4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Chase

“ H e was supposed to be my best friend, and instead, he goes and does that!”

“Are you quite finished, Chase Jackson Montgomery? I do believe the whole house understands your frustration at this point,” my mom asked, looking up from the stack of Christmas cards she was going through.

I slammed my mouth shut. I could just see that my mother was about to impart some much-needed wisdom on me.

“Good. Now listen you little firecracker. You can’t be mad that Bo asked her out.”

“Mama, how can you say that? He didn’t have the right.”

“Because she’s your ex-girlfriend or something? Chase, that boy had a crush on your girlfriend back in high school. And now that you don’t want her, he’s going to take a chance. And he has every right. You weren’t overly pleasant with her when she was here, if I recall correctly.”

“My brothers don’t need to tell you everything,” I mumbled, causing her to chuckle.

“They don’t, but they do, and you can’t tell them not to. Now, what is your problem? Your real problem? It’s not that Bo asked that sweet young lady out.”

“You don’t know her anymore, mama.”

“A person’s character doesn’t change, Chase. She might look different, might sound different, but deep down where it matters, she doesn’t change.”

I looked down at the table, running my thumb over a chip on the side. She was right, and I knew that. I would love to explain why Belinda bothered me. Or what it was, exactly, that bugged me.

But it was a list of things, none that would be right for my mom to hear. None that made me sound like a rational adult either.

“Talk to me, Chase. Don’t forget I know you.”

“When she left, mama, she didn’t glance back, didn’t think about what was going on, who she was hurting. She just left. Then she comes back, walking into my house like nothing had changed. Acting as if seeing me, seeing her mom, her grandma, wasn’t a big deal. Like it was just some stroll she went on, not a ten-year hiatus.”

“Chase,” she started, but I waved her off. I couldn’t listen to this anymore. Personally, I need to review the last twenty-four hours and go over everything. I needed to stew and then let it go. It was what was best.

“I’ll be in my office. Give me time, Mom.” I gave her a kiss as I stood and then left the dining area.

I’d love to be out with the animals, taking my anger out on mother nature, but the animals would pick up on that and then either fight with me, or just not bother with me. So, it was best to let paperwork have the brunt of my anger while I went over this.

I sat down at my desk, started up my laptop, and grabbed the paperwork to start looking over sales.

“Why did it bother you, Chase? I thought I was done with her, done with wanting her, done with loving her,” I muttered to myself.

“Talking to yourself is a bad sign, old man?”

I glanced up, staring at my youngest brother.

“Troy. What do you want?”

“You need to put in an order for some more fencing. There’s a part that’s going to need mending soon.”

“Thanks.” I made a note of it and then looked up at him as he didn’t leave. “What else?”

“Look, I can’t say I remember your relationship with B really well, since she left when I was way too young. But I remember your ex, I remembered the way you pined away for B. What I recall, she was a one in a million type of woman, not one you easily walk away from.”

“I didn’t walk away, Troy. She did. That’s the problem. I shouldn’t love her, shouldn’t want her, shouldn’t be pissed off if someone else does. She can’t mean anything to me.”

“Chase, don’t start sounding like that. You know as well as I do that it doesn’t matter to the heart who it falls in love with. But once the heart is gone, it’s gone.”

“Thanks for that insightfulness.”

“Don’t be a jerk to everyone just because your best friend had the balls to do what you didn’t, asshole. I won’t be your punching bag. Either take it up with her or him, but not us.”

“Got it,” I growled, in no mood to hear anymore. I loved Troy, usually loved his quiet demeanor, but not right now. He didn’t know what he was talking about, and I was over it.

“That’s rude, Chase.”

I sighed as I looked at my mom who walked into the room, sitting down on the chair before my desk.

“Your brother’s love you, they’re just looking out for you.”

“I know. But they don’t always need to tell me.”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. I raised you better than that. I also raised you not to be rude. Heaven help me, though, I could never curb that temper.”

“I take after dad.”

“Don’t I know it, Chase. Now, I wasn’t done talking.”

“I know, Mom, I know. However, I can’t keep on this topic.”

“Listen to me. Because I know you, I know how you were ten years ago when she left. You didn’t let me talk then, but you will let me talk now.”

There was something in her tone that had me sitting up right and paying attention. It was mom’s Sunday tone, the tone that broke no argument and we were going to listen to her or suffer the wrath. I loved my mom, but my temper didn’t come from my dad, it came from the woman sitting before me.

“Don’t let me stop you.”

She glared at me, and I had to fight not to smile. Martha Montgomery was a small woman, but Lord, she was feisty.

“Ten years ago, when Belinda left, you weren’t ready to talk to me. The pain was too raw, and I believe it stayed that way for years. And if we’re being quite honest, I think the pain is still very much there.

“I also believe that’s something you either deal with, or you talk to her about. Let it all out and move on. But you won’t get any closure for yourself if you don’t deal with it. But what I wanted to tell you then, and I pray you’re hearing me now, is that I don’t think Belinda wanted to leave.”

That gave me pause.

“I think she needed to leave for reasons unknown. But I will say I believe it has something to do with Betty.”

“Her grandma? What could possibly be going on with that woman that we didn’t know about?”

“She’s close to us, Chase, but she’s an employee and one doesn’t always know everything. She’s also a sweet woman, but a strong minded one. Nothing was going to be found out or discussed if she didn’t want it to. But after knowing her for so long, seeing her day in and day out, I’m going to say Belinda left to help her.

“Whatever it was, or whatever happened, we may not know. But I don’t think it’s fair that you keep on blaming B for something that might not have been her own doing.” With that, my mom got up and left, leaving me alone in the office.

It never dawned on me that B might have left for any reason other than wanting to. Had I really been blaming her all this time and never knowing the truth?

That I could have followed her?

Could I have helped her?

Could I have had her by my side these last ten years?