“It’s mom’s beef casserole recipe,” Sean said as Ashley handed him the box. “Matthew cooks it at least once a week.”
By the time everyone was sitting in the living room, enjoying a cup of coffee, Matthew’s nerves were stretched tight. He’d missed Ashley and seeing her today was making it even harder to say goodbye.
Sean refilled Ashley’s coffee cup. “Matthew told me you’ve been offered a job in Washington, D.C. When do you move?”
“I don’t know if I’ll accept it.”
“You’ll stay in New York City?”
“I’m not sure.” She glanced at Matthew and sighed. “I’ve been offered a job at theBozeman Chronicle. Logan needs another reporter on his team.”
If Matthew had been holding his coffee cup, he would have spilled the hot drink everywhere. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I didn’t discuss it with Logan until this morning. He made me a good offer.”
“Good enough to stay?”
Sean’s eyebrows rose. “We need to peel the potatoes for dinner.” He grabbed Matthew’s arm.
“I’ve already done them.”
“We need more.”
“No, we don’t.”Sean’s scowl was the only thing that brought Matthew to his feet. His brother had something to say and he had no idea what it was.
As soon as the kitchen door closed, Sean spun toward him. “If you want Ashley to stay, you’d better change your attitude.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’re pushing her again and it won’t end well. Give her time to work out what she wants to do.”
Matthew crossed his arms. “What do you mean ‘again’? I’ve never asked her to do anything she didn’t want to do.”
“Are you kidding me? From the first time I met her, all she talked about was becoming a reporter in a big city. You ignored everything she said and assumed she’d stay in Bozeman.”
“She told me she loved me. I thought we’d get married and have a family.”
Sean growled. “You’ve always jumped feet first into everything without thinking about the consequences. Just because she loved you, it didn’t mean she was willing to give up her career.”
“I gave her a ring.” Matthew glanced at the kitchen door and lowered his voice. “I wanted to marry her. If that didn’t tell her how serious I was, nothing would.”
“You pressured her into deciding between you and her dream job and we all know how that turned out. If you don’t want the same thing happening again, you’ll back off and give her time to figure out what she’s doing.”
Matthew clamped his mouth shut. The night before Ashley had left for New York, they’d had a big argument. He didn’t understand why she was leaving, and she didn’t know why he wasn’t happy she was following her dreams. They next time they’d spoken had been in Buffalo after she’d sent him the ring.
Sean threw a potato peeler at him. “You’d better peel some more potatoes in case Ashley walks in.”
Matthew opened the pantry and took a couple of potatoes out of a bag. “What would you do?”
“Ask her about the jobs, but don’t tell her what she should do. For all we know, she could have applied for a job in San Francisco. She might want to be closer to her dad than you.”
Matthew dropped a peeled potato into the sink. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure I do. From the look of things, Ashley and her dad are getting to know each other again. It makes sense for her to live within driving distance of his home.”
Matthew focused on the potato in his hand. Ashley was a talented reporter. Any company would be lucky to have her work for them. “She won’t stay in Bozeman.”
“You don’t know that.”
“She’s published a series of articles that were picked up by a lot of newspapers around the country. Two newspapers want her to work for them. I can’t compete with that kind of opportunity.”
Sean rinsed the last potato and added it to the pot on the stove. “You don’t need to compete with the job offers. Just be yourself. Ashley wouldn’t have contacted you on her way to Buffalo if she didn’t trust you. She knows how much you care about her.”
“I don’t think she does,” Matthew said. “But it’s too late now.”
His brother didn’t say anything—he didn’t need to. The chance of Ashley staying in Bozeman wasn’t great. “You’re right. I’ll back off and give her time to work out what she wants to do.”
Sean turned on the stove. “The potatoes should be ready in twenty minutes. Good luck with Ashley.”
It would take more than luck to make her want to stay in Bozeman—it would take a miracle.
