Present time was predictably chaotic. Emma tore through wrapped packages with glee, exclaiming over each one like itwas exactly what she’d always wanted. The veterinary kit we’d brought got a particularly enthusiastic response.
“Look, Mama! I’m Dr. Chloe!” Emma held up the toy stethoscope, listening to her stuffed elephant’s heart. “He needs medicine!”
“That’s perfect, baby,” Harper said, but she shot me a questioning look.Where is Chloe?
I pulled out my phone to check the time and saw two texts from Chloe that must have come through while Emma was surrounded by torn wrapping paper, shrieking with joy at each new gift.
Emergency call at Jenkins farm. Might miss Emma’s party. I’ll be back as soon as I can.
Then a second text:Tonight, when I get home, let’s finally have that conversation.
My stomach clenched. This was it. She was ready to have the conversation I’d been trying to start for days. No more delays, no more excuses. Tonight I’d finally tell her everything.
Time to man up, Mitchell.
Harper’s phone buzzed, and she checked it, then laughed softly. “Chloe just texted me. Farm emergency at the Jenkins place — another alpaca in trouble.” She shook her head with affection. “Of course, it’s alpacas. You know how much she loves those ridiculous creatures.”
I managed a small smile despite my nerves. “She does light up around them. She’ll be devastated to have missed Emma opening her gift.”
Harper’s expression grew more serious as she glanced at my face. “You two have plans to talk tonight?”
“Yeah,” I said quietly.
By the time the last parents had collected their sugar-high toddlers, my phone rang. Chloe’s name flashed on the screen. “Hey,” I answered, stepping away for some privacy.
“Sam.” Her voice sounded exhausted but warm. “This is turning into a real emergency. Daisy’s having complications, and Mrs. Jenkins is beside herself. I can’t leave, not until I know both mama and baby are okay.”
“I understand.”
“And you know what the roads to the Jenkins farm are like — all those narrow curves, no streetlights. I’m not risking driving home in the dark.” She paused, and I could hear her taking a breath. “Sam, I know about Leo and Jenna.”
My heart stopped. “You… you know?”
“I saw you. At the medical clinic parking lot. I saw you with them.” Her voice was steady, controlled. “She introduced herself to me. After you left.” A pause. “And I know about the money you’ve been spending. The cash withdrawal, the charges in Millfield.”
“Chloe, I’m so sorry—”
“No,” she interrupted, her voice firm. “This isn’t a conversation to have over the phone. I know you’ve been trying to talk to me, and I’ve been putting it off because I was exhausted and dealing with that awful—” She stopped herself. “Tonight was supposed to be when we cleared the air, but now there is an alpaca mama that needs me, so—”
“Chloe, I’m sorry, I should have—”
“Sam.” She cut me off again. “I really don’t want to go into details right now because I need to focus on making sure this baby and her mama are okay. But I do want you to know that I’m angry you didn’t just talk to me. I’m angry you’ve been keeping secrets. But I also know you’ve tried to talk to me.” She paused. “Let’s both take the afternoon off tomorrow. Switch off our phones and just talk, no interruptions. I want to hear what you have to say. I want you to know how much you’ve hurt me. Don’t think it’s going to be all roses because I am upset with you. I’m just compartmentalizing — alpacas first, then you.”
My breath caught, my heart racing. I could hear the hurt in her voice, the anger, but also the determination. A little part of me was also laughing about the fact that I’d been put squarely in my place - alpacas first, me second. “Tomorrow,” I managed. “Afternoon. I’ll tell you everything.”
“Good.” She took a shaky breath. “Now I really need to go. It’s baby alpaca time, and Mrs. Jenkins needs me focused.”
Despite everything, I laughed — actually laughed. “You and those ridiculous creatures.”
“They’re not ridiculous. They’re majestic.” She paused. “I love you, Sam.”
“I love you too.”
After we hung up, I stood there for a moment, phone still in my hand, my heart still racing. She knew. Chloe knew about Leo and Jenna, and she wasn’t running. We were going to be okay.
But then her words replayed in my mind: “She introduced herself to me. After you left.”
Ice flooded my veins. Jenna had approached Chloe. Deliberately. After I’d left the medical clinic, Jenna had walked up to my girlfriend and… what? What had she said? How had she positioned herself? What narrative had she spun?
