Page 22 of Their Forever Daddy

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She stayed out as long as she dared, begrudgingly heading back home when the sky turned red as the sun took itself to bed for the night. If it hadn’t been for the animals, she might have just found somewhere in town to crash.

But the animals were there, and they didn’t deserve to be neglected just because she was in a rough spot.

And by some stroke of luck, Jesse wasn’t there when she got back, so she was able to feed everyone and even get the not-a-llama and Luna back in the barn before she caught the glint of headlights coming up her drive. She didn’t bother stopping on her way up to the house, even when she heard the car door slam and the crunch of Jesse’s boots on the gravel behind her.

It was tempting to simply head up the stairs and hide in her room for the night. But not only was her stomach very forcefully reminding her she hadn’t eaten dinner, she wasn’t a fucking coward. So she poured herself a cup of tea from the pitcher in the fridge and settled back against the counter as she waited for the inevitable confrontation.

Jesse stopped in the entryway to the kitchen, and even in the dim light Edie could see the telltale puffiness around her eyes from a recent crying jag. Her arms physically ached to reach for her, to comfort her the way she had so many times before. But she forced herself to stay where she was, watching Jesse and being watched in return.

“I never wanted to hurt you.” Jesse’s words were so quiet, Edie nearly missed them. “But I couldn’t stay here, and I was always honest with you about that from the start. So it’s really fucking unfair for you to keep punishing me for needing more than this goddamn town.”

Ignoring the stab of guilt, Edie cocked an eyebrow. “Is that what I’m doing?”

“It sure feels like it.” The harsh glow of the overhead lights illuminated the redness around Jesse’s eyes, the sadness etched into every inch of her face as she stepped into the kitchen. “Everyone hates me because of you.”

“That’s not true.”

“It sure feels like it,” Jesse repeated with a bitter laugh. “Taylor and Carly yesterday, Noelle and Ginny today. And the people who don’t openly hate me haven’t exactly been welcoming.”

“Did you ever stop to think it might be because I’m not the only person you left behind?”

“I didn’t leave you behind!” The words burst out as Jesse tugged at her hair, leaving the pink-tipped strands sticking out in every direction. “I wanted you to come with me! You chose to stay behind!”

“I’m not having this argument again.” God knew she’d had it with herself enough times over the years, not that it had ever done any good. “It’s done, the choices are made, and now we have to live with these choices.”

“I can live with my choices just fine.” To Edie’s horror, tears welled in Jesse’s eyes. “It’s knowing you hate me I can’t live with.”

Oh, babygirl. How can I hate you when I’m still so in love with you?

The sound of a car door slamming cut off Edie’s thoughts before they could spill out of her mouth and humiliate her all over again. Jesse froze, her shimmering eyes going wide. “Are you expecting someone?”

“No.” Edie set her glass down on the counter with an audible click. “Go upstairs. We’ll finish this later.”

“Like hell I will.”

Pausing in the middle of the kitchen, Edie grabbed Jesse’s arm and put every ounce of authority she had into her voice as she met her golden gaze. “Someone was looking for you earlier, and on the off chance he figured out you’re here, I want you out of sight. Go, before I decide I don’t actually give a fuck that you’re not mine to punish anymore.”

Relief nearly made her knees weak when Jesse jerked her arm out of Edie’s grasp and turned to stomp her way up the stairs.

Good. Let her be pissed. Mad was better than hurt or dead.

Once Jesse was safely tucked away upstairs, Edie made her way toward the front door, stopping only to lift her late husband’s shotgun from the rack on the wall. She didn’t even bother to wait for the knock on the door before she opened it and leveled the barrel at the intruder’s chest.

To his credit, he didn’t even flinch, though he did freeze in place with his hand outstretched, reaching for the handle of the storm door. Dark eyes locking with Edie’s, he slowly pulled his hand away, raising both of them high in a gesture of surrender. “Hello, Mrs. McDowell.”

Goddammit. Someone in town obviously hadn’t gotten the memo about keeping their mouths shut around him. “What do you want?”

“I just want to talk to Jesse.”

“She isn’t here.”

The man raised an eyebrow in a look that was all Dom. If they’d met at a club or a play party, instead of when he was in town sniffing after Jesse, that look would have made her knees quake before she dropped to them at his feet.

Outside of that context, it just made her want to shoot him.

“Interesting, because that’s her rental parked in your driveway. Jesse!” he bellowed, and Edie raised the gun higher.

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