Page 18 of Joy Ride
Fuck. I just threw myself at him, what choice did he have? Every red-blooded man I know would never pass up the opportunity to get their rocks off, but it doesn’t mean they’ll fall in love with the person they’re fucking or even see them again.
I laid everything out so clearly.“I don’t need promises. Just one night.”
I wish I could take back every damn word.
And it’s childish for me to be jealous, even if he does have a girlfriend waiting for him. Her kids probably adore him and his gingerbread cookies. Travis didn’t admit it out right, but come on, would a man like him actually be going to hang out with a guy friend’s family for Christmas? I highly doubt it.
Was he cheating on her with me? Travis seemed like an honorable man. Then again, how often does he have a stranger crawl into his bed and beg him to fuck her? I wince just thinking about it.
Chase’s three-rail, white fence is up ahead. I blow out a sigh and make the turn onto his ranch. The long, elegant drive is unmarked of course, but I know the way to his front door by heart. Whenever I visit West Palomino, I always stay with him and Lexi. They not only have the space for guests in their main house, but they also have private cottages out in back, so there’s plenty of room for everyone.
Forcing myself to get into the holiday spirit, I try to keep smiling as I navigate the last few yards of the driveway. Close to the house, everything is done up in lights. Luxuriously thick red ribbons wrap the porch rails, and lush garlands with white twinkly lights grace almost every surface available. There’s even a massive wreath hanging on the barn. With the snow falling and the moon making everything look like it was sprinkled with fairy dust, you’d think the ranch was gussied up for a magazine shoot or a movie, but this is just the way Chase lives. He’d probably shoot anyone who showed up with a camera.
After turning off the ignition, I take a moment to compose myself and check my make up. Thankfully, there isn’t mascara smudged down my cheeks. I study my face, trying to detect any trace of a change. But I look exactly the way I did when I was still a virgin.
No one besides Travis and I will ever know what happened between us. Even I’m having a hard time believing Travis Cassidy wasn’t a figment of my imagination, but sulking out here on the driveway isn’t going to do me any good.
The thump of my door closing echoes over the quiet snow, and the brisk air slaps me out of my gloomy mood. When I pass where the family room is, the shrieks of pandemonium coming from inside make me laugh. I better brace myself; there are ten kids under five in there, and another on the way.
As soon as my cousins got married, they all started popping out babies in rapid succession at just about the same time. Chase and Lexi have two children, a boy, and a girl, and are expecting another baby soon. Ryder and Emma have three, one girl and two boys, Shane and Brooke have the same, and my cousin Jenny has her three kids from a prior marriage, Jessie who’s eleven now and nine-year-old twins, Leo and Lara. Her current husband William adopted all of them, and they went on to have two kids of their own, so it’s going to be crazy inside.
I take the steps up to the porch and smooth my hair before rapping on the heavy oak door.
“Coming!” Lexi calls out, with her rapid footsteps clacking over the hardwood floor. The knob turns before she opens the door with a cheery, “You’re here!” Before I can utter a word, her arms are wrapped around me in a warm, belly to watermelon embrace.
“And just in time.” I grin staring down at her massive tummy. “I didn’t realize you were so close to having the baby.”
“Yep,” Lexi glows. “My due date is January third, but who knows the baby might come on New Year’s Day or even today.” She pats her stomach. “I’m what you call ‘ready to pop.’”
“You’re what I call gorgeous, and radiant. I’m so happy for you and Chase.” An ear-to-ear grin covers my face, as I realize just how much I’ve missed Lexi.
“I’m thrilled you finally got here.” She loops her arm through the crook of my elbow and leads me into the house. “We’ll get your bags and settle you into your cottage a little later. Everyone is dying to see you.”
“I heard them on the way in,” I giggle. “Can’t wait to see how much they’ve all grown.”
Lexi nods. “It’s hard to believe our little Shenandoah is going to be five. Jack’s getting big now too, he’s three and a half. Can you believe it?”
“You’re going to have a full crew with the new baby,” I say, as we make the turn into the living room and my eyes pop out of my head. “Lexi,” I whisper in awe, stretching my neck back ogling the cathedral ceiling where a massive chandelier drips with fresh boughs of pine and crystals. “Look what you did…”
“To be honest, it wasn’t all me, but it’s pretty, isn’t it?”
“Spectacular is more like it.” The second story railing is lined with Christmas trees of almost every shape and size, decorated with crystals and seemingly every decoration that reflects light. Their house is lodge style with log walls, so everything has a rustic, country feel, but you bet your biscuit, Lexi knows how to bring on the bling at Christmas.
She accompanies me past the toasty floor to ceiling river rock fireplace, as the snow falls outside the wall-sized windows. There are Christmas trees tucked in every corner of the ground floor too.
“Now that you’ve opened your business, we’ll hire you to decorate next year.”
“I’d be honored,” I say, checking out a charming little tree covered in miniature cowboy boots, saddles, and horses. “It’s so warm and cozy in here, it’s like a dream, Lexi. Really, it is.”
“Is that Jolene?” Chase’s deep voice rings down the hall.
“Present and accounted for. Merry Christmas Chase,” I blurt, hurrying to him for my hug.
“Good to see you, cousin. Why do you always take so long to visit?” We laugh, and soon we’re picking up right where we left off the last time we saw each other, as if not a moment had passed. His eyes are still that bright movie-star blue, and he still smiles at Lexi like a man who’s head over heels in love.
“We were getting a little nervous about you being on the road.” Ryder files out of the kitchen with his arms wide open.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you worried,” I say, while we hug. “The cell tower went down so I couldn’t get through.”
