To give herself a moment to absorb, Bodine lifted a hand off the wheel, held it out in a stop gesture. “What?”
“It wasn’t planned, on either side. The horse knocked me into him. Well, no, didn’t knock me, but the horse—Cal’s horse—sniffed at my hair, and it jolted me into Chase. Then it just happened.”
“When? Thanksgiving?”
“Yes.”
“I knew it.” Bodine shook her fist in the air. “Not the kiss, but I knew something. Chase had that flustered and trying not to show it look he’s always gotten when he’s been up to something.”
She put her hand back on the wheel, realized she’d punched the gas as well as the air, and eased off the speed a little. “A real kiss? On the mouth?”
“Yes, a real kiss. And it occurred to me he’s your brother. I’m your friend, but I’m also your employee, so—”
“Oh, just bucket the employee business. Chase is a grown man and can kiss whoever he wants to kiss—if they want it. And he wouldn’t kiss somebody who didn’t because he’s not made that way, so if the two of you were fine with it, why wouldn’t I be?”
“I wouldn’t say he was fine with it. He’s the one who stopped, then started apologizing all over himself until I wanted to knock him down. I mean, what kind of idiot—” She broke off. “He’s your brother.”
“I can love and stick up for my brother and still know he’s an idiot in some areas. Apologized about kissing you?”
“Taking advantage of me.” Realizing she had a sympathetic audience, Jessica let it fly. “Advantage of me? Do I look like someone who’d let anyone take advantage of her? I’m from New York! Does he think I haven’t put down my share of men who pushed when I didn’t want to be pushed? Then it’s how he didn’t want me to feel obligated—like I’d start something with him because I felt pressured as a resort employee. That’s what he gets out of me kissing him? Oh, I better go along with this if I want to keep my job! If I felt sexually harassed, he’d know it like that!”
She snapped her fingers. “I’m not some scared, weak little mouse who can be taken advantage of or pressured.”
Bodine let her wind down. “I’m going to say this. Apologizing like that? It’s just like him. And I’m going to guess he’d thought about kissing you for a while. Chase isn’t one for impulses—unless he’s running around with Skinner, who brings out that side of Chase. He … deliberates things, and he obviously hadn’t finished deliberating about you before you ended up in this particular situation. Then he straight off feels responsible. I’m not saying don’t be pissed a little at how he fumbled it, and his fumbling was downright insulting, but I hope you can give him a little leeway, seeing as he was only being Chase.”
“I can try.”
Reaching over, Bodine poked Jessica’s arm. “I’m not sticking up for him, or only a little. I expect you let him know he’d insulted you.”
“Oh, I did.”
“Which would’ve confused and frustrated him, and when it sank in, would’ve appalled him, as he’s got a powerful respect for women. I’d never call him smooth.”
Jessica let out a short laugh at the very idea.
“Not like Rory is, and just to digress a minute on that? Rory’s going to do more than flirt with the adorable Chelsea sooner or later, if she’d like more than flirting. He reads people as well as a scholar reads books, it’s why he’s so good in sales. He wouldn’t take advantage any more than Chase, but he’ll move a lot faster. Anyway.”
She drove for another minute as she put her thoughts together. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he—Chase—worked up an apology for the apology, so I’m going to ask you, as a friend, do you like him?”
“Of course I do,” Jessica began. “He’s a very nice man.”
“Rory’s a nice man. Are you planning on kissing him?”
Jessica blew out a breath. “No.” Friends, Jessica thought. Not just work friends, not just acquaintances.
Friends. She could take that next leap.
“I’m attracted to Chase. I’m interested in him.”
“Then if you want a repeat, or more, you’re going to have to make the next move. He won’t, or it’ll be a year or so before he works up to it on his own.”
“Just to be clear”—Jessica held up a finger—“are you saying I should go after your brother?”
“I’m saying, as your friend, and as your employer, just so we touch all the bases, you and Chase are both grown-ups, both single, both with minds of your own. As his sister, who knows him inside and out, I’m advising you: If you want to start something, you’ll have to start it. And nobody who knows either of you is going to be shocked or worried if the two of you start sleeping together. I don’t know why people let sex be so damn complicated.”
“I’m not talking about having sex with him.”
“Of course you are.”
Jessica let out a sigh. “Of course I am. I need to think about it. Not for a year or so. A day or two is enough for me. Bodine?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“I like having a friend.”
Glancing over, Bodine grinned. “You got lucky with me. I’m a hell of a good friend.”
She continued to grin as she punched the gas again. Nearly home now, she thought as she passed a blue compact heading in the opposite direction, and she really wanted to get there.
*
If Karyn Allison’s tire had blown two minutes sooner, Bodine would’ve seen her on the side of the road and stopped rather than zipping by the car as Karyn drove toward Missoula.
Two minutes would have changed everything.
*
He cleaned blood from his hands with snow. He hadn’t meant to do it. Why hadn’t the girl just behaved? He had a right—God given—even an obligation to procreate, to continue his line.
To spread his seed into the world.
And hadn’t God put her right in his path?
There she’d been, on the side of the road with a blown-out tire. A clearer sign of divine intervention he’d never seen.
Now, if she’d been too old—for childbearing—or uncomely, as a man had a right to take a comely woman for his wife, he’d have changed the tire for her, like a good Christian, and continued on his way.
On his hunt.
But she was young. Younger than the tavern whore and pretty as a lemon drop. Since she’d already set about jacking up the car, she showed she had some spirit, and a man wanted some spirit passed on to his sons.
And hadn’t she thanked him, smiled pretty as you please when he stopped to do the job for her?
He appreciated good manners. How she’d stepped back to let him take over demonstrated she knew her place.
But then she’d gone and taken out her phone, said how she’d call the friends she was meeting, let them know what was going on.
He couldn’t have that.
He told her so, and she’d given him a look he didn’t much like. Disrespectful.