Page 7 of Hard Candy Christmas

“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.”

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