54. Jenny
JENNY
I woke up early the following day. I didn’t want to miss a second of our time at the beautiful ranch, and Audrey and I were going horseback riding first thing.
Audrey had already sent me a couple of texts.
It’s horseback riding day!
Come down and meet me for breakfast.
The boys are going fly-fishing, so it’s just you, me, and the antelope.
Or are they bison? Or buffalo?
I don’t know!
BUT
We’re going to find out today!
I was so excited—I would ride a horse and see a real-life antelope or whatever it was! I quickly kissed Cole while he was still asleep and whispered goodbye. Of course, I stopped to stare at him for a moment. He was so handsome. This peaceful look took over his face when he was asleep as if he were still a little boy. My heart swelled just from looking at him. Tears welled in my eyes.
Boy, did I have it bad.
But the antelope waited. I hustled to dress in the clothes Audrey had instructed me to wear—jeans, sturdy boots, a long-sleeved T-shirt, and a heavy sweater. I grabbed the parka Shirley had bought for me, which was cream-colored and so pretty. I sent her a quick text.
You did real good with the coat, Shirl. Thank you!
Three dots immediately appeared, and I had to laugh. Shirley was always up and at it!
Yay!
Are you having the BEST time?
Is the resort nice?
How is Mr. Bryson?
I grinned to myself. Shirley was the best assistant ever . She was more like family. She genuinely cared about Cole, which made me love her even more.
We are having the BEST time.
Cole is going fly-fishing today! Can you believe it?
I want to see him in those wader boot things, lol!
Audrey and I are going horseback riding. I’m so excited!
Be safe! Bundle up!
I checked the temperature out there. It will only be 40 degrees this morning!
And please have the most wonderful time!
I am sitting here in Boston, thinking happy thoughts for both of you. I hope this is the most romantic trip ever!
She included about five thousand heart emojis.
For the second time that morning, my eyes welled with tears. Shirley was like a mom to me—she’d checked the temperature in Jackson and wanted me to stay warm. Could she be any cuter?
I hadn’t even had a coffee yet, and I’d already almost cried twice. But Shirley was the best. She’d accepted me from the beginning and continued rooting for me. It made me feel welcome, which in turn made me feel like a million bucks. That was the magic of someone’s kindness. Shirley didn’t know me, but she’d given me a chance. For a girl like me, that felt like a pretty big gift.
Shirley’s kindness led me to think about Cole. Cole was also the best. He’d accepted me from the beginning and continued to show up for me. Sure, Cole had been cold after I ran out on him. He’d made some empty threats, too. But he’d thawed pretty quickly and been nothing but remarkable ever since. What was it he’d said last night? “There’s only one world, Jenny.” Maybe that was true. Perhaps I could remain with the safety and warmth of the Coles and Shirleys of the world. My auntie Theresa and Cole’s father threatened me from the periphery, but again, I ignored them. Wyoming Jenny was blessed. Whatever waited back at home could do just that—wait.
I hustled downstairs and found Audrey sitting alone at a table in the empty dining room. “I don’t think we’ll have to wait for service,” she joked. She looked lovely as ever in a cashmere turtleneck sweater, jeans, and boots.
“You look so classy,” I told my friend.
“Thank you, Jenny.” She grinned at me, eyes sparkling. “I don’t know how much credit I can take, though. It’s pretty easy to look classy in a thousand-dollar sweater.”
“Ha! True,” I agreed. “But you look happy, and I’m so happy for you.”
Audrey’s eyes sparkled. “I feel like I need to pinch myself. Everything that’s happened since I met James is like a fairy tale. I do feel… Happy.”
I squeezed her hand. “Nobody deserves that as much as you. And it makes me, your BFF, happy to hear it.”
The server brought us menus and coffee; luckily, everything on the entree list was recognizable. We each ordered French toast with berries and more coffee. Audrey looked tired but somehow also energized. “What did you get up to last night?” I asked.
“Oh, you know, engaged-person kind of things.” She winked at me. “How about you and Cole? You two seemed pretty romantic in the hot tub.”
I had another sip of coffee before I answered her. “It’s kind of hard not to be romantic. It’s stunning here. And it’s a wicked nice hot tub.”
Audrey gave me a level stare. “And it’s Cole.”
I groaned. “Oh, all right,” I snapped. “And it’s Cole. Are you happy?”
She grinned again. “If you are.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I’m happy. It’s just… complicated.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
I sighed, yearning to tell her the truth. “It’s like I told you before,” I said instead. “Cole and I are from two different worlds.”
She started to argue, and I held up my hand. “Woah, Audrey. Here’s the thing. Like I said when I first saw you, you’re classy. It doesn’t matter how much your sweaters cost. You were only ever working as an escort because you needed to keep your brother in his group home. You’re a saint.”
“No, I’m not, but that doesn’t even matter. You’re not a bad person because you’re an escort, Jenny.” Audrey’s eyes were huge in her face. “I know you used to waitress—so did I. Good luck paying rent in the city on tips. It’s not exactly like either of us had a trust fund to fall back on, or a degree, or a parent .”
“I know all that.” I blew out a deep breath. “But I got a history, Audrey. I’m no good for someone like Cole.”
“Cole’s probably got a history, too,” she quipped. “And just because he’s rich doesn’t make him any better than you.”
We stared at each other for a beat. “Rich people don’t have the same kinda problems, though, you know?” I asked.
Audrey nodded. “I know. But look at James’s mother. Is she any better than us because she was born rich? I don’t think so.”
Celia Preston had been arrested for hiring someone to get rid of a young woman James had dated when he was young. The woman, Danielle, died in a car accident after being run off the road. It was a cold case, but the Boston police department had recently reopened it. Celia had been arrested and released on bail. She hadn’t been formally indicted yet, but James believed that his mother was directly involved in Danielle’s death.
“Of course not—Celia Preston’s the devil,” I said. I shivered and crossed myself. “But that’s not even what I’m talking about. What I mean is that sometimes you do things because you’re poor that you would never do if you were rich. Like hooking. I don’t know many financially independent hookers, do you?”
“No,” Audrey said. “But just because you need money to eat and keep a roof over your head doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. You’re the one who taught me that.”
“Yeah, well, maybe stop throwing it in my face, then.” I finished my coffee. “Let’s go pet some buffalo, okay? I don’t want to argue with my BFF about the morality of being a prostitute!”
The server jerked his head in our direction, and I grimaced. “I guess I should be a little quieter,” I said.
Audrey arched an eyebrow. “Good thing we basically own the place.”
“Ha, yeah. Good thing.” We hopped up and headed to the lobby, where we were supposed to meet our guide for the day.
“I forgot my sunglasses—let me run and get them,” Audrey said. “Meet you in the lobby.”
I headed in the opposite direction, smiling when my phone buzzed. Cole must’ve finally woken up. “Hello?” I said brightly.
“Jennifer, this is Lewis Bryson.”
“I can’t talk right now?—”
“Don’t hang up,” he interrupted, sounding angry. “Where are you?”
I stopped walking. “Hold on.” I found an empty room off the hall, a study lined with books and leather chairs, and closed the door behind me. “What do you want?”
“I want to know where you are.”
“In Wyoming. At a resort with James and Audrey.” My mouth was dry, my head pounding.
“I meant where at the resort,” Lewis spat.
I looked around, suddenly afraid that he would jump out at me. “Why?”
“Because I have a deal that’s falling apart. My son isn’t answering his phone, and he’s on a very short leash.” He paused. “I’m rethinking our agreement. Cole hasn’t been as responsive as I’d hoped. You were supposed to help me, but you’re only being a distraction.”
“What do you mean? We went away for a couple of days, that’s all. He’s not avoiding you. I already told you about that whole conversation between him and Ramos,” I said. More than anything, I wanted to protect Cole.
“I don’t need you speaking on my son’s behalf,” Lewis seethed. “That’s not part of our agreement. I need you to get him to help me, Jennifer. I have a significant client who is about to bail on our business arrangement if Cole doesn’t come through for me this morning. So you will guide him, or I will lend your aunt my helicopter and drop her off in Wyoming at your resort.
“I know she went to see you at Fifty Liberty,” he continued. “That was also outside of our agreement. You are bringing trash into my son’s life, Jennifer. That’s not allowed. I can see I’ve made a mistake by letting you return.”
“What do you want for me? I don’t even know anything about Cole’s business. I can’t make him do anything for you,” I sputtered. “This isn’t fair. You said I could come back, and you might ask me for information. Here’s the information: my aunt showed up and surprised me, and it wasn’t a welcome surprise. You asked me to listen in on Cole’s call and tell you what he said, and I did. And then we went on this trip. There’s nothing else going on, and there’s nothing I can do.”
“That’s not true,” Cole’s father said. “I want you to tell my son to help me. Tell him you’ve been thinking about it, and you’re worried you’re distracting him from his work. Say something, anything, to get him to focus on this. I don’t care if he has to pay Ramos off; I’ll fix it all later. I need my approvals today. Otherwise, all hell is going to break loose.”
He hung up.
Fuck. I stared at the walls of the library, unseeing. I felt trapped. I didn’t know what Cole’s father would do to me if I ignored him—aside from sending Auntie Theresa to Wyoming to ruin my life. He might have some other tricks up his sleeve, too.
I shot Audrey a quick text. I had to run back to the room. Meet you at the stables, okay?
I ran for my suite.
And although I had no idea what I would do once I got there, I felt like I might be running for my life.