Page 7 of The Convict Gets His Girl

She groaned as his lips teased hers softly. "Fine, one kiss. But that's it, I swear. Gemma and Dad are inside talking with your folks, and we'll be leaving any minute now."

He crashed his mouth to hers, and she opened to him immediately, their tongues instantly dueling. His mom would talk for hours about the farm, and he wasn't worried. He had to take advantage of this time with her while he had her. The memories would have to sustain him for the few months until she returned for spring break.

"Chase? You alright, man?" Hunter asked, walking toward him from the barn with Gemma behind him.

Chase swallowed hard and nodded, his mind returning to the present. The memories had sustained him for fifteen years, but Gemma had said last week that Jewel was moving back to Crimson Creek.

His stomach had been a knot of nerves ever since. He cleared his throat and pushed down the guilt he still felt anytime he saw Hunter. "Yeah, I'm good. Just enjoying the sunset."

Gemma smiled softly, reminding him of Jewel and making his chest tight. "I bet you didn't get to enjoy many of them in prison, did you?"

He shook his head. "Not so much."

She nodded and sighed sadly, turning to her truck. "Well, y'all enjoy your evening. Don't forget that Jewel's arriving this weekend. You need to talk to her, Hunter, whether you want to or not."

Chase's hand tightened on the reins, his other stroking his horse's nose as he listened.

Hunter scowled. "I don't want to talk to her. We don't have anything to say. She cheated on me with that Kevin guy. We talked it all out at Christmas sixteen years ago, and that's that."

Gemma paused with her hand on the truck door, turning to them and rolling her eyes. "Oh please, she wasn't cheating with Kevin. You obviously need to hash it out, preferably in private. There's no need to repeat that Christmas fiasco."

Hunter's hands balled at his sides, but Chase was the one who asked, "Is her number still the same? How does he reach her?"

Hunter glared at him, but Chase didn't care. He needed to know for himself.

Gemma nodded and opened the truck door. "Yeah, same number as always. And Hunter? There's more to clear the air than you think. Call her."

With that cryptic comment, she hopped up, and the engine turned. Chase led Gladys into the barn for the night, his mind whirling with possibilities. He carefully thought through what to say, how to say it, and all the ways she could respond.

She probably didn't want to hear from him. She'd not come home that spring break like they'd discussed and by April, he was knee-deep in legal trouble. He'd not heard from her for almost sixteen years, but it was time he moved on.

Hunter and his brothers had taken him to the Electric Cowboy a few times in the past year, and there were always girls looking to hook up with the big, burly convict fresh out of prison.

It was too awkward and uncomfortable though, and definitely not worth the trouble. Not for the first time, he shook off the deep knowledge that he differed from other guys.

For starters, he wanted a relationship, someone who wasn't embarrassed by his past like his parents were, someone who'd love him and not abandon him in times of trouble like Jewel had when he'd gone to jail. She hadn't bothered to check on him, didn't write any letters or send any messages.

Gladys tossed her head, and he eased up on the pressure on the brush. He rubbed her soft coat and purred, "Sorry, girl."

With a sigh, he dropped the brush back in its spot and reached for his phone. He'd programmed all his family's numbers, but he'd also put in Jewel's.

He texted, knowing that was the preferred method of contact these days from his intense study of pop culture in the past year.

Hear you're coming to town. Would love to talk and clear the air.

He slipped the phone back into his pocket and locked up the barn for the night. Hunter wasn't the only one who needed to clear the air, but no one else knew that. Only he and Jewel knew their personal history.

Over the past year of working and partially rooming with Hunter in the bunkhouse, he'd grown increasingly guilty for betraying his brother like they had. He'd thought Hunter knew that Christmas all those years ago, but he'd never once brought it up and Chase hadn't volunteered the information. The past few months had confirmed that Hunter probably didn't know, and it left his stomach feeling like lead.

He never should have slept with her while she was dating Hunter.

When they'd made him go to group counseling in prison and the other guys had talked about drug addictions, a lot of what they'd said had resonated with him. It was how he thought of Jewel. She'd been addicting, and his withdrawals had led him down a dark path.

Actually, that wasn't fair. It wasn't her fault he'd tumbled in with the wrong crowd when he'd gotten super stressed over his double class load that spring and offered tutoring to his peers.

It was all his own fault, and now he needed to start fresh. That included facing Jewel and moving on with a brighter future. If she didn't text him back by next week, he'd call her.

ChapterFour

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