“Then why do I feel guilty?” I admitted.
“About what?” His gaze lifted from my hand to my face.
“Telling the truth about him, I guess.” I shrugged. “I protected us for so long that it feels unkind or something.”
He slowly unwrapped my finger and folded the napkin to a clean spot then wrapped my middle finger next. “The truth spoken in love is the kindest gift you can give yourself and your girls. It might feel like exposing him unnecessarily, but no one can thrive with a closet full of secrets. We all need the light. Even Garrett.”
I nodded, a few tears slipping down my cheeks. “I know you’re right.”
“Thanks for telling me.” He touched my cheek with his knuckle and offered me a sad smile.
Immediately, my heart thumped in my chest. I tugged my hand away and he let go, the napkin unraveling from its coil. I pulled it off, dabbing it across the tops of my fingers. Why was Jesse so easy to talk to? I wracked my brain for the answer—maybe it was because he set the tone for us in the emergency room that day. Or maybe his aura just encouraged over-sharing and made people feel safe. Or maybe the reality of his brokenness made me feel less afraid of mine.
Whatever it was, I felt it. A magnetic-like pull toward him. An urge to pour a cup of coffee and sit with him on the porch swing. A growing belief that I could thrive despite my past one day.
Mercifully, Jesse changed the topic. “I heard from Tag this evening.”
I perked up, swiping my cheeks. “Really?” Aside from a few texts here and there, we hadn’t gotten frequent updates. I assumed that meant Cooper’s condition hadn’t changed.
“The antibiotics are clearing up his infection.”
I laid a hand over my heart. “Thank goodness.”
“But he’s not out of the woods yet.”
“How is Bea?”
“She’s puking her guts up. But Tag said all the nurses on the floor know she’s pregnant and are going out of their way to help wherever they can. She’s in good hands.”
“I’ll text her again to see if they need anything.”
After a moment of silence, Jesse sat back and rapped his abs. “Man, Hollie. That was good food. I should’ve waited to eat it because I don’t know how I’m supposed to go back to work after all that.”
“You have more to do? It’s so late.”
“Unfortunately.”
I scanned the arena fence. “What were you working on?”
“Our chute’s release. The fitting is broken and I can't get a new one back on. We’re training tomorrow so I need to figure it out.”
“Training?”
He shifted down then tossed his leg over the bench, now facing me and straddling the metal. “We gotta keep the broncs that haven’t been on the circuit in shape and train the new ones.”
“Who rides them?”
“A box dummy.” He flashed me a smile. “You should come watch. It’s really fun.”
“You don’t get up there?”
He laughed. “Nope. I’m too old.”
“Thirty-five is not old.”
He casted me a sideways glance, a smile toying at his lips. “Wait. How did youknow I was thirty-five?”
I froze. How did I know that? Then I remembered my sisters getting ready for Bea’s wedding, talking about Jesse like he was the prime rib special on a menu. I had to stifle a laugh. “Bea mentioned it because my youngest sister has the hots for you.”
