Page 32 of After this Summer
“That’s like a vacation in the Caribbean,” Jesse muses.
“Remember that when Indie and I need a babysitter.”
“Whatever you want.”
Frowning, I turn to face him. “Has Mom really been that bad? She’s always been on us to find someone, but you’re acting like you’d rather be in the witness protection program.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he exhales heavily and Lake and I just wait. “No, she’s fine, but I’m only twenty-four. I want Mr.Right Nownot Mr. Right.” Glancing between us, he adds, “Don’t you dare repeat that to Mom.”
“That’ll cost you,” Lake mumbles and Jesse’s shoulders slump as our father joins us.
“You boys conspiring over here?” he says with a knowing glint in his eye, because Winston Sterling raised three versions of himself in looks and values.
Still, there’s no sense in throwing Jesse under the bus.
Not yet at least.
“Mom is talking to Indie and Pen about wedding details,” I tell him and watch as his gaze slides to his youngest son.
“Should buy you some time,” he murmurs as Lake barks out a laugh and Jesse rolls his eyes.
“How do you feel about building baby furniture?” I ask as my attention turns back toward my girl.
Throwing back the rest of his beer, Jesse wipes the back of his hand over his mouth. “Name the time and place.”
Well, would you look at that.
19
INDIE
JUNE
The 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 Ineedto but because Iwantto.
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?”
