in her absence. She wiped her hands again.

“Uh-huh,” Nicole said, in a tone that Maddi refused to acknowledge. “So, you grew up in this town, too, right?” The words sounded like she’d bitten into a sour apple.

“I did,” Maddi said. “A few streets over.”

“Your family still here?”

Maddi shook her head. “My brother lives in downtown Dallas and my parents moved to Colorado after I left. Sold the house.”

“Colorado—wow, that’s quite a move,” Nicole said, slowing down for a small bridge crossing over a creek. “Why so drastic?”

“I guess they figured getting snowed in was better than getting flattened.”

The GPS started blinking a message of confusion, trying to recalculate.
Turn around as soon as possible.
Oh, how she wished that were an option.

“Shit,” Nicole said.

“It’s okay,” Maddi said. “See that last house up ahead on the right? With the brick fence?”

“That’s it?” she asked.

“No, that’s where you turn. And where we used to go to drink because my brother’s girlfriend lived there and her parents were always gone.”

The joy of random memory.

Nicole blew out a breath. “Well, good to know there was something to do in this town. My God, where the hell is this place?”

Once upon a time, Maddi thought it was heaven, all secluded and tucked away and charming. She’d spent most of her childhood and teen years treating the Chase home as her own. She wasn’t feeling all heavenly about it now, though. The last time she’d been on this road was a day that was supposed to be her happiest, and turned out to be her worst.

The day she and Zach were supposed to be in Dallas, eating and drinking and celebrating a wedding. Theirs.

The day she was supposed to become Zach Chase’s wife.

“Don’t go,” Maddi said, stuffing one more pair of flip-flops into a side pocket of the small suitcase. You could never have enough flip-flops, and all he told her about their destination was that it was warm and to pack light. Flops were light.

Zach had gone clandestine planning their honeymoon. He hadn’t left a single clue for her to cling to—in fact, he’d thrown so many wrenches and detours in her questioning, leaving out travel guides to literally everywhere, that she truly had no clue.

That was fine. Maddi liked surprises. Sort of.

Basing her choices on what Zach had thrown in (two pairs of shorts and a pullover), she’d packed two casual outfits, two swimsuits, her favorite sundress, and all the sexy lingerie she’d been buying and tucking away. Not that Zach hadn’t already seen her in every way possible, but she wanted something new and unexpected for this trip.

He’d never seen her as his wife before.

It had to be hot.

Maddi laughed to herself as she sat on the top and squeezed the zipper closed. Oh, it would be hot, all right. She had some new tricks up her sleeve.

“Baby, I’ve got to,” Zach said, pulling on worn jeans instead of the suit laid out on the bed. “This one’s huge. And too close.”

“More reason to get on the road, Zach,” Maddi argued.

Zach shook his head. “We’d be driving right into it. Everyone needs to stay put till this storm dies down.”

“Well, if it’s that damn close, stay here with me.”

He stopped and took her face in his hands. “Baby, listen. It’s only nine. We aren’t expected till two. It’s so close, I’ll be back in an hour.” He kissed her softly. “I promise.” He kissed her again. “Whatever it takes,” he said against her lips.

“Zach—”

“There is nothing in this entire world more important than marrying you today, Madison Marie Hayes,” he said, giving her that look that always turned her to goo and won his arguments. “I can’t wait to make you Mrs. Chase,” he added against her lips.

As Zach knelt to peer under the bed and rescue his other sneaker, however, she saw the distraction already taking root.

“Obviously, you can,” she said, the magic not doing the trick this time. “You’re going to leave me here to go run down a tornado. Again. On our wedding day.”

Zach pulled on his shoe and ran for the door, halting midstep to run back to her. Planting a kiss that was so deep it made her giggle, he then held her and dipped her backward.

“Get dressed,” he whispered. “I love you. I will be back to marry your ass and make this up in all kinds of nasty ways.”

“Be careful,” she said, always feeling the fear in the pit of her stomach.

He gave her a wink at the doorway and then he was gone, his footsteps fading on the metal stairs.

Maddi sighed and touched the door. It would always be that way—Zach running off to dance with some storm. She knew that. They were like magnets that pulled at him. Turning in a circle, she went back to the bedroom and looked at her simple little white dress. An hour, huh? She’d be ready.

“Turn right and just follow the road after this,” Maddi said, lifting her hair off her neck with shaking hands. She saw Nicole catch the move and dropped it, silently pleading for no questions.

“So, what kind of history do you and the Chases actually have?” she asked.

I would have killed anyone who put a camera in your face.

Maddi kept her eyes forward, focusing on not changing expression. “The ancient kind,” she said, forcing a smirk. “No big thing.”

“No big thing, huh?” Nicole said on a chuckle. “I’d sure hate to see what something big would do to you, then.”

Maddi smiled, trying to blow it off as silly.

“Who was it?” Nicole asked.

Maddi met her eyes. “What?”

“Which one of them, Maddi?” she asked, her eyes dancing with the realization of something juicy. “One of the brothers, or Zach himself?”

Maddi’s mouth went dry, and she faced forward. “I don’t suppose we could let this go, huh?”

Nicole laughed. “Oh, hell, no. Spill, sister.”

Maddi blew out a breath. “Zach.”

“Yes,” Nicole said. “I knew it. Why didn’t you say something?”

“Because—I don’t know,” Maddi said. “I thought it would be weird. Or unethical or something.”

“Unethical, nah,” Nicole said. “Is it weird?”

Play it down.
“Nah, it wasn’t a big deal, just a little weird going to see the whole family again, I guess.”

“I understand that,” Nicole said, resuming her drumming on the steering wheel. “I wouldn’t want to walk in my high school sweetheart’s mom’s house. She’d probably throw a meat fork at me.”

Maddi felt the words form on her tongue, the twitch in her shoulders, the need to protest that Zach’s mom was more a mother to her than her own, and how she and Zach weren’t high school kids when they split. He wasn’t a failed prom date. He had been—well, it didn’t matter what he had been.

Nicole, however, was already babbling about which one of her exes had the nicer family, so Maddi let it be. That was better anyway. Made it less likely that she’d hear Maddi’s expelled breath as they rounded into a clearing that the Chase house and its extensions wrapped around like an embrace.

“This is it?” Nicole asked.

“This is it.” Maddi swallowed and pushed the door open before her nerves could get the best of her. It was ridiculous, being so nervous. She wasn’t the insecure distraught young woman that had left in tears all those years ago. She was mature and successful—sort of. She had life experience. It didn’t matter what any of these people—

“Maddi Hayes!”

She head-jerked in the direction of a blonde-going-gray woman with large glasses, taking the steps of a wraparound porch one at a time before striding toward her like she was on a mission. Maddi bit her bottom lip as an
oh
escaped her throat.
Shit.

“Oh, my God, girl, you come here!” the woman exclaimed, holding both arms wide as she approached.

Shit, shit, shit.

“Hey, Miss Lou,” Maddi managed, unprepared for the emotion that hit her as Louella Chase crushed her with a momma-bear hug.