Page 33 of After this Summer
“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 findthe onelike they did.” He gives me a tired expression. “It’s exhausting. It didn’t let up with Lake or Wrenbutsince 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 usedto 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 notreal.”
“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.
