Knotted Roots

Chapter NINE



The rest of the week was a blur of sore, aching muscles from working on the farm and long nights filled with naughty dreams, with Chase taking center stage. I didn’t get anymore one on one time with him during the week, which I’m sure was Grandma’s doing, but I wasn’t going to let that deter me. Katy had come around a couple of times as well, but she rarely stayed long. She seemed focused on Chase, and my connection with him, but I repeatedly steered her away from the topic. Especially when Grandma was around.

With the weekend finally upon us, I was given a brief reprieve. Evidently Grandma didn’t believe in working on the weekend and hired people to deal with the farm in her absence. It was a relief to be able to sleep past five for the first time in a while. The only problem? I had no idea what to do with myself during the day. There wasn’t exactly a roaring nightlife, not even in town, which meant that I would have to find some way to entertain myself.

I contemplated calling Katy, but quickly thought better. I knew she would only want to know what Chase and I had said to each other during the week, or if he had mentioned her in passing. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that he hadn’t even spoken her name since that day on the porch. I have been called many things during my life, but heartless wasn’t one of them.

As I made my way downstairs, still in my pajamas and my hair wild, I heard voices coming from the kitchen. I couldn’t quite make out who it was, well, besides my Grandma’s loud guffaw which I was sure could be heard for miles around. I looked down at my clothes and shrugged. Whoever it was would just have to get over it. I have always lived in my pajamas on the weekend. If they didn’t like it, oh well.

I pushed through the doors to the kitchen and immediately stopped. Three sets of eyes immediately latched onto me, but only one pair caught my attention. Seated around the table was Grandma, Brian, and of course, Chase. Our eyes connected, a smile creeping up his face, which caused my heart to sputter. He truly was one of the most beautiful guys I had ever seen. I was having a hard time getting past that point. How could such a small act cause such a strong reaction within me? Voodoo. Had to be. Yep. That’s what I was going with.

I broke eye contact and walked over to the cabinet to grab a glass. I took my time filling it with water as I felt eyes boring into my back. I turned and raised the glass to my lips, taking small sips as I glanced at the kitchen’s current occupants. Grandma looked over at me, laughter filling her aging eyes again. She reminded me so much of Mom in that moment. Both of them had an easy mischief that seemed to consume them.

“Mornin’ sleepy head. How’re ya feeling today?” she asked as she lifted her cup of coffee to take a sip.

I slid into the chair beside her and set my glass down. “I’m great, thank you. And yourself?” If she wanted to play that game then I could definitely play along.

“Never better. Chase and Brian came by this morning to bring me some fresh sausage from Denny’s Farm down the road. Wasn’t that sweet of them?” she asked, her eyebrows rose at me, daring me to disagree.

“Peachy,” I replied with a saccharine smile. I didn’t dare look over at the guys seated across from us. I knew I wouldn’t be able to prevent a blush from rising if I became ensnared in his eyes again.

“I won’t keep ya Ms. Betty. I’ve got to head home and see if Momma’s okay,” said Brian as he stood up to leave. “If you’re still having trouble with the truck tomorrow, just give me a holler. I can come over and take a look at it for ya.”

“Thank you Brian. You’re a lifesaver. Tell your momma I said hello and that she should come by soon. I’m thinking of reinstating Sunday dinners around here,” she said as she stood as well.

He nodded and they both walked out of the kitchen, leaving Chase and I behind. Alone. I ran my finger delicately along my glass of water, playing with the condensation that had gathered on the outside of the glass. I knew I was fidgeting, but I couldn’t control myself. There was something so unnerving about this boy!

“I like your jammies. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen so many colors throw up on someone’s clothes.” I looked up at him, prepared to voice my outrage, but his smile disarmed me once again. He was taunting me, trying to get a rise out of me and damn if he hadn’t come close to succeeding. I wouldn’t let him win.

“Thank you. I like your outfit as well. I have to say, Redneck Chic suits you quite well,” I replied, my sugary-sweet smile still firmly in place.

“Ya haven’t heard? It’s the latest trend. I can help ya catch up, if ya want?”

Caught off guard, I laughed out loud, covering my mouth quickly, trying hard to suppress the snort that I was sure was about to escape. His own masculine laughter joined with mine, mingling and building, until both of us were clutching our sides. I hadn’t had a good laugh in...well, forever. I heard the doors to the kitchen swing open again and glanced up as Grandma entered the room. She looked between us, her eyes searching for what had caused our raucous laughter.

“I always miss the funny. Wanna fill me in?” she asked as she pulled a package of fresh sausage out of the fridge and slapped it on the counter.

“It seems that our dear Chase here is a fashion guru. He has offered to help me learn the ins and outs of his style,” I replied as I looked over at Grandma. She scowled at me, but I continued anyway. “It seems that my style isn’t to his liking.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. I really do like those pants. But I’m afraid you’re gonna have a hard time blending in around here if you continue to wear them,” he teased, laughing as he took in Grandma’s bewildered face.

“Now who said I wanted to blend in?” I teased back, earning another scolding look from Grandma. I laughed and got up from the chair. “I guess I better go change. It was nice seeing you again Chase.”

I left them in the kitchen and made my way up to my room, gently closing the door and the soft click echoed through the room. I took a deep breath to steady myself. It had taken every ounce of willpower for me to walk out of that room, especially when all I wanted was to climb into his arms and devour him. I had to get control of myself before I became one of those obsessed girls with a stalker-like crush. Yes, he was amazing to look at, and apparently had a killer sense of humor that I had only just discovered, but I couldn’t let him affect me this much.

I got dressed as quickly as possible, putting on a light pink dress with capped sleeves and a ruffled hemline. I looked myself over in the mirror, twisting and turning to look at every angle, before sliding on a cream colored pair of ballet flats. It was starting look like my beautiful heels wouldn’t be making an appearance any time soon, and that thought made me sad. I had always loved a nice pair of heels, especially when they made my already long legs look even more stunning.

I brushed my hair and pulled it up into a bun, desperately trying to control the unruly mess on my head. The humidity here had wreaked havoc on my hair, turning my once silky curls into frizzy piles of tangles. It seemed that my usual style would not work down here, once again.

When I finally made my way back downstairs I was cool, calm, and looked absolutely stunning. I’m not conceited, but I know when I look great. Plain and simple. I waltzed back into the kitchen to find Grandma still standing at the stove, the smell of sausage filling my nose. Oh man. I hadn’t smelled something so delicious in months. Mom and Dad had been on a vegetarian kick for so long now that I had forgotten how great the smell of sizzling meat could be. I sniffed the air, trying to control the drool that began to pool in my mouth, before I noticed that Chase was still seated at the kitchen table. This time his attention was fixated on something in the backyard.

“Anything interesting out there?” I asked casually as I sat down across from him. He didn’t acknowledge that I had spoken, so I tried again. “Hey! Earth to Chase!” I snapped my fingers in front of his face, finally catching his attention. His eyes looked a little glazed as he turned to face me.

“Sorry. I stepped out for a moment. Did you say something?” he asked.

“Nothing important,” I muttered, glaring at the window as if it was to blame for capturing his attention, something that I was making a concerted effort to gain I couldn’t see anything out there that would capture someone’s attention like that, which did more to irk me than his seeming inability to notice me.

“Chase, are you staying for breakfast? There’s plenty here,” Grandma asked as she put the sausage on a plate and carried it over to the table.

“I would love to Ms. Betty, thank you. Would you like some help?” he asked as he stood and helped Grandma gather the food and bring it to the table. What did I do? I stared at him as he moved around the kitchen. Not very helpful, I know, but if you could have seen the way his jeans clung to his body...well, you wouldn’t have been very helpful at that point either. It really should be a crime to look that good.

We ate together, Chase and Grandma chatting the entire time. It seemed that they couldn’t run out of things to talk about. I learned that Chase and Brian both worked a second job year round, but cut their hours down to part-time during the summer so they could help Grandma out. Seemed silly to me, to want to spend your entire summer on a farm, sweating to death in that heat. They had to be slightly deranged to want to do that. I sure as hell didn’t find that to be a good use of freedom. Give me a beach, suntan lotion, and my favorite bikini, and I was set for the day.

“Okay kids, I’ve got some errands to run in town, so I’ll leave you two to clean up this mess. Please, try to stay out of trouble.” The last part directed solely at me, which caused me to frown. I shot her an angry glare, but she had already turned her attention to Chase.

“Do ya want to drive my truck Ms. Betty? I would hate for yours to break down again,” offered Chase, his award-winning smile firmly in place.

“That’s sweet of ya Chase, but if I do that, then you won’t have a way to get home. I’ll be fine, I promise,” she assured as she left the room. I heard the front door close as I sat at the table, staring in the direction she had gone.

I stood and walked out of the room in a huff. Again, she was treating Chase better than me, trusting him to be the well behaved one. I walked into the living room and flopped down on the couch, throwing my head back as I tried to control the anger I could feel building. I had to calm down. I couldn’t let her words get to me like that.

I closed my eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. After a few minutes my anger was in check, but my devious mind was working overtime. If she wanted to see trouble, I could show her trouble. Dad had always said it was my middle name, so maybe it was time to live up to everyone’s expectations. I heard Chase’s footsteps as he walked into the room. They slowed until he came to stand in front of my sprawled form.

“You sure have a flair for the dramatics, don’t ya?” He sat down beside me on the couch and smiled at me.

I sat up and locked eyes with him. “What’s there to do for fun around here? ‘Cause I’m in need of a release,” I said as I inched closer to him. My bravado began to slip as he closed the gap between us, his hand coming dangerously close to my knee.

“I’m thinking you already have something in mind,” he replied, moistening his lips again. Damn him and those glorious lips. If he didn’t stop that soon we would both end up in a ton of trouble.

“I want to get out of here. I need some excitement. Now.” I stood up and reached my hand down to help him up. “And I think you know where I can find what I need.”



* * * *



“Well...this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind,” I said as the truck came to a stop at the edge of a wooded area a few miles away from the house. I looked over at him and found him grinning.

“You’re in the middle of nowhere. Where did you think I was taking ya? To the mall?” he asked as he shut off the engine and climbed out of the truck. I followed suit, swinging my legs down to the ground, and straightened out my dress.

I trailed behind him as we walked down a well-worn path. I had no idea where he was taking me, but for once I was grateful that I had worn flats. Visions of twisted ankles and bruised egos swirled through my mind as we walked through the canopy of trees. He didn’t speak another word as walked. I was beginning to get nervous when we reached an open area, buried deep in the woods, closed off from the rest of the world.

My breath caught in my throat as I took in the sight in front of me. The sun sparkled on the surface of the natural pond as the breeze casually pushed the water around. The sounds of birds chirped overhead, while the smell of honeysuckle invaded my nose, the perfect picture of serenity. It was absolutely amazing. I had never experienced something so natural, completely untouched by human hands. This was created by nature and it was enchanting.

“What do ya think?” he asked as he raised his hand to my chin, playfully closing my gaping mouth.

“It’s...beautiful. I’ve never seen something so...damn,” I said as I continued to stare at the shimmering water. It looked so inviting. I had no idea how clean it was, but the urge to jump in and become one with nature threatened to overcome my city-girl sensibilities.

“My dad used to bring us here to fish every weekend. I know it’s not exactly the excitement you were hoping for...” I glanced over as his words trailed off. His eyes were closed as he lost himself in his memories.

“It’s perfect,” I said, smiling at him. “Thank you.”

He nodded and walked closer to the water’s edge. He sat down and then looked over at me, motioning for me to join him. I sat down beside him, careful to keep some distance between us. The hem of my dress rode up, showing off my firm, tanned thighs. I caught him taking a quick peek before he averted his eyes. Evidently he liked what he saw, which gave me a thrill. So, he wasn’t quite the good guy he wanted everyone to think he was, indulging in his carnal side occasionally.

“Can I ask ya something?” We had been quiet until then and his question caught me off guard. I nodded in encouragement. “Why are ya really here? I mean, why did your parents send ya to Betty?”

“You mean Betty didn’t tell you all the sordid details?” I quipped. I couldn’t let him know that it was a sore subject with me. I wasn’t ready to open up that much yet.

“It’s not her story to tell. It’s yours. That’s why I asked you,” he replied, ignoring my tone and pushing ahead.

“My parents said that they didn’t want me around for the nasty divorce. Something about keeping me neutral during the whole thing. But I’m not so sure,” I replied, my body deflating with each passing moment. It hurt every time I thought about it. Speaking about it was ten times worse and I could feel my heart shatter yet again. I was slightly shocked that I had even said anything to him about it at all, considering I had just vowed not to open up to him, at least not that much.

“Would they have a reason to lie to you?”

“I never thought so before. They tried to hide what was going on,” I replied. “If I hadn’t stumbled on them during a weak moment, I’m not sure they would have told me until after the whole debacle was over.”

“Divorce can be hard on everyone involved. Sounds like they were only trying to look out for you,” he said as he picked at the grass between us.

“And this culture shock isn’t hard on me? It’s like I’ve been thrust into a whole new world where I can never fit in!” I jumped up as anger began to grow again. This time I wasn’t stopping it. It was time to let it out. “I’ve only met my grandmother once before this week. Once! How could they possibly think this was a good idea?”

He stood up slowly, his hands raised in an act of defense. He tried to walk towards me but I backed away, unable to deal with his close proximity right then. His hands fell to his side as he spoke. “I think you’re doing a great job adjusting, all things considered.”

“Ha! Nice try, but I know what all of you think of me. All you see is a spoiled princess. A brat. I see it in everyone’s eyes when they look at me, so don’t even try to deny it!”

“That’s what ya want people to see when they look at ya!” he yelled, snapping my attention to his face. I couldn’t believe he yelled at me. He was supposed to be the calm one, the one who didn’t fly off the handle. “When ya aren’t trying to pull one over on everyone, I see those glimpses of the girl ya really are. The sweet girl who is scared to death of being alone. The girl who would rather keep someone at arm’s length so she didn’t get hurt.”

His voice echoed around us. It bounced off of the surrounding trees and caused birds to become silent. I stared at the fierce expression on his face, no hint of compassion remaining. Crap. I felt tears begin to threaten. If I didn’t get away now he would see me cry. I couldn’t let him see that his words had hit home. I remembered Amber accusing me of the same thing a few years ago, right after I broke up with Kevin Walker. She had spent months getting us together, and I threw it away after a week.

I hadn’t had the heart to tell her what he had done to me. Why I broke up with him. If I had told her that he had touched my breasts, even after I told him to stop, would she have believed me? All signs pointed to no, because she had never told a boy no. I wasn’t like her. That was how I had ended up with the reputation of a cold fish. And that was why she accused me of always pushing people away.

I raised my chin and spun on my heel, preparing to storm off, but his hand caught my arm before I could take a step. “Not this time Roxie. Ya can’t keep running from everything.” His tone was gentler this time, but the frustration was still there. He was trying to calm down too. Both of us were failing miserably.

“I’m not running from anything, Chase,” I spat his name at him, hoping my words would make him release me. “You need to let me go.”

“I can’t do that. Ya need a friend right now, and it seems I’m the only one volunteering for the job.” I have friends! Lots of them! Well...I had friends. Before I came down here. I hadn’t actually heard from anyone from back home since my last “chat” with Amber.

I jerked my arm out of his grasp and tried to stare him down, but he was better at this game than I was. “You think you’ve got me all figured out, don’t you? You’ve known me all of a couple of weeks, but you know me better than I know myself, right?” I wrapped my arms around my midsection, trying to hold the pain I was feeling inside. “What’s the point of all of this? Why the hell do you care?”

He shook his head, completely exasperated with my dramatics. I wanted to open up to him. A part of me was screaming to grab hold of him and tell him everything, but that damn wall I had built around my heart just wouldn’t let me. Even after all these years, Kevin was still winning. “Maybe one day you’ll get it Roxie. Maybe one day you’ll see that there are genuinely good people out there. People who aren’t out to screw ya over or hurt ya. But until then, you’re going to be one very lonely young woman.”

He walked away from me, his hands fisted at his sides. I wasn’t about to let him get the last word, even though the rational part of my brain was yelling at me to shut up. “You don’t know shit Chase Matthews! Not a damn thing!” I yelled to him, but he ignored me, continuing on his path. I kicked at a rock on the ground, sending it skittering across the dirt. It should have made me feel better, but it didn’t.

The only thing that would make me feel better right then would have been grabbing that infuriating boy and holding him to me. Even after everything that had just happened, all I could think about was kissing him. I let out a frustrated growl and then stalked off in the direction he had gone. I didn’t need him at all. I just wanted him, and that was so much worse.