Page 57 of Her Elusive Cowboy Billionaire
He threw his head back and laughed.
The man was outrageous…and she found it endearing.Meri was definitely too far gone where Chase Harper was concerned.Can a person really fall in love so fast?Is it just lust?Can it truly be love?I think it can.I can see myself with a baby and then watching grandchildren and growing old together.Is that so wrong?
It’s not wrong.It doesn’t matter if I’ve known him for five years or five days, I still am in love with him.She took a deep breath and filled her gaze with this man.
She reached across the table and touched his hand.
He turned his and laced his fingers with hers.“You’re amazing, Meri Anderson.I wish I’d met you sooner.So many wasted years.”
“We weren’t supposed to meet sooner.Now is our time, if we choose to make it so.”She lifted his hand and kissed his knuckles, then squeezed him.“Come on, let’s eat.What else do you want with it?I’m afraid I fell asleep before I made the garlic mashed potatoes.It won’t take long, I was going to bake the potatoes in the microwave and mash those with a little milk, butter, salt and garlic, of course.The only other thing I have to offer is a canned vegetable.”She stood.
He also stood, but his mouth turned down.“If you want a canned vegetable, that’s fine.But I can make a fine meal out of the meatloaf, bread, ketchup and maybe a little Grey Poupon, if you have it.And of course a glass of milk, if you have it.”
She put her hands on her hips and laughed.“And here I thought you’d rather have something fancy.”
He shook his head and leaned against the kitchen counter.“I don’t need or want fancy.I’m forced to eat it because of when and where I meet with clients.Usually the dinner hour at some private club.But this,” he waved a hand toward the stove.“This is heaven.Real home cooking like I grew up with.”
“Well, that’s the only way I know how to cook.”She took a couple of plates, knives, and forks, then gave them all to Chase.“Set the table, please.”Then she got down a couple of crystal stem water glasses.“I don’t have any milk.Would you like wine or water?”
“Water, please.”
She filled the glasses from the spigot on the fridge and placed them on the table.Then Meri walked back into the kitchen, grabbed a platter and plated the meatloaf.She retrieved a sharp knife and walked back to the table, where she placed the platter in the middle.“Cut it for me, please, while I get the condiments and bread.”
When she returned, she placed everything on the table and sat across from Chase.Picking up her water, she held it for a toast.“To catching Marco.”
His eyes narrowed, and his mouth turned down.“To catching Marco.”
She heard a thump and then something rolling in the hall.The couple next door must have their niece and let her play in the hall.
The doorbell rang.
Meri looked up.“I’ll get it.It must be the police again, hopefully to tell us they captured Marco.”
Chase jumped to his feet.“No!I’ll get it.You stay here.”
He walked to the door, looked through the peephole.He kept his hand on his gun as he opened the door.
Meri hung back, standing just outside the foyer, closer to the kitchen.
The man had his back to Chase.“Officer Donnelly?What can I do for you?”
The man turned around.She saw he wasn’t the police officer.She slipped back into the kitchen where Marco couldn’t see her, but she could still peek at what was happening.
Smoke filled the hall and drifted into the loft.
The man held a gun in his hand and pointed at Chase’s chest.“Let me in so none of your neighbors has to get hurt and drop your gun.Now.”He held a little girl in his grasp.She couldn’t have been over seven or eight.
Her eyes were wide with fright.
Meri knew just how the child felt.
Chase slowly stepped back.“What do you want,Marco?”
He released the girl and pushed her away before he entered and closed the door behind him.
“Harper.I wondered if you’d ever figure it out.I knew the police wouldn’t, but you?You’re like a dog with a bone.You never gave up.”He stepped forward.
Chase stepped back.“Are you going to kill me like you did Paige?”
