SWNOVELS Chance: Chapter 26
Chance slept betterthat night than he had in a long time, even though it was on Rory’s couch instead of by her side. When they’d gotten ready for bed, she’d hesitated in the cased entry to the living room. He’d thought she was going to ask him to sleep in the same bed with her. He’d understood it would be just sleep, and he’d still wanted it. Wanted to hold her against him while she slept and know she was safe.
But she hesitated too long, then said good night and left him alone on the couch. Despite that, he’d still fallen asleep soon after he’d heard her get into bed. When he woke, he went upstairs to shower, made coffee, and went outside on the front porch to watch the sun rise over the fog-laden hills and fields.
The Harper farm was beautiful, and he understood why Rory felt connected to it. Why she wanted to keep it.
Rory didn’t wake before he had to leave, but he opened the bedroom door to check on her. She was sleeping, her chest rising and falling evenly. It killed him to leave her, but he had a job to do. He left her a note and his keys by the coffee pot where she could see them and headed out to start up Clyde.
The old truck rumbled along the roads pretty smoothly for as old as it was. Chance rolled the window down and put his elbow on the sill. He almost felt like he was in a country music video.
He drove through town on his way to the range. When he spotted the D&B Properties truck at Miss Mary’s Diner, he whipped Clyde into a parking space and went inside. Ronnie Davis and Ronnie Junior were in a booth by the window, chowing down on what looked like a massive order of pancakes, eggs, and bacon. He knew it was them because he’d seen their faces on the security cameras at Rory’s place. It’d taken everything he had not to find them before now.
He glanced around. Miss Mary’s wasn’t too busy yet, but there were a few people at the tables and counter, drinking coffee and eating breakfast.
Miss Mary was a large woman with a smile as welcoming as the world was big. “Dining in today, Chance?”
“No, ma’am. But I’ll take one of those breakfast burritos to go, if you don’t mind. Just gonna head over there and talk to my friends.”
The Davises weren’t his friends, but he didn’t want to alarm Miss Mary. Still, she arched an eyebrow and he knew she wasn’t fooled.
“No bloodshed in my restaurant, young man. I know those men have been going around to the farmers and making offers, and I heard all about what Rory said in Kiss My Grits yesterday. So if you think you’re going to cause a scene, think again.”
Chance held up both hands. “Ma’am, on my honor, I’m not. Just want to make it clear they need to be more respectful when speaking to my lady.”
Miss Mary’s eyebrows shot upward. “Your lady? Oh my.”
Rory was going to kill him when the Sutton’s Creek rumor mill got started, but fuck it, they’d all learn soon enough that she was pregnant and he was the father. If they thought he and Rory were a couple now, so what?
“Yes, ma’am. And that’s why I can’t let those men harass her. You can understand that, I hope.”
“I do indeed.” She pointed at him. “But like I said, no bloodshed. Say what you gotta say and leave those men to eat their breakfast, you hear me?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“One breakfast burrito coming up with sour cream and extra salsa, just the way you like it. You want a go cup of coffee?”
“Please.”
Order made, Chance strolled over to where the Davis men sat in their booth, eating and talking about who they needed to visit that day. They both looked up as Chance loomed. He dragged a chair from a nearby table and plopped it down, straddling it with his arms folded across the back.
“Howdy, gentlemen.”
Ronnie Davis was a florid man with a bushy mustache and gray hair. His son just looked mean. Junior was thin on top and clean shaven. He was also muscled in a way that said he worked out regular.
“Who are you?” Ronnie asked.
Chance pointed at the logo on his polo shirt. “Chance Hughes, One Shot Tactical. You might’ve seen the range and training facility outside of town. We offer twelve shooting bays, an outdoor range, and we provide personal security training as well as security evaluations and services.”
“That’s nice to know, son. We’ll keep it in mind if we need some range time, but right now we’re talking business.”
“Oh, I know. But let me tell you a little about me. I was in the Army, did some time in special forces—that means I’ve seen combat. I’ve dropped behind enemy lines and survived to tell the tale. I’ve been shot, stabbed, and beaten. Even been a prisoner of war, though it was only for a week. Not as long as some of our military have endured, but not fun.”
Ronnie Davis was looking irritated. Junior was interested but also wary as if he knew there was a punchline coming.
Ronnie was the one who spoke. “We thank you for your service. I’m sure we’ll see you at the range soon. Helluva pitch you’ve got, but a bit long if I’m honest here.”
Chance smiled, though it wasn’t friendly. “I’m almost done. I’ve seen and done a lot of shit in the military. I’m just a civilian now, running a company with my Army buddies. But I still know how to do all those things, and even better, I can make you hurt in ways you haven’t imagined without leaving a mark. So when I tell you that Aurora and Theo Harper are off limits, you need to realize that I’m not kidding around. You don’t talk to Rory. You don’t look at Rory. I catch either one of you harassing her ever again, I’m gonna show you some of those skills I mentioned.”
Ronnie spluttered. “I don’t think you know who you’re talking to.”
“I know enough. You’re a rich man who thinks what you want takes priority over what people with less money and power than you want. I’m here to tell you it’s not true. Something else you need to know about me—you ever harm Rory to get what you want, I don’t care what happens to me. I will end you and smile during the trial when they ask me where the body is. We clear?”
Chance unfolded himself until he towered over the two men. Ronnie had the good sense to look frightened. Junior, however, looked like he wanted to tangle. But until Daddy let him off the leash, he wasn’t going to do it. Chance knew that without a word being said.
“I’m reporting this conversation to the police,” Ronnie told him. “See how it goes for you then.”
Chance picked up a piece of bacon from the pile on the plate in the center of the table. “Be my guest. I won’t deny it if they come calling. But you should know somebody destroyed a garden at the Harper farm and the water leak in the Salty Dawg was deliberate. The cops are still looking for suspects and I’m sure they’d love to have a chat with you after what you said to Rory yesterday about the price going down if she needs to sell the farm to save the tavern.”
“You accusing me of something, Mr. Hughes?”
“Not at all. Just giving you an FYI.” He ripped off a piece of bacon with his teeth. “Y’all have a blessed day, you hear?”
He half expected Junior to come after him, but there was no movement behind him as he strolled over to the counter. Miss Mary handed him his coffee and a plastic bag with his order, her smile almost gleeful. “I hope I don’t ever get called to witness at a trial because you’ve committed violence against those men, because the good Lord won’t let me lie to save you, but I also enjoyed that mightily. Darned Texans coming in here thinking they know what’s best for this town and harassing folks to sell their land. It’s not right.”
“It’s not,” Chance agreed as he plunked cash on the counter. “Fine if people want to sell once an offer’s made, but when they tell you no, you can either raise the offer to a price they agree on or you can accept it’s not happening and move along. Just wanted to clarify that for them.”
“I think you did. You staying with Rory out at the farm now?” she asked as she put the cash in the till.
Chance nearly choked on his coffee. Miss Mary shook her head like he was daft.
“I can see the road from here. Know which way you came from. Not to mention you’re driving her grandpappy’s old truck.” She nodded toward the picture window where Clyde was clearly visible in the parking lot. “It’s good Rory has someone staying with her. She can’t be too careful with her diabetes. I know Theo has always worried about her out there alone.”
And that was the point at which Chance needed to extract himself. “Rory knows how to take care of herself. She’s been diabetic since she was thirteen. Learned a thing or two by now, I expect.”
“I expect you’re right. Doesn’t stop folks from worrying though.”
“No, ma’am, sure doesn’t. But she’s got it handled. Thanks for breakfast. Gotta get to the range.”
Chance went to his truck and started it up. When he looked at the restaurant, Ronnie Junior was watching him through the window. He didn’t look scared, though. He looked furious.
Chance laughed. “Bring it on, my man. Bring it on.”
So long as Junior and his asshat dad focused on Chance and not Rory, he didn’t care what they tried to do to him. He’d be ready.