“You see what I’m dealing with. Can you come work here now?”
I pause on the steps outside the house, not wanting Tally to overhear my conversation. I have no idea where she disappeared to after the photoshoot from hell, but I’ve stayed out of the house for as long as I can. I’m starving and my body is tired. I need a shower, an ice-cold beer, and silence. But I have a feeling that when I go inside, I’ll get none of those things.
“Not a chance. You’ve got Tally there, and from the looks of it, she’s got everything covered.”
“‘From the looks of it’?” I pull my baseball cap off myhead and swipe at the sweat that’s forming just from thinking about the damn woman. “What have you seen that gives you any indication that she knows shit about weddings? Were you and I not part of the same conversation last night when we came upon her destroying the tulips?”
My sister’s laughter drifts through the phone and grabs me by the chest. Shit. I haven’t heard her sound this free in a long time. She’s normally too busy rushing around between jobs and Quinn’s activities to focus on anything else. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you so tied up about a woman,” she says.
“I’m not.” I suck in a deep breath in a bid to calm myself. I don’t like being short with Billie. Plus, I don’t want to give her any reason not to move here.
“I’m not tied up. I’m—” I grapple for words.
“You’re tripping over yourself, you like her so much.”
“The last thing I feel for that woman islike.” My mouth sours on the word.
“Oh, more likewant?” she singsongs.
“Billie.”
My sister pauses, then her voice softens. “It’s been five years, Jesse. It’s okay to put down those walls a bit and open yourself to falling for someone again.”
I let out a long sigh. I don’t like thinking of Gina or what she did to me all those years ago. “I’ve got a farm to run. Wedding season to get through—”
“And don’t forget that modeling career,” she teases.
I smile. I can’t help it. I like hearing my sister like this. “Even if I didn’t have any of those things, I assure you, Tally Darling is the last person I’d date.” I pause, trying to ignore the way the lie feels on my lips. “Please, Billie, this would be so much better with you here.”
“Quinn has to get through the school year, anyway,” she says under her breath. I hear footsteps and then the sound of a door shutting. “Have you talked to her about what Gail did yet? Does she know about our grandfather and the land?”
Instinct has me looking around, as if somehow, someone can hear my sister’s soft voice through the phone. It’s quiet except for the birds singing to one another in the cherry tree. Soon enough, that tree will be sprouting beautiful pink-and-white petals and then it’ll make a mess that I have to clean up. Because I’m the one who’s handling the farm. I’m the one who’s responsible for it all. “I told Gail she needs to talk to her.”
“She needs to know, Jesse.” My sister’s tone is soft but chiding. She’s never been the type to raise her voice.
“It’s not my place,” I grumble. “Besides, I signed an NDA, remember?” Before my sister can respond, I change the subject and ask for an update on Quinn’s week ahead and then we make plans to have her come by for dinner this week. After a few more minutes, we say our goodbyes and I slip the phone in my pocket to head inside.
As I do, the first thing I notice is the music playing loudly in the kitchen. Taylor Swift, I think, with the hint of a pretty voice singing alongside. The second thing I detect is the scent of dinner—something barbecued. My stomach growls, and as if my body has no choice but to go to the singing siren, I find myself leaning against the kitchen wall, arms crossed, watching the wicked woman sway her hips as she dances between the stove and the counter, placing platters of food between two place settings in front of two stools. Clearly she’s having someone over for dinner so I start to leave, ready to get back in my truck and head into town to grab a burger. Though my stomach seems determined to find barbecue now.
“You’re home!” The happy lilt of her voice makes me pause, and my head whips in her direction, confused.
I look behind me to see if someone snuck into the house after I came in. Wouldn’t have been hard since my entire focus has been on her.
She laughs. “Talking to you, Cowboy.”
My eyes narrow.
She holds up her hand. “I come in peace. I made us dinner because I think we got off on the wrong foot.” She squints her eyes. “Well, a bare foot maybe? Because you were naked,” she whispers loudly.
“Are you drunk?”
Her lips fold in on themselves and her eyes grow wide. “Don’t tell.”
I sigh and look around her. “So that food’s for me?” I can deal with her drunken giggles if I’m fed.
She waves her hand at the counter island like she’s Vanna White.
“Yup. I found some stuff in the fridge and put this together. Figured I shouldn’t drive into town to go shopping.”
