He fell into step beside her.
“You’re not going to make this easy, are you?” Chase asked softly. When she didn’t reply, he sighed. “Look, Miss Blair, I realize you and I have gotten off to a bad start, but is there any reason to continue that way? I’d like to apologize if you’ll let me.”
Jessie didn’t stop walking, but after a while she asked, “What exactly are you apologizing for?”
“Well…everything.”
“Are you really sorry, or did Rachel Ewing put you up to this?”
Chase winced at the coldness in her voice when she said her mother’s name. Rachel hadn’t been exaggerating. The girl did hate her. He wanted to find out why, but right nowwasn’t the time. He finally had her talking to him, and it was best to proceed cautiously.
“I don’t apologize often, Miss Blair. If it weren’t my own idea, I wouldn’t be doing it, believe me.”
“Then you’ll leave?”
Chase stopped short, stunned. “Can’t you just accept my apology?”
“Sure I can,” she said lightly as she continued walking. “But you haven’t answered my question.”
Jessie didn’t wait for him to answer, either. As she reached the back door to the kitchen, she stepped inside. Rachel had left a lamp burning low, and Jessie turned it up.
Chase followed her inside, finding her by the kitchen counter, her back to him, opening a can of beans. When she began to eat the beans cold, right out of the can, he grimaced.
“We missed you at dinner,” he said as he closed the door behind him. “I believe there are some leftovers on the stove if you’re hungry.”
She turned, her eyes flashing, and he realized he must have picked a sore subject. It was a sore subject in fact, for Jessie hadn’t sat down for one of Kate’s excellent hot meals since Rachel and Billy had come. It was a reminder that they had succeeded in pushing her out of her own house. Her own choice, but that didn’t change it any.
“Then again, dinner wasn’t that good tonight,” Chase added quickly, an outright lie, but it seemed to mollify Jessie. She stopped glaring at him and continued to eat her cold beans.
Jessie hadn’t planned to eat anything, hadn’tplanned to let anything keep her from her bed. But for some reason she wasn’t quite so tired anymore.
“You haven’t answered my question, Mr. Summers,” Jessie pointed out casually.
“I don’t recall your being too willing to talk to me.” Chase grinned, trying to keep it light.
Jessie frowned. “I answered the one question you had a right to ask. I told you why I lied to you. But my question does concern me, Mr. Summers. I would appreciate it if you would give me an answer.”
“What was your question?” Chase hedged.
Jessie slammed the can of beans down on the counter. “Are you deliberately trying to provoke me, Summers?”
“Is everything so serious with you? Don’t you ever get any fun out of life?” When she started to walk away, Chase caught her arm, gently this time. “Will you just hold on a minute?”
She didn’t look at him, but at his hand, and he released her. “Well?” she demanded.
“I just don’t know how to answer you. I know you don’t want me here, but Rachel has asked for my help, and I can’t very well refuse her.”
“Why not?” Jessie asked.
He replied in a tight voice, “She’s got no one else to help her. You certainly aren’t cooperating.”
“Was I supposed to?” Jessie snapped. “I didn’t ask her to come here!”
“No, you didn’t. But your father did.”
Her turquoise eyes were stormy, but she kept her voice low as she said, “You want to know why? I heard you and her talking about it thatnight, and I can give you a better reason than she did. He hated her so much that he wanted more revenge even after he was dead! He wanted her to see what he’d made of me. He wanted her to see this fine house and be sorry it’s not hers.”
“But she’s rich, Jessie, or didn’t you know that?” Chase said quietly.
“You’re not going to make this easy, are you?” Chase asked softly. When she didn’t reply, he sighed. “Look, Miss Blair, I realize you and I have gotten off to a bad start, but is there any reason to continue that way? I’d like to apologize if you’ll let me.”
Jessie didn’t stop walking, but after a while she asked, “What exactly are you apologizing for?”
“Well…everything.”
“Are you really sorry, or did Rachel Ewing put you up to this?”
Chase winced at the coldness in her voice when she said her mother’s name. Rachel hadn’t been exaggerating. The girl did hate her. He wanted to find out why, but right nowwasn’t the time. He finally had her talking to him, and it was best to proceed cautiously.
“I don’t apologize often, Miss Blair. If it weren’t my own idea, I wouldn’t be doing it, believe me.”
“Then you’ll leave?”
Chase stopped short, stunned. “Can’t you just accept my apology?”
“Sure I can,” she said lightly as she continued walking. “But you haven’t answered my question.”
Jessie didn’t wait for him to answer, either. As she reached the back door to the kitchen, she stepped inside. Rachel had left a lamp burning low, and Jessie turned it up.
Chase followed her inside, finding her by the kitchen counter, her back to him, opening a can of beans. When she began to eat the beans cold, right out of the can, he grimaced.
“We missed you at dinner,” he said as he closed the door behind him. “I believe there are some leftovers on the stove if you’re hungry.”
She turned, her eyes flashing, and he realized he must have picked a sore subject. It was a sore subject in fact, for Jessie hadn’t sat down for one of Kate’s excellent hot meals since Rachel and Billy had come. It was a reminder that they had succeeded in pushing her out of her own house. Her own choice, but that didn’t change it any.
“Then again, dinner wasn’t that good tonight,” Chase added quickly, an outright lie, but it seemed to mollify Jessie. She stopped glaring at him and continued to eat her cold beans.
Jessie hadn’t planned to eat anything, hadn’tplanned to let anything keep her from her bed. But for some reason she wasn’t quite so tired anymore.
“You haven’t answered my question, Mr. Summers,” Jessie pointed out casually.
“I don’t recall your being too willing to talk to me.” Chase grinned, trying to keep it light.
Jessie frowned. “I answered the one question you had a right to ask. I told you why I lied to you. But my question does concern me, Mr. Summers. I would appreciate it if you would give me an answer.”
“What was your question?” Chase hedged.
Jessie slammed the can of beans down on the counter. “Are you deliberately trying to provoke me, Summers?”
“Is everything so serious with you? Don’t you ever get any fun out of life?” When she started to walk away, Chase caught her arm, gently this time. “Will you just hold on a minute?”
She didn’t look at him, but at his hand, and he released her. “Well?” she demanded.
“I just don’t know how to answer you. I know you don’t want me here, but Rachel has asked for my help, and I can’t very well refuse her.”
“Why not?” Jessie asked.
He replied in a tight voice, “She’s got no one else to help her. You certainly aren’t cooperating.”
“Was I supposed to?” Jessie snapped. “I didn’t ask her to come here!”
“No, you didn’t. But your father did.”
Her turquoise eyes were stormy, but she kept her voice low as she said, “You want to know why? I heard you and her talking about it thatnight, and I can give you a better reason than she did. He hated her so much that he wanted more revenge even after he was dead! He wanted her to see what he’d made of me. He wanted her to see this fine house and be sorry it’s not hers.”
“But she’s rich, Jessie, or didn’t you know that?” Chase said quietly.
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