Free Denim and Diamonds by Debbie Macomber Page B

offered. Returning to this small town and the Bar E were only a tiny part of what made it so important to come home for her surgery. Her love for Chase had been the real draw; it was what had pulled her back, and for the first time she was willing to acknowledge it.
    Letty burrowed her fingers into his hair, her eyes shut, her head thrown back. Neither she nor Chase spoke. They held on to each other as though they were afraid to let go.
    A sigh eased from Letty as Chase lifted his head and tenderly kissed her lips. He brought her even closer and deepened his probing kiss until Letty was sure her knees were about to buckle. Then his mouth abandoned hers to explore the hollow of her throat.
    Tears welled in her eyes, then ran unheeded down her cheeks. Chase pressed endless kisses over her face until she forgot everything but the love she’d stored in her heart for him.
    When she was certain nothing could bring her any more pleasure than his kiss, he lowered his hand to her breast—
    “Mommy!”
    Cricket’s voice, coming from the top of the stairs, penetrated the fog of Letty’s desire. Chase apparently hadn’t heard her, and Letty had to murmur a protest and gently push him aside.
    “Yes, darling, what’s wrong?” Her voice sounded weak even to her own ears as she responded to her daughter.
    Chase stumbled back and raised a hand to his face, as if he’d been suddenly awakened from a dream. Letty longed to go to him, but she couldn’t.
    “Uncle Lonny keeps singing and he woke me up!” Cricket cried.
    “I’ll be right there.” Letty prayed Chase understood that she couldn’t ignore her daughter.
    “Mommy!” Cricket called more loudly. “Please hurry. Uncle Lonny sings terrible!”
    “Just a minute.” She retied her robe, her hands shaking. “Chase—”
    “This isn’t the time to do any talking,” he said gruffly.
    “But there’s so much we need to discuss.” She whisked the curls away from her face. “Don’t you think so?”
    “Not now.”
    “But—”
    “Go take care of Cricket,” he said and turned away.
    Letty’s heart was heavy as she started for the stairs. A dim light illuminated the top where Cricket was standing, fingers plugging her ears.
    In the background, Letty heard her brother’s drunken rendition of “Puff, the Magic Dragon.” Another noise blended with the first as Chase opened the kitchen door and walked out of the house.
    —
    The next morning, Letty moved around downstairs as quietly as possible in an effort not to wake her brother. From everything she’d seen of him the night before, Lonny was going to have one heck of a hangover.
    The coffee was perking merrily in the kitchen as Letty brushed Cricket’s long hair while the child stood patiently in the bathroom.
    “Was Uncle Lonny sick last night?” Cricket asked.
    “I don’t think so.” Letty couldn’t remember hearing him get out of bed during the night.
    “He sounded sick when he was singing.”
    “I suppose he did at that,” Letty murmured. “Or sickly, anyway.” She finished tying the bright red ribbons in Cricket’s hair and returned to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. To her astonishment, Lonny was sitting at the table, neatly dressed in a suit and tie.
    “Lonny!”
    “Morning,” he greeted her.
    Although his eyes were somewhat bloodshot, Lonny didn’t look bad. In fact, he acted as though he’d gone sedately to bed at nine or ten o’clock.
    Letty eyed him warily, unsure what to make of him. Only a few hours earlier he’d been decidedly drunk—but maybe not as drunk as she’d assumed. And Chase hadn’t seemed inebriated at all.
    “How are you feeling?” she asked, studying him carefully.
    “Wonderful.”
    Obviously his escapades of the night before hadn’t done him any harm. Unexpectedly he stood, then reached for his Bible, wiping the dust off the leather binding.
    “Well, are you two coming to church with me or not?” he asked.
    Letty was so shocked it took her a moment to respond.