Chapter 27
Jesse
Ella and I are out walking the property with the dogs, letting them run and burn off energy. She wanted to get out of the house. Winters here are long with not much to do when it’s too cold to be outside. But today we’ve been given a rare gift, a surprising fifty-degree day in the second week of March. We’re taking full advantage of it.
“So, I was thinking about wedding stuff … and I think I want to get married in October.”
I laugh, thinking she’s joking, but she doesn’t waver.
“You’re being serious?”
She stops walking and lets go of my hand. “What’s wrong with October?”
“El, I work.” I gesture. “Pick any other time of year and it’s yours.”
“I want the fall. I like the colors, I like the weather. I want the fall, Jesse,” she argues.
I shake my head. “We can’t.”
“It’s one week!” she snaps.
“A week?! What kind of wedding are you planning?!”
“Um, honeymoon?”
I let out an accidental sigh and she huffs as if she’s offended.
“I didn’t mean it like that—”
“I didn’t know going on a honeymoon with me was so awful!”
“It’s not. Of course it’s not. I can’t wait for it, but we can’t disrupt my work.”
“Why can’t you just take off?”
“Because, Ella, it’s not some huge company. It’s me, Cody, and Dad. That’s it. I can’t just put in time off, that’s not how it works. It’s only four months of the year.”
“But—”
“We can’t afford it, baby.”
“You don’t even know what we can’t afford,” she argues.
“I know I don’t want to find out.”
She shakes her head.
“Please, just trust me.”
“Fine.”
“Pick another time of year. How about spring? A year from now? Or December? We’re done by December.”
“I’ll have to look at the calendar. I’d rather sooner than later.”
“Me too,” I assure.
We continue walking, hand in hand. The dogs are finally getting tired. On our way back toward my place, Ella lets out a sigh.
