Page 11 of Forbidden Secrets
Chase Bradford still looked like the golden boy quarterback who’d taken Sierra High to the state championships.Broad shoulders, a firm jaw with conventionally handsome features.He’d filled out, and a bump on the bridge of his nose suggested it had been broken somewhere along the way.
Back then, he’d always had a calculating edge with watchful eyes that seemed to size people up, probing for weakness.No doubt that had been an asset on the football field, but it had made her uneasy, especially when he’d been interested in her.
“Hello, Chase.”
She kept her tone even, though her pulse jumped.Afterward the bootlegger, he and the others—Greg Delano, Mateo Reynoso, and Walker McGrath among them—had all given cheek swabs for DNA testing.She recalled some had been reluctant, but there’d been peer pressure in the form ofwhat do you have to hide?
She still wondered who had truly wanted justice, and who had something to lose.
“I couldn’t believe it when I saw you in the lobby.I see your mom every now and then when she comes in.Are you visiting?”His smile oozed charm and confidence, but she suppressed a shiver.Something about him suggested darkness under the surface.
“Not visiting.I moved back to town last week.”
“No kidding?”Why did she get the feeling he wasn’t actually surprised?“If that’s the case, I’m happy to welcome you home.Did you choose our fine establishment for your banking needs?”
“I opened checking and savings accounts.Do you work here?”
He gave a self-deprecating laugh.“I’m bank president.”
She must have looked surprised because he shrugged.“I know it’s hard to believe when I wasn’t the best student in high school.I certainly wasn’t brainy like you.But I want to serve my community, and I find banking one of the best ways to do that.”
A memory surfaced of Chase during senior year boasting that his dad was bank president and on the city council.Hadn’t George Bradford also served as mayor of Sisters at some point?
Chase looked at her expectantly.
“Um, good for you.”
Another customer approached the door.Melanie moved to the side to let her by, and Chase opened the door.“Good to see you, Mrs.Martinez.Have a nice day.”
Melanie wanted to follow the woman out of the bank.Chase was pleasant, charming even, and so different from how he’d been in high school when she’d found him self-absorbed, even mean on occasion.But if she and Addy wanted to belong to the community, she needed to put in the effort to make friends.
“What brings you back to Sisters?”Chase asked.“You’re probably used to the big city, and as much as I love my hometown, there’s not much to do here.”
“I have a daughter.We wanted to live near my mom and stepdad.”
Chase’s gaze sharpened.“Are you married?”
He was certainly more direct than Rhonda.
“No.Adelyn’s dad and I aren’t together.”She gave herself a mental push.She knew how to be social.“What about you, Chase?What’s been going on in your life besides earning the impressive job title of bank president?”
“How much time you got?”He gave an aw-shucks laugh that seemed forced.“Just kidding.Why don’t you come to my office and we can catch up.I’ll even spring for a cup of coffee.”He gave her a wink.
In high school, Chase had run with the jock crowd.She’d found his behavior erratic.On one occasion, Greg and another football player had been mocking Thad Stimson, a boy with a stutter, and Chase intervened to shut them down.Then days later she turned into a nearly empty hall to see him body check Thad into a wall of lockers and walk away.
Maybe he’d matured.Most people weren’t the best version of themselves in high school and worked to be better as adults.
“Sure, that sounds nice.”
She followed him to his office where he stood aside for her to enter.
He started to close the door.
“Leave the door open, please.”
Something flashed in his eyes, but then he smiled and it was gone.His tone was laced with concern.“I’m sorry, did, ah, what happened make you nervous around men?Perfectly understandable, if that’s the case.”
Maybe it had, but no way was that something she’d discuss with Chase.“I prefer the door open.Thanks.”
