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over in tears.
    â€œRose? What’s wrong?” Kate went to her and began patting her back.
    â€œHe’s going to deliberately ruin us,” Rose sobbed. “None of us will have a job. We’ll all have to leave our homes.”
    â€œShush, shush, chère. What makes you say these things? Is Chase here?”
    Rose shook her head and looked up into Kate’s eyes. “No, not yet. But the word is all over town. He’s come for revenge and means to get even with everyone in Bayou City for how they treated him as a kid.”
    Kate leaned over to put an arm around her secretary’s shoulders. “Nonsense, Rose. You’ve lived in this place all your life. I can’t imagine you’d start believing the town gossip at this late date when I’m positive you know better than that.”
    Besides, Kate thought grimly, the only people left here that Chase had a real reason to hate were her father and herself. And her father was beyond his reach now.
    â€œChase is obviously a successful businessman, Rose. I don’t believe he would deliberately throw money away just to even an old score. He’s much smarter than that.”
    â€œThanks for the vote of confidence, chère. ” The deep sound of Chase’s voice came from the doorway.
    Kate twisted around to see him leaning against the threshold with his arms folded across his chest, studying her. “Chase. I didn’t hear you…”
    â€œBut I don’t need your support,” he interrupted.
    She stood up and sighed silently to herself. No, he would never allow her to give him anything. She knew that, but it stung all the same.
    He narrowed his eyes to scrutinize her, and the close survey began to make her feel all itchy, like she’d forgotten to wash.
    Chase took a couple of steps into the room toward her. “In fact, judging from how you look, I won’t need anything from you today.” He turned to address Rose. “Do you think you can show me where the files are without dissolving into a weepy mess, young woman?”
    Rose sniffed once and nodded without opening her mouth.
    â€œFine.” He turned back and lowered his voice to a growl. “Go home, Kate. You look terrible. I’ll expect you to appear rested and at your best for our appointment this evening.”
    â€œBut, Chase…”
    â€œGo home. There’s nothing you can do for me—until tonight.”
    Kate fisted her hands at her side and bit her tongue to keep from saying something she would forever regret. Chase was acting like a real jerk, but she knew he was a different person deep inside. He just couldn’t have changed that much in ten years. But he did have reason enough to hate her, and there was nothing she could ever do or say to fix things.
    So she clamped her mouth shut and turned away,running from the memories. Running from her heart. And running from the pain of accepting the consequences of her past.
    Â 
    Chase drove a hand through his hair and leaned back in the desk chair. He couldn’t seem to concentrate on the damn accounts when all he could think of were the deep-purple smudges that had been under Kate’s eyes and the bone-weary slouch of her shoulders this morning.
    He’d come to Bayou City with the intention of hearing her beg…for the mill…for her home. And if the truth were known, to beg for his forgiveness.
    But he hadn’t liked hearing her beg for a friend and that friend’s baby, or to see her looking so emotionally bruised. It didn’t sit well with his memories.
    He was trying to reconcile what he felt now with all the built-up hatred from ten years of believing her to be someone he despised. To see her looking melancholy and fragile this morning had ripped big holes in his plans…and in his soul.
    It was midafternoon and it was time to accept the fact that he really did need Kate to interpret some of the mill’s figures for him. He would