“Don’t tell your mom this is my talent. She’s going to be tough enough to win over as it is,” I joke.
“Yeah, she’s difficult sometimes,” Jonah says, standing up and stretching. “But don’t worry too much about it. We won’t be married for long.”
And then my husband is walking away, retreating back into his room, leaving me stunned and alone on the couch. But I guess he’s right. There really isn’t any point in building relationships with Meg and Jack beyond being cordial.
21
JONAH
The next evening,I head home after a long day shoeing stock horses at one of the ranches. It’s strange walking into my home and not finding it empty, so I balk at the sight of Winnie sitting on the couch, papers spread around her, phone in hand. Her hair is pulled back from her face, and she’s wearing what I imagine must be her version of loungewear. Her sweatshirt is bright pink and she has on a pair of matching microscopic shorts.
She’s so engrossed in whatever she’s reading that she doesn’t look up when I enter. I watch as she frowns at one of the papers and then sighs deeply. Whatever it is, she’s clearly stressed out.
“Hey, everything okay?” I ask.
“Jonah? When did you get here?” She rubs her eyes.
“I just got home. What’s all this?” I nod towards the pile of paper.
“I’m looking at my parents’ lawsuit. Now that we’re married and I have my trust fund money, I need to deal with this. I’ve been avoiding it, because well…” She trails off and wraps her arms around her midsection, like she’s trying to comfort herself. I want to reach out and offer her some of my own, but I don’t. Winnie isn’t some damsel in distress and I’m not capable ofsaving her. I’ve done what I can by marrying her, mostly because it benefited me as well, and that’s enough.
“How bad is it?” I ask instead. “You didn’t give me many specifics when we talked about it before.”
“Oh, it’s bad.” Winnie walks me through each of the things they’re suing her for, most of which hinge on trying to prove that she’s in breach of an employment contract with them. “I can fight most of this though,” she says. “I just need a good lawyer.”
It strikes me that Winnie is far shrewder than she appears. She clearly understands this lawsuit and the implications of it, and how to defend herself.
Finding a lawyer is something I can actually help with, though. Finally. “There are two law offices in the area. Everyone agrees that Shelley Stern is the best. She’s a shark, and listens to her clients from what I hear. So you could try her.”
“Thanks, Jonah. I’ll give her a call in the morning, I guess.” She flops back against the couch.
“What will you do with yourself after all of this is concluded?” I ask. I offered to help her figure that part out, and I meant it.
“I don’t know. I guess I could get a job, but I’ve never done anything other than pageants and social media,” Winnie says. “My resume would be two lines, and that’s it. Who would want to hire me?”
“Winnie. Come on. Any business in the area looking for a marketing manager would hire you.”
“I want to do something that I love,” she pouts.
I sigh. “Well, that’s not how the real world works. We can’t always love our work.”
“Do you love being a farrier?”
“Yes. But that’s not the point.”
She flicks a brow up at me. “Kinda is. Look, is it so wrong for me to want a job I’ll actually enjoy? I just want to finally,finallyget to do something I love. Something that is just for me.”
Her words strike a chord within me and I feel myself soften towards her. I know exactly what she means.
“I get it. Music is that thing for me. The thing I enjoy more than anything else. But it’s not going to pay my bills, so I found something else that fulfills me nearly as much which will.”
Winnie trails a finger along the back of the couch and thinks for a moment. “Do you ever wish musiccouldpay those bills, though? Do you want to tour or put out albums?”
“You tell me. You’re the one who has actually made money performing. How is it, being up on stage and making money that way?”
She makes a face. “Awful, if I’m being honest. There was a time when I loved, uh, when I loved pageants.” Her voice cracks on the word. “A time when it was all I ever wanted to do. But the pressure ruined it for me. I worry I’ll never enjoy it again. Without that pressure there though…I supposed it could be enjoyable.”
“I sure hope so, because the money you gave me is going to help me put out an album,” I admit. “I don’t want to be famous from it or anything, and I enjoy my job as a farrier but…making money from my music has always been a dream. In an ideal world, I’d get to do both.”
