Page 20 of After this Summer (Seasons in Montana: Summer #11)
INDIE
JUNE
T he wedding thing hadn’t worked out exactly like we planned between me starting work at Mountain Side Salon and Spa and needing to adjust our timeline for Jensen’s girlfriend.
But that was fine.
Mostly.
Beau showed enormous restraint by not telling me I don’t have to work—he knows how important it is to me to stand on my own. So each week I’ve worked a few hours at the salon, and then hurried home to have dinner ready for Beau, not because I need to but because I want to.
Mama showed me plenty in the kitchen, but I’d never really enjoyed it and maybe that was because I was only really cooking for myself. Beau’s mama had shown me a few things too—namely a meatloaf that had always been her son’s comfort food.
He made it seem like I’d prepared a five-star meal regardless of whether it was dressed up mac and cheese or some premium cut of meat. It made me feel good, but I can’t shake the restlessness that has nothing to do with the baby or the wedding next week.
It’s why on my only day off this week, I’m standing in the stables of Sterling Horse Sanctuary on Beau’s parents’ land.
“Need something?” Jesse asks, his low voice making me jump as I spin to face him. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
Waving him off, I smile. “I startle easily these days.”
“Everything all right?”
“Do you really want to know?”
He opens his mouth and then closes it, seeming to really think it over before nodding his head. “Yeah.”
“Why are you up here anyway? Aren’t you usually at the tree farm?”
“Usually, but we’ve been clearing land and building fences to make room for everything they’ll need for the horses.”
“Oh, am I keeping you?” I ask, looking around but not finding anyone else in the barn.
“Nah, just trying to get a little work done. It’s only me up here right now. Are you stalling or still debating if you wanna talk, because I’m a locked vault. I’m in Beau’s debt until I die.” He says it with a wry grin, making laugh lines appear around his dark eyes so much like his brothers’.
“Why’s that?” I ask through a laugh and he shakes his head as he shoves his hands in his pockets.
“Our parents married young and they’ve been on us to find the one like they did.
” He gives me a tired expression. “It’s exhausting.
It didn’t let up with Lake or Wren but since you and Beau got pregnant and now with the wedding and all, I haven’t heard anything about all the reasons I should settle down. ”
“Beau and I are already married,” I blurt out, and he nods slowly like he’s surprised but also…not.
“Makes sense, I think.”
“Does it?” I rub the spot between my eyebrows, already deciding I’m going to spill my entire drama onto the youngest Sterling sibling.
“I thought I’d bought into a salon where I used to live in Bozeman—a partnership—but I was really sick for a while with the baby.
Toni had said that she’d take care of the renovations and that I should rest. We had big plans. Exciting plans.”
“I don’t think I like where this is going,” Jesse says, crossing his arms over his chest.
“She canceled the contractors and changed the locks. The place is vacant and the money is gone. I’d worked for her before that, and when she left, she canceled our insurance too.
I thought I could figure it out but then there was the stress of everything and then I thought I could find something here and?—”
“You fainted.”
I did, and my emails, calls, and texts to Toni are all going unanswered with no updates from the police or anyone else. “Yes.”
“And Beau offered to marry you.”
Swiping a tear from my cheek, I nod. “Yeah.”
“Are you questioning whether or not my brother actually loves you? Because anyone with eyes can see he’s a mess over you.”
“It’s temporary.” Jesse looks at me, his eyes wide and his eyebrows somewhere in his hairline. “Our arrangement.”
“Does it have to be? Sure, it started out that way—you both were scared and it was the right thing to do to keep you and the baby safe. But I think you’re lying if you are tryin’ to tell me it’s not real. ”
“Can we talk about something else?” I ask because he’s way too perceptive and I’m just not ready for that much truth right now.
“Why are you miserable at Mountain Side?”
“What? I’m not miserable. I’m… Oh my gosh, did they get a complaint? Are they unhappy with me?”
“No. Wren just said she’s never seen someone do such beautiful work and look so sad.”
“I used to love it,” I admit but he just stays silent. “I got my business degree when Pen and I went to college, but I just always loved making people feel good and I got that from being a stylist.”
Jesse is quiet for a minute, seeming to mull over everything I just said, my heart feeling both heavier and lighter at the admission.
“Maybe it’s time to shift your focus.”
“It feels a lot like failure,” I voice without looking at him.
“Only if you want it to be. Maybe you should think about the reasons being a stylist made you feel good.” He motions around the barn. “They’re gonna have a therapy program here. Pen is working to get all the licensing or whatever.” I gape at him but he just shrugs. “Just a thought.”
“Yeah, thank you. I’ll think about it.”
“See you around, Indie. And let me know when I have to paint the nursery or build the crib. Hell, whatever you guys need.”
“I will.”
With another smile, Jesse walks back out the way he came and I’m left alone again. But this time the feeling swirling in my gut isn’t nerves.
It’s hope.