Free Severed Threads by Kaylin McFarren Page A

interest. His possessive paw clamped onto her arm, drawing her attention back. An angry, muffled backlash soon followed. In the past, Chase would have stepped in, but as he watched the couple exchange expletives, he realized they were perfectly paired. They simply added color to the otherwise mundane crowd.
    When the band’s jazzy rendering came to an abrupt end, so did Chase’s interest. Dancers dispersed in all directions allowing him an unobstructed view of something far more appealing than anything else in the room.
    Rachel. His heart skipped a beat. Her long wavy brown hair was twisted up in elegant fashion, exposing the tempting curve of her neck. The tailored jacket she wore molded her sleek, athletic figure, and even though her mid-length skirt concealed the best view of her long trim legs, he had to admit the beige stilettos rekindled his active imagination. She stood near the wall, rigid with her arms crossed over her breasts, intense concentration thinning her eyes. From the looks of it, Ned Daniel's aunt seemed to be doing most of the talking. No surprise, after her nephew's snide assessment.

Chase surrendered his place in line. He edged his way around the dance floor, shielding himself behind a curtain of faceless people. He waited a safe distance away for an opportune moment to interrupt, but witnessing a heated exchange hadn’t been part of his plan.
    "I know we keep going round and round." Rachel grumbled. "But for the last eight months, I’ve given away more than six million dollars to civic programs, charities…high-efficiency energy companies. I know Dr. Ying’s new application doesn’t meet our normal criteria. But Mr. Nash wanted us to use his money in a positive way. This project could bring life back into our community."
    The rangy woman across from her snorted, before rolling her dull eyes. "You above anyone should know what a losing venture this could turn out to be."
    "What exactly is that suppose to mean?" Rachel's voice lifted. "If you’re referring to my father again, then all I can say to you is – "
    "Well, ladies," Chase cut in, "what a nice surprise. Might I add how beautiful you both look tonight?"
    Rachel released an audible huff, but he paid her no mind. "Dr. Ying has sure out done himself, hasn't he?" he continued. "Never expected anything like this."
    Apparently, idle conversation wasn’t on Rachel's agenda. “If you would excuse me, there’s something important I need to attend to.” She stepped away, accepting a cocktail from a passing waiter.
    Chase rubbed his jaw. Important, huh? He glimpsed the badly aged woman poised before him – a former actress whose expiration date had long passed. Her black form-fitting dress begged for attention, however, her beady brown eyes bore down on whoever drew near.
    "Don't believe we've officially met. Chase Cohen." He offered a warm smile and his hand, but her lackluster reaction had him quickly retracting both.
    "So you're Cohen." She sniffed and pulled a tissue from her small handbag. She dabbed it under her pointy nose before readdressing him. "I'm Megan Van Dozer. I've been hearing about you all night."
    "Oh, really?" He noticed the curl on Rachel's lips. She was apparently enjoying his discomfort, and for some weird reason, he didn't mind.
    Megan emptied her half-filled glass in one swallow. She waved it in the air at her encumbered nephew, as if summoning a lowly servant. Ned nodded his head while balancing his glass-filled tray, but the scowl on his face told Chase he wouldn't be returning anytime soon.
    "I'm going to tell you straight out, Mr. Cohen," she said. "I've been living here all my life. I don't believe in ridiculous fairy tales and I sure as hell don't appreciate folks in this town telling me what I should or shouldn't do." Her narrowed eyes were fixed on Rachel. "So if you've come here thinking you could sway my vote – "
    "Do what?" Chase lifted a brow. "Mrs. Van Dozer, that honestly never occurred to me." Not until