meeting
you too," she said with a soft smile, then patted his cheek and
finished, "Such a nice boy," before pinning Jazzie with her eyes,
silently transmitting her approval.
"Night mama--you go upstairs, I'll finish
up," Jazzie told her although exhaustion pressed down on her own
shoulders like a lead curtain.
Her papa got up too and took her mother's
arm then announced, "I think I'm going to bed too...Chase it's late
and if you'd like to stay the night, please feel free, you can have
Frankie's room," he said and his voice wobbled.
"Thank you for the offer sir, but I really
need to get back to Amarillo," Chase said then took a step back
from her mom.
"What do you do there, Chase?" Her dad
asked, and Jazzie knew the inquisition was about to begin.
"I'm vice president of Rhodes Exploration
and Drilling, sir. We're derrick and wildcat drillers...I work for
my father."
"That's a good thing...my son's work with me
too. Family businesses keep families together. Do you have any
brothers or sisters?"
"I'm the oldest, I have a younger brother,
Jared, who's married, and a younger sister, Lacey, who's in her
final year at A&M," Chase replied, then added with a grin,
"She's a handful..."
Her father slid his arm around Jazzie's
shoulders and squeezed, then said seriously, "So is Jasmine...we
worry about her traveling all over the country with that band...she
could have gone to Julliard, but no, she wants to be in a country
band."
"Papa, please!" Jazzie said with
frustration, because she still heard this from him, even thought it
had been nine years since she'd turned down that scholarship. She
knew she'd broken his heart, but she had to follow her own path,
and that was with Jess, playing country music. It had been the
right choice for her, even though they'd struggled, Jazzie didn't
regret her choice for one minute.
She glanced up at Chase's face and saw his
eyebrows were pinched together too, like he was surprised and
agreed with her father, but he didn't say anything. Her father and
mother went upstairs, and Jazzie huffed out a relieved breath, then
started removing plates from the table and taking them to the
kitchen. Chase and her sisters-in-law did the same, and before
long, the table was clear, and her older brothers were getting
ready to leave. The kids were sacked out in their arms, and her
sisters-in-law apologized for not helping with the rest of the
cleanup, but she shooed them off. Carlos and Joey were another
story.
"Carlos, you and Joe get your butts in gear,
you have kitchen duty. Rinse and put the dishes in the dishwasher,"
she commanded, and chuckled when their faces fell.
"Awww, sis..." they both groaned, but shoved
up from their places and walked to the kitchen.
She smiled at Chase and asked, "You didn't
get dessert, it's delicious, you want some?"
"No thanks, I really do need to get going.
I'll probably stop halfway and get a hotel, since it's so
late."
Jazzie's cell phone rang in her pocket, and
she pulled it out and looked at the display. It was an unknown
number again and she frowned. When Beau had called earlier, she
thought he was the one calling back unknown then, but she didn't
think so now, so she pushed the talk button. "Hello?"
"Jazzie, this is Frankie, I can't talk
long..." her brother said in an agitated voice.
" Where are you!?!? " Jazzie
yelled.
He huffed out a breath then said, "I can't
tell you, because I don't want them after you too."
"Frankie, let us help you, I'm hiring a
private detective..." she told him.
"No! And don't call the police
either...they'll kill me, sis," Frankie said frantically.
Adrenaline surged through Jazzie and she
gripped the phone tighter. "Who is they , Frankie...tell
me!"
"I can't sis...it has to do with Al-Gonon,
that's all I can say. I don't want you or the family involved,
these are some bad people. I need to sort things out, and stash
what I have on them somewhere
you too," she said with a soft smile, then patted his cheek and
finished, "Such a nice boy," before pinning Jazzie with her eyes,
silently transmitting her approval.
"Night mama--you go upstairs, I'll finish
up," Jazzie told her although exhaustion pressed down on her own
shoulders like a lead curtain.
Her papa got up too and took her mother's
arm then announced, "I think I'm going to bed too...Chase it's late
and if you'd like to stay the night, please feel free, you can have
Frankie's room," he said and his voice wobbled.
"Thank you for the offer sir, but I really
need to get back to Amarillo," Chase said then took a step back
from her mom.
"What do you do there, Chase?" Her dad
asked, and Jazzie knew the inquisition was about to begin.
"I'm vice president of Rhodes Exploration
and Drilling, sir. We're derrick and wildcat drillers...I work for
my father."
"That's a good thing...my son's work with me
too. Family businesses keep families together. Do you have any
brothers or sisters?"
"I'm the oldest, I have a younger brother,
Jared, who's married, and a younger sister, Lacey, who's in her
final year at A&M," Chase replied, then added with a grin,
"She's a handful..."
Her father slid his arm around Jazzie's
shoulders and squeezed, then said seriously, "So is Jasmine...we
worry about her traveling all over the country with that band...she
could have gone to Julliard, but no, she wants to be in a country
band."
"Papa, please!" Jazzie said with
frustration, because she still heard this from him, even thought it
had been nine years since she'd turned down that scholarship. She
knew she'd broken his heart, but she had to follow her own path,
and that was with Jess, playing country music. It had been the
right choice for her, even though they'd struggled, Jazzie didn't
regret her choice for one minute.
She glanced up at Chase's face and saw his
eyebrows were pinched together too, like he was surprised and
agreed with her father, but he didn't say anything. Her father and
mother went upstairs, and Jazzie huffed out a relieved breath, then
started removing plates from the table and taking them to the
kitchen. Chase and her sisters-in-law did the same, and before
long, the table was clear, and her older brothers were getting
ready to leave. The kids were sacked out in their arms, and her
sisters-in-law apologized for not helping with the rest of the
cleanup, but she shooed them off. Carlos and Joey were another
story.
"Carlos, you and Joe get your butts in gear,
you have kitchen duty. Rinse and put the dishes in the dishwasher,"
she commanded, and chuckled when their faces fell.
"Awww, sis..." they both groaned, but shoved
up from their places and walked to the kitchen.
She smiled at Chase and asked, "You didn't
get dessert, it's delicious, you want some?"
"No thanks, I really do need to get going.
I'll probably stop halfway and get a hotel, since it's so
late."
Jazzie's cell phone rang in her pocket, and
she pulled it out and looked at the display. It was an unknown
number again and she frowned. When Beau had called earlier, she
thought he was the one calling back unknown then, but she didn't
think so now, so she pushed the talk button. "Hello?"
"Jazzie, this is Frankie, I can't talk
long..." her brother said in an agitated voice.
" Where are you!?!? " Jazzie
yelled.
He huffed out a breath then said, "I can't
tell you, because I don't want them after you too."
"Frankie, let us help you, I'm hiring a
private detective..." she told him.
"No! And don't call the police
either...they'll kill me, sis," Frankie said frantically.
Adrenaline surged through Jazzie and she
gripped the phone tighter. "Who is they , Frankie...tell
me!"
"I can't sis...it has to do with Al-Gonon,
that's all I can say. I don't want you or the family involved,
these are some bad people. I need to sort things out, and stash
what I have on them somewhere
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