Chapter 65

CHAPTER 65

JESS

I woke up feeling like shit about last night. What was I thinking, telling him he should probably just leave? Idiot!

After crying myself to sleep and waking up a few times during the night to weep quietly just a little bit more, I shot upright in bed feeling like I'd been hit by a bolt of lightning. Who doesn't at least ask the guy if he wants to stay?

I didn't have to try to force his hand, but how hard was it really? Hey, Slate. If you're not racing back to the city for anything in particular, why don't you stick around? My parents adore having you here and I'm in love with you, so I'd really like more time to try and figure out how we can make this work.

So what if it meant I'd have to put myself on the line and possibly get shot down? At least I'd have known that I'd had the balls to put it out there.

Practically flying out of my bed, I hurried downstairs and hoped that he'd decided to stay for breakfast, but when I walked into the kitchen, my mother gave me one look and shook her head. "He's at the hotel."

Spinning around, I ran to the foyer and pulled on my boots, hollering to them as I tied the laces. "I'll get to my chores later."

"Say hello to Slate for us," my dad hollered back, knowing exactly where I was going. "Bring him back to where he belongs, would ya?"

I grinned, fully intending on doing exactly that. Dashing outside and to my truck, I jumped in, praying that today wasn't the day the old engine finally decided on giving up for good. "Come on. Come on. Come on."

It sputtered a few times when I turned the key, but then it came to life with a mighty roar and I cheered, nervous excitement coursing through me. Driving faster than I ever had, I raced into town and went straight to the hotel, briefly considering stopping for some real coffee instead of the swill I knew they kept there, but I was too anxious to see him.

I'll buy him coffee later. Hell, I'll make or buy him coffee every day for the rest of our lives if he'll forgive me for not asking him to stay sooner.

Parking with a spray of gravel right outside the doors, I ran to the counter, out of breath from the nerves as I stopped in front of it. "I'd like Slate Spieres's room number, please."

"Can't," some dude I'd never seen before told me with a shrug.

Exasperation tore through me. "I promise he won't mind you telling me. I'm a friend."

The guy gave me a blank look. "No, I mean I can't because he doesn't have a room here."

My heart dropped to my stomach. "Oh."

"Yeah, he checked out hours ago."

I blinked hard, all the hope and nervous excitement dying an ugly, screaming-in-agony death inside me. "It's only seven."

He nodded. "I know. There was breakfast included in the price of his room, but he hit the road around four."

"Oh."

He shrugged. "I tried telling him to stay until six so he could have his breakfast, but he said he couldn't be here anymore. Now he's probably going to give us a one-star review. If he'd told me earlier he was in such a hurry, I'd have made his breakfast early. People just need to talk to me."

"I don't think he's going to give you a one-star review because of that." I gave a pointed look at the overflowing ashtray next to him. "You're sure he's gone?"

"Saw him leave. Fancy car."

I deflated like a balloon, fighting tears as I nodded my agreement. "Yeah, that was him, then. Okay. Thank you. Have a good day, and if you want to avoid the bad reviews, maybe start with cleaning up and going outside for a smoke."

Rapping my knuckles on the counter, I gave him a weak smile and fled, my heart feeling like it was being torn to shreds all over again. I'd been so sure that I'd have a second chance this morning. In my mind's eye, I'd even envisioned our reunion.

He was supposed to open the door, all sleepy and handsome, and I was going to blurt it all out. I was going to admit that I loved him and ask him if he'd at least consider staying. Hell, I was even going to offer to drive into the city with him to deliver the contract to Mira.

I pictured us in his car with some pop singer serenading us with love songs over the radio, our hands linked on the gear shift and the windows open until we hit the outskirts of the city. I'd thought we'd go directly to Mira's, surprising her that we were there together to drop off the contract.

I'd have gotten to cuddle baby Beau while she and Slate discussed it, and then he'd have taken me back to his place, where he'd have spent all night making sweet, sweet love to me as we reconciled. Now all of that was gone.

I'd been too late and I wasn't about to tear off to the city after him. Glancing down at my holey shorts and muddy boots, I sighed. I definitely wasn't dressed for a romantic chase down a New York City sidewalk.

Plus, I'd promised my parents I'd get to my chores. In my fantasy, Slate would've gone back to help me get them done before we left for the city, but now, there was no way I could just skip out on them.

As I climbed back into my truck, it suddenly felt like my insides had been ripped out. I felt hollow. Broken.

And definitely not up to milking cows right away.

I loved my job and I loved my cows, but right now, I needed comfort.

Without hesitating, I put the truck in drive and headed to Sophie's, banging on her front door and knowing that she'd be awake by now. She was probably in her sewing room, creating the latest in her line of designs for the grand opening of her boutique.

I waited for a few minutes, but when she didn't come to the door, I tried it, finding it unlocked. Thank God.

Going inside, I shut the door behind me and checked her sewing room, but she wasn't there. I frowned. Lazy bones.

I was glad she was sleeping in, though. I was pretty exhausted myself, so I marched down the hall to her bedroom, falling into bed beside her and rolling over. As I did, she turned to face me, so pretty and awake even though she'd only just opened her eyes.

"Uh, Jess?"

"Yeah?"

"What are you doing?"

"Slate is gone," I said, my voice cracking as I said the words out loud. "He left this morning. It's over."

Her face collapsed. "Oh, no. I'm so sorry. Why don't you go wait for me in the kitchen and I'll make us some coffee?"

I grabbed one of her pillows and smushed it over my face, my voice muffled as I spoke into it. "At the risk of sounding dramatic, I don't think I'm ever going to be able to leave your bed."

She grabbed the pillow, arching an eyebrow at me and shaking her head. "You are leaving this bed, Jess Merrick. You're heartbroken. I get that. As your best friend, I will be there for you, but in the kitchen. Better yet, meet me outside. Some sunshine will do you a world of good."

"I am heartbroken and I do need my best friend," I finally confessed, sliding my hands in under my cheek as I laid my head down on her mattress, feeling more tears rise up within me. "He's gone, Soph. As in, he's left Firefly Grove."

Her brow puckered, but her gaze flicked toward her closet before it came back to mine. Reaching out, she squeezed my arm. "I'm so, so sorry, honey. Wait for me outside, okay? I just need a minute, but I'll meet you out there with coffee. Caffeine always helps."

"Why do you want me to go outside so badly?" I suddenly sat up and glanced at the closet, mouthing at her. "Is somebody in there?"

Her cheeks exploded with heat, the blush spreading all the way to her hair and I gaped at her, blinking hard. "Who?"

The closet door opened and my jaw nearly fell right off when Tag emerged. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I even pinched myself and he didn't disappear. Glancing from him to Sophie and back again, I couldn't do anything but gape.

"Are you…" I tried, but the words wouldn't come out. "What, when?"

Sophie groaned and covered her face with her sheet while Tag shrugged. "Hey, Jess. So Slate is gone, huh? Let me just get dressed and?—"

My gaze finally fell to his midsection and I realized he was wearing a pair of Sophie's shorts. Which meant he'd been naked when I'd barged into the house.

"Oh, God." I jumped out of the bed, bending over laughing as I finally realized what I'd walked in on. "I thought you guys were getting into business together, not bed."

Sophie blushed even harder, another groan coming out of her. She lifted her head and peeked at me over the top of the sheet. "We can explain."

Tag glanced at her, grinning from ear to ear before he winked at me. "Can you believe it? She finally saw what's been right in front of her all this time."

"Well, no—" she started, but he wasn't done boasting just yet.

"We work so well together, don't you think?" he asked me. "We're going to become a power couple. Kinda like your parents."

Sophie cut a sharp look at him, her eyes going wide and exasperated. " Taggert . Didn't you hear what she was saying?"

He flushed. "Oh, right. Slate is gone. Breakup. Heartbreak. This isn't the time. I still need to get dressed, though."

"I'll wait in the kitchen," I volunteered quickly, rushing out of the room and still reeling over what I'd just discovered.

I was happy for them both, though. Tag had always had a bit of a thing for her. I just never thought she had any feelings like that for him, but I had noticed they'd been spending a lot of time together. I supposed I might've seen this coming if I hadn't been so wrapped up in my own life.

Sighing as I walked into the kitchen, I started fixing us each a coffee the way we liked it, apologizing immediately when they finally appeared. "I'm so sorry, guys. I've been such a shitty, unavailable friend. I don't know what?—"

"Jess," Sophie interrupted me, striding right over and putting her hands on my shoulders. "It wasn't your fault that you didn't know. We hid it from you. Actively. I'm sorry, but we weren't sure what it was and we only decided last night that we were going to start telling people."

I cleared my throat. "Right. Okay. So I'm not a shitty friend?"

"No," Tag said, coming up on my other side and wrapping an arm around my shoulders, pulling me in for a tight hug. "We're here for you, babe. Did Slate really leave? I didn't think he would, you know. Wait. What happened? Does this mean your parents sold the farm?"

Tears pricked the backs of my eyes as I shook my head. "Let's take our coffee outside. Sophie had a point about the sunshine and this is a long story, but no. The farm is still ours. Slate just found a way to make sure it always will be."