“No,” she shook her head. “But I am worried about you both. About what this means.”
“It doesn’t mean anything,” I said quickly, desperately. “It was just... it was New Year’s Eve. People do stupid things.”
Evelyn’s expression hardened slightly. “Don’t you lie to me, Jesse Harris. I’ve known you since you were ten years old. And I’ve watched the way you two look at each other. That wasn’t just some midnight kiss between drunk friends.”
My throat tightened as I searched for words, any words to deflect or deny. But the fight had gone out of me. Evelyn had always seen through my bullshit, even when I was a teenager.
“Does... does Cole know that you saw us?” I finally asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
She shook her head. “No. And I won’t tell him if you don’t want me to.”
Relief flooded through me, quickly followed by confusion. “Why? Why wouldn’t you tell him?”
Evelyn sighed, glancing back toward the dining room where Cole waited. “Because it’s not my story to tell. It’s yours. Both of yours.”
I leaned against the counter, suddenly exhausted. “He’ll fall apart if people find out, Evelyn. You know how much this ranch means to him. How much the respect of people in this town means.”
“I know,” she said softly. “But hiding and lying isn’t the answer, Jesse. It never is.”
“Then what is?” I asked, desperation creeping into my voice. “What am I supposed to do?”
She reached out, squeezing my arm gently. “Talk to him. Be honest. Figure it out together.”
“And if we can’t? If he chooses the ranch over—” I cut myself off, unable to finish the thought.
“Then at least you’ll know,” she said simply. “Better than hiding in barns for the rest of your life, isn’t it?”
Before I could respond, Cole’s voice called from the dining room. “Everything okay in there?”
“Just fine,” Evelyn called back, giving me a meaningful look. “Jesse’s helping me with dessert.”
She pulled a pie from the refrigerator and handed it to me, along with three plates. “Whatever you decide, you know I love you both.” She paused, her eyes serious. “And for what it’s worth, I think Jack would’ve… come around eventually. He loved you boys more than anything else in this world.”
I blinked back sudden tears. “I… I think I love him, Evelyn.”
She nodded as if my confession wasn’t news to her. “Then tell him, honey. Don’t miss your chance.” She paused for a moment, a faraway look in her eyes. “Some of us aren’t that lucky.”
I bit my lower lip to stop it from quivering, nodding silently as I carried the pie back to the table. Cole looked between Evelyn and me suspiciously as we returned, clearly sensing something had happened.
“Apple pie,” I announced with forced cheerfulness, setting it down. “Looks delicious, Evelyn.”
“It’s key lime,” she corrected smoothly, taking her seat again. “My mother’s recipe. Now, who wants coffee?”
The rest of dinner passed in a blur of small talk and carefully avoided glances. I felt like I was drowning, struggling to keep my head above water while pretending everything was normal. When Evelyn finally gathered her things to leave, panic clawed at my throat again. Soon it would be just Cole and me, and I’d have to face the music.
“I’ll see you boys tomorrow,” Evelyn said, wrapping a scarf around her neck. “Don’t forget we’ve got those beef orders going out first thing.”
“We won’t,” Cole assured her, walking her to the door while I busied myself clearing the table, desperate for any excuse to delay our inevitable conversation.
The door closed with a soft click, and the house fell into a silence so thick I could feel it pressing against my skin. I scraped leftovers into containers with painful slowness, listening to Cole’s footsteps as he returned to the kitchen. He stood in the doorway, watching me, arms crossed over his chest.
“Gonna tell me what that was all about?” he finally asked.
“What what was all about?” I replied, not looking up from the dishes I was rinsing.
“Cut the shit, Jesse.” His voice was low, controlled. “You and Evelyn in the kitchen. The way you’ve been avoiding me for days. Something’s going on, and I want to know what it is.”
I placed the last dish in the sink and gripped the counter edge, my knuckles turning white. My heart hammered against my ribs so hard I was sure he could hear it. “It’s nothing.”
