Page 42 of Hung Up (Shadow Ridge #1)

ASPEN CREEK

a mother knows

“What an asshole,” Stevie states, shaking her head in disgust. “I can see why you left that piece of shit. And your dad saying that everyone cheats? What the actual fuck?”

“You’re telling me.” I tuck my feet underneath me on the front porch swing, turning my body to face her with one arm resting on the back.

On my drive up here, I made a promise to myself to be as open as possible.

To try to be more friendly and receptive, and stop being so closed off.

There’s no harm in opening up to people and making friends, even if I’ve made myself believe otherwise.

I’m no longer afraid to admit my life has been pretty lonely up to this point, and I’m ready for that to change.

So when Stevie wanted gossip, I figured gossip is what I’d give her.

This was the perfect chance to try and be comfortable going into a situation with the mindset of ‘being open until given a reason’ rather than ‘being closed off ‘til given a reason’.

Besides, it’s not like I will ever see his family again, so what better opportunity than the present?

“Okay, so tell me about this Dean fella.” She pulls her phone out of her jean pocket. “Last name? I’d like to look him up.”

“Fontaine.” Nodding, she starts typing away frantically, which causes me to chuckle. “For the record, if I was into blondes, you’d have some competition.”

She glances up at me for a moment. “I’m just trying to see if he’s a good vet, Faith. Slow down, girl.”

“Whatever you say.”

As she does her sleuthing, I take the opportunity to take in my surroundings.

Jesse’s house is tucked away on the south corner of their land, closest to the mountains.

I’ve never been in a place quite as beautiful as this.

The sun is just slowly beginning to descend below the peaks, the breeze light and ruffling the loose pieces of my hair.

It’s easier to breathe out here, the fresh air settling in your lungs in a way I’ve never experienced before.

With the birds flying in the distance and the soft sound of the stream, I feel an eerie sense of calm.

I feel comfortable in a way I’ve never felt in the city, even in the comfort of my apartment.

It’s easy to see how someone could fall in love with a place like this.

And for a fleeting moment, I can see myself having my morning coffee on this very porch.

“Who doesn’t have social media these days?” Stevie grumbles, putting an end to my daydreaming before it gets too out of hand. Get it together, Faith. It’s just two days. “Oh. My. God. Is this him?”

Stevie turns her phone toward me, and if I hadn’t already seen Dean without his shirt on, I might’ve started drooling on the spot.

On her screen is a photo of Dean in nothing but his boxers holding a puppy with the title ‘May’ sprawled across the top.

Taking a closer look, it appears our introverted Dean Fontaine did a sexy veterinarian calendar shoot for charity.

“That’s him.” Her eyes are wide, her mouth parted slightly. “What was that you were trying to tell me about just checking to see if he’s a good vet?”

“Shut up,” she huffs, giving me a light shove. “I don’t date the help.” I’m about to make a smart ass remark when she beats me to it. “So, what’s going on with you and my brother? And before you say nothing, he’s never brought a girl here before, so I won’t buy it.”

I hesitate for a moment, debating whether or not I should tell her.

I mean, it is her brother, and I don’t know how much he’s shared with anyone in his family about the nature of our relationship.

Obviously, they all knew I was coming, but do they think we’re just friends?

That he’s just giving me a place to crash until we roll into Billings?

But the way Stevie looks at me makes me think she knows more than the rest do, so I opt for honesty.

“Well, if you had to put a label on it, I guess I’d say we’re friends-with-benefits.”

“One trip down to the bunk house would prove to you that it’s more than that for him.

” I raise a brow at that, ignoring that even she knows her brother has feelings for me—whether he told her or she’s just that astute, it doesn’t matter.

“Trust me, those bunk boys have a way of making a man finally reveal his true feelings.”

At the risk of treading into dangerous waters, I feel an unexplainable urge to ask her, “And what if I already know that it’s more for him?”

“Did you lay out terms?” I nod. “Clear ones?” Another nod.

“And he agreed?” One more. “Then I’ll never judge you for how you handle this thing between you two.

He’s a big boy, and even though I don’t want to see him get hurt, he has no one to blame but himself at the end of this, in my opinion.

I know that doesn’t sound very sistery of me.

I just call it like it is. Now, if you were talking to Addie? Oh, she’d have words.”

“You’re really not mad?”

Stevie laughs. “God, no. Faith, I make a new deal every weekend. I had an exclusive friends-with-benefits here in town for about six months at one point. I’m probably the only one who actually gets it.”

“That’s a relief,” I breathe, sinking further into the porch swing cushions. “I have to admit, I was a little nervous to come here in lieu of how the last few moments between him and I have been. I didn’t want you guys to hate me or anything.”

“Please.” Stevie slaps my forearm gently.

“Even if it doesn’t work out, the fact that Jesse, my playboy brother who has been photographed in the news with other women more than he has been on a bull, hasn’t been seen in the paper in weeks…

You did something no other woman has been able to do, and for that we could never hate you. ”

“What’s that?”

She smiles. “Showed him how to lead with his heart.”

Even though that thought brings an onset of brief, momentary panic, I find the corners of my lips tipping upward. All pretenses aside, it’s flattering to know I helped him change in some shape or form.

“Okay, ladies,” Jesse says, stepping onto the porch and stopping the need for me to try to muster up a response. He eyes the two of us carefully before settling his gaze on me. “Time for dinner. Let’s get scooting.”

“Let’s get scooting?” I laugh, swaying slightly as the porch swing slides back as I go to stand. “What, like Boot Scootin’ Boogie?”

Stevie grabs my hand, dragging me behind her as we head down the porch steps. “You’ve taught her well, brother. She knows a classic.”

“He can’t get all the credit.” We round the side of his house, and I spot two four-wheelers—one a two-seater, the other a single. “I might have been on country radio on my Spotify. I was tired of being a fish out of water at the bars we were going to.”

The smile on Jesse’s face is one I can’t discern, so I turn to Stevie. She’s climbing onto the two-seater, patting the spot beside her. As I start to walk over, Jesse grabs my arm, stopping me as he narrows his eyes on his sister. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Taking my new bestie to the main house,” she states, matter-of-factly, and I have to bite my lip to suppress my smile. “Who do you think you are to get in the way of girl time?”

“Didn’t you already have girl time?” he asks with a pout, but he lets go of my arm. “You’ve already spent more time with her than I have.”

I climb onto the seat while Stevie tilts her head like she’s deep in thought.

“You’ve had her a lot for, what, eight weekends?

Ten? I think you’ve had plenty of time, brother.

” She turns the key, kicking on the engine, and the noise is so loud that Jesse doesn’t hear her as she says, “I bet you’re mediocre in bed, anyway. ”

He does hear the laugh that slips out of me, and I watch his brows furrow in confusion before Stevie takes off.

We stay on the dirt road I took to get here, passing by one of the pastures that seems to be housing some cattle.

However, instead of taking a right down the dirt road about five minutes later, she begins to drive on the grass, only there’s fairly obvious tire tracks to signify they’ve been riding these four-wheelers through here for a while.

As we crest the hill, I can’t stop my jaw from dropping.

The barn is extremely large but gorgeous.

It’s painted all white with dark brown wood accent pieces circling the entire exterior.

From here, I can see a giant SR in what appears to be metal hanging above the main door.

Off to the left are some corrals and I see a few guys on horseback watching another as he runs forward before coming to an abrupt stop.

One of the men sitting on the post jumps off with a tape measure and measures the distance.

A couple seconds later, it’s obvious that one of them is very happy with the news.

The sight causes a smile to tug at my lips.

I’ve been finding a lot of joy in watching others do what they love lately.

That thought brings a new ache to my chest. Maybe work isn’t that thing for me anymore, and I need to figure out what is.

Once we pass the barn, we hit a new dirt road uphill and twisting to the right.

Once we reach the top, I’m staring at yet another beautiful home.

This one is similar to Jesse’s, only much, much larger.

A wrap-around porch circles the exterior of an all white house with dark wood trim around all the large floor-to-ceiling windows on the main floor.

The roof has dark brown shingles to match the wood of the house, and in the distance, I can see what appears to be a chicken coop.