Jessie Belle: The Women of Merryton - Book One (25 page)

“Don’t
apologize. We’ll get there.”

“Promise?”

“You
have my word.”

Who
knew Zumba would be the turning point in our marriage? Those were words I never
thought I would hear coming out of my mouth. It was an interesting process to
watch Blake transform. I can’t say change, because I didn’t want him to change
who he was, I wanted him to be who he really was on a more regular basis.

He
started off on a good note the next day. We ended up sleeping in the same bed,
even if it was a mile apart since he couldn’t sleep with me next to him, which
was still a let-down for me. He woke up early as usual and kissed me tenderly
before he made his way back upstairs to get ready. I even got a kiss goodbye
before we parted ways. Maddie didn’t find it to her liking. I think “eww” and
“gross” was how she explained it.

I
walked into Jessie Belle’s feeling better than I had since Maddie’s arrival. I
wasn’t getting my hopes all the way up that maybe we had finally turned a
corner, but I did have hope. Once I walked into the café I realized that I
should have used the back door. I had forgotten about the show we had put on
the night before at the rec center. All eyes were on me as I walked in. I was
given those conspiratorial grins of “I know what happened last night.” My
little ladies’ group didn’t disappoint. I got called right on over and they
were bursting to get the scoop.

“Jessie
Belle, you siren,” Doris began with.

“Really?
Siren?”

“Don’t
deny it. We heard all about your husband’s jealous rage and how he kissed you
like you needed a room,” Fran said as if it were the honest to goodness truth.

“Ladies,
you know better than to believe that.”

They
all sat there nodding their gray and white heads like they weren’t going to
believe anything I said. So I took a different track. I sighed in that girl
sort of way. “It was quite romantic.”

“Good
for you,” Gerri said. “You keep that man of yours on his toes.”

“I’ll
do my best. You ladies enjoy your day.”

“We
will, but probably not as much as you,” Doris called after me.

I
shook my head as I walked away. If only my real life were as passionate as
these people believed it was. Once upon a time it was, but in a very private
sort of way.

I
made my way to the counter where Easton sat. He shook his head at me and
grinned. “You two can’t stay out of the limelight, can you?”

“You’re
welcome, by the way.”

He
nodded knowingly.

We
were definitely keeping the focus off of him and Kathryn, not on purpose,
though.

“At
least Blake is smart enough to know that he has a good thing going with you.”

I
touched his hand in a very platonic sort of way. “Have you talked to Taylor
again about Ashley coming?”

“Yeah,
it didn’t go over too well, but at least she didn’t shut the door on it
completely this time.”

“Maybe
if you suggested that she come with Ashley it would make her feel better.”

“You
know how much Taylor hates this town. I should have never made her move back
here in the first place.”

I
did know. She had grown up in worse circumstances than Maddie. Her dad, Frank,
still lived here, and if this town had a drunk, it would be him. Her sweet
mother passed away not too long before Taylor and Easton split up. It was a
rough time for my friend, but she endured it with class and poise. I probably
should have taken notes.

“You
never know. She has a sweet spot for Ashley.”

His
eyes brightened at the mention of his oldest daughter. “She’s beautiful, isn’t
she?”

“She
looks a lot like Taylor.”

“Lucky
girl,” Easton responded like a lovesick fool. And he was a fool to let Taylor
go. I know it takes two to tango, but I think he made a serious misstep.

“Well,
I should probably get to work. Have a good day.”

“Try
and stay out of trouble.” He winked.

I
rolled my eyes. Oh, this town.

As
soon as I reached my desk, my office phone rang.

“Jessie
Belle’s, this is Jessie,” I answered pleasantly.

“Jessie,
this is the mayor’s secretary, Lucy Tillman,” she said it like I didn’t know
who she was. I used to babysit her when I was growing up.

“Hey,
Lucy.”

“I
was just calling to confirm the order for the mayor’s ball on July 3rd. Landon
wants to make sure everything is in order.”

The
way she said Landon’s name sounded like they had more than a professional
relationship. Pig. We were like ten years older than her and he was married.

I
pulled up the order on my laptop. “Looks like we have twelve dozen of each of
the following: chocolate covered strawberries, personal triple-chocolate mousse
pies, and also an assortment of cakes. Is that correct?”

“Yes,
I think so. I’m kind of new to all of this.”

“Well,
if you need to make any changes, please let us know as soon as possible. If we
don’t hear from you we will plan on having this order ready and delivered by
3:00 pm on the 3rd.”

“I
think that should work. Thank you.”

I
hung up the phone and prayed that was the last of the phone calls from the
mayor’s office. I didn’t want to do the order in the first place, but since I
was informed by the Chamber of Commerce that I was receiving The Business of
the Year Award, I felt like I had to do it. It also meant I had to show up to
the stupid ball. I had asked Blake a few weeks ago if he wanted to go with me,
and he had given me that look that said he would rather have someone rip his
fingernails out one by one. So I asked my dad to escort me instead. My mom was
going to be out of town visiting my aunt Deidre that weekend, anyway. I think
my dad was looking forward to our father-daughter date.

At
least it was going to give me the chance to wear the cocktail dress I had
bought at Bloomingdale’s two years ago when Abby and Cheyenne and I took a girls’
trip there. They knew my love for musicals and we got to see a few of my
favorites,
Fiddler on the Roof
,
Wicked
, and
The Phantom of the
Opera
. It was the best week ever. Finding the dress was just icing on the
cake. The black dress had a lace bodice, scalloped square neck, and capped
sleeves. It fell just above my knee and fit me like a glove. I tried it on the
other day, just to make sure. It was a little tighter around my ribcage, but
that’s what pregnancy can do to a woman.

I
sighed.

After
I finished up payroll, I headed to the kitchen to see what I could do. Aaron
greeted me there. “Running like a well-oiled machine.”

“You
do good work.”

“Thanks.
You know if you want to spend some time with your daughter—I mean
stepdaughter—we have it covered here.”

I
paused and held on to the gleaming stainless steel counter. That was a thought.
And it’s not like I had been much help around here lately, anyway. I spent most
of my time helping Maddie hate math - I mean get math. But really she hated it.
I was happy to report that Blake agreed with me last night that he would be
taking over the homework help, except for reading. I loved that part. I didn’t
mind helping her, I just didn’t want it interfering with our budding
relationship. Plus Blake needed to step up to the plate in that regard.

“Well,
I could spend the day with my mom and her.”

“We’ll
call if we need anything.”

He
turned from me and went right back to work.

I
had this odd feeling. Jessie Belle’s had been my life for so long, I wasn’t
sure how to feel about this turn of events. I mean honestly, the past few weeks
I hadn’t been present or much help. Basically, I had just been there to sign
the paychecks. I mean, I was still working on the new menu items, but I did
most of that at home.

Last
year at this time I was planning on taking a step back from my business, but I
thought I was going to be having a baby. I did have a child in my care now, but
did she need me full-time?

Those
were interesting thoughts.

I
took my thoughts with me to the arts and crafts store where, with the help of
the owner, I got an assortment of drawing utensils and the right kind of paper.
By the time I was done there, it was time to pick up Maddie. We were going to
have lunch with my parents. My mom was so excited.

“Hi,
honey. How dreadful was school today?” I asked when Maddie got in the car. I
had given up on asking if she had had a good day.

She
gave me her crooked little grin. “I survived.”

“I’m
happy to hear that, or else I wouldn’t know what to do with these.” I handed
her the double-handled paper bag filled with art supplies.

She
eagerly took the bag and peered inside and began to remove each item. “This is
awesome! Thank you!”

“You’re
welcome. I’m glad you like it.”

“Jessie?”

“Yeah.”

“Do
you think my dad would like it if I drew him something for Father’s Day?”

Oh,
wow.
I hadn’t thought about the fact that I had a dad in my own home now. “Uh, yes,
I think he would like that very much.”

“Do
you think I could make him a chocolate cake, too?”

“Honey,
you know your dad doesn’t really like dessert.”

“Yeah,
but he will if I make it for him for Father’s Day.”

I
appreciated her enthusiasm, and I used to think like her once upon a time, but
he had killed my little baker’s heart.

I
glanced her way and she looked so excited about it. I hated to crush her
spirit. And maybe if it was her he would behave appropriately. “Okay, we’ll go
shopping for the ingredients next week as it get closer.” I don’t know why I
said that. I’m sure we had what she needed at the house. I think I was just
caught off guard.

“Can
you help me make him dinner, too?”

I
normally spent that day with my dad at the hospital visiting the children’s
ward. It was tradition. And Sunday dinners were always at my parents’ house. I
quickly thought about what my therapist, and even my mother, would say. I knew
they would both want me to choose Blake. I guess I could cut my time short at
the hospital. I mean, it was technically Blake’s first Father’s Day. Even
though the year before I had purchased him one of those “father to be” cards
and a football for future use with our son. I wondered what he had done with
it.

My
eyes began to tear up. I needed to quit dwelling on the could have beens, or
what I considered the should have beens. I looked over to my here and now and
said, “Sure, honey.”

We
had an enjoyable lunch with my parents, but the real enjoyment for me came that
evening as I watched and listened to Blake and Maddie do homework together. I
knew I shouldn’t take such pleasure in it, but after two weeks of dealing with
it by myself, I felt justified.

They
sat at the breakfast bar while I relaxed on the couch with lemon water and my
feet propped up, reading the cozy mystery I had never finished.

“You
can get this, you just need to concentrate,” he told her.

“You’re
not very good at this. Can Jessie help me?”

My
grin kept getting wider and wider.

“What
do you mean, I’m not good at this? I know how to solve story problems.”

“Well,
Jessie explains it better and she uses stuff.”

“Like
what?”

“Would
you like some help?” I called out casually.

“I
got it,” Blake said with a surly tone.

“Yes,”
Maddie said at the same time.

I
took a long sip of my lemon-infused water and then got up and joined them at
the breakfast bar. They occupied the two stools in the middle. I squeezed in
between them, to my husband’s annoyance. I winked at him and tried not to
laugh, but he was kind of cute when he was frustrated.

I
turned my attention to a beyond-frustrated Maddie, “Show me what you got,
honey.”

The
problem read something like you are making lemonade and the recipe calls for ¾
cups of sugar. How much sugar do you need for five batches? It was a simple
problem and below her grade level, but this was why she was in summer school.

I
walked around to the kitchen and got out the sugar and a measuring cup and
measured out the sugar, and once she had the visual we solved the problem on
paper.

My
husband didn’t say a word the whole time, he just watched me.

“See?”
Maddie said. “She uses stuff.”

I
kissed his cheek. “You better get some stuff. Good luck.”

I
walked away, smiling to myself.

Blake
grabbed my hand and pulled me back. “Where you are going? We still have ten
problems left.”

“No,
you
have ten problems left.”

“You’re
enjoying this aren’t you?” he asked.