Chapter 15
WINNIE
I decide to tell Candice about my plans while she’s with Jenny and Lila.
Lila is only three, so we don’t curse or yell around her, and Jenny will probably be supportive of my hair-brained scheme since she’s got a wild side herself.
Hopefully the two of them will manage to keep Candice’s reaction even-keeled.
I find the three of them in Jenny’s trailer. Jenny is packaging soap up for her online business, while Candice plays with Lila on the floor.
“Hey,” Jenny says, setting down a stack of soap. “What’s up, Win?”
“Can I sit?” I ask, gesturing to the kitchen table.
“Of course,” Jenny says.
I pull out one of the cherry red chairs and settle myself in. Jenny has made the small space inviting and fun. The red chairs match the gingham couch, and on the floor is a plush rug, which looks perfect for Lila to play on.
“Win!” Lila chirps at me from behind her block tower. “Win!”
“Hello munchkin,” I say, giving her a little wave. “Um, Candice?”
“Yeah?” my friend responds, stacking another block where Lila tells her to.
“I’m staying in Star Mountain.”
“Win, that’s amazing! As long as you’re here, we can figure the rest out together,” Candice says.
Yeah, me, her, and Jonah, I wince internally. “About that,” I say, my voice shaky.
Jenny looks up from her pile of soaps and her bright eyes are inquisitive. I can tell her interest is piqued.
“My parents are suing me. I was served earlier today.”
“I thought I saw a car I didn’t recognize leaving the property…” Jenny mutters. Candice just stares at me in shock.
I nod, and then plunge ahead. “So I’m getting married to access my trust fund.” I watch both of their mouths drop open in shock. “To Jonah,” I rush to add, because he’s well liked around the barn.
“Oh my God,” Candice whispers.
“Fuck,” Jenny says, breaking her own rule of not cursing around Lila. Lila, for her part, is happily and obliviously arranging her blocks.
“When did you plan all of this?” Candice gets up off the floor and sits at the table with us.
“I asked him earlier today and he agreed. He needs money to pay his mom’s medical bills, and I also think he just wanted to help me out,” I explain.
It’s difficult to read the expressions of the women in front of me.
Sure, maybe it doesn’t matter what they think because I’m going through with this regardless, but it will be a hell of a lot easier if I have my friends on my side.
“You’re not mad?” I ask quietly, searching their faces.
“Oh, honey, no,” Candice says. “I could never be mad at you.”
My face crumples a bit as I realize that I’ve been expecting my friends here in Star Mountain to act like my parents—judgmental, controlling, and unkind. “Thank you,” I sniff. “But I’m sure you think it’s a bit stupid?”
“Nope,” Jenny says, shaking her head. “It’s smart as hell.”
“Hell!” Lila screeches from the floor, clearly listening to our conversation now.
“That’s a grown up word, sweetie,” Jenny says.
“But honestly, Winnie, I think you’re smart to marry Jonah because he’s a good guy.
Whatever the terms of your arrangement, he’ll honor them.
And you’re smart to marry in this situation, period.
You need money and this is how you can get some.
A whole lot of some.” Jenny shrugs. “It makes complete sense to me.”
“Thanks Jenny.” I fiddle with a soap scrap on the table.
“How much will you get?” she asks me.
“Yeah, I’ve always wondered,” Candice says. “How rich were your grandparents?”
“Pretty rich. And the money has grown over the years. I’ll get a million. And I’m giving Jonah ten percent, which I know is a large cut, but I needed him to agree.”
Jenny lets out a whistle. “Damn, money like that would have been pretty useful when I was leaving my ex-husband.”
I’ve never heard Jenny mention her ex before, but from what I know, he was pretty awful to her. I reach out and grab her hand, giving it a quick squeeze. It strikes me that Star Mountain Horse Rescue has become a haven for both of us.
Jenny gives me a smile that I can tell is fake and says, “So, when is the wedding?”
“Monday. At the court house.”
“Winnie! That’s no time at all!” Candice jumps up and starts pacing around the small living room. “We have so much to do. We need a cake, first of all. Though I’m sure Aimee can do one for us, and if not then Beau is a good baker as well.”
“And a dress!” Jenny cuts in. “A dress is the most important part.”
“I don’t need any of that, though. It’s not a real wedding,” I protest, even though I’m already mentally flipping through the roster of white gowns I have in my closet, and imagining how Jonah might look in a suit. Probably delicious.
“Are you going to be real married after, though?” Candice cocks a brow at me.
I nod.
“Then it’s a real wedding.”
“I’ll find something in my closet to wear or alter. I have my sewing machine with me. And I promise that it will be white,” I say. “But seriously, don’t worry about a cake.”
Jenny rubs her hands together and a look that can only be described as mischievous crosses her face. “Now, time for the fun part. The bachelorette.”
“Oh! I know!” Candice yells. “The Horseshoe tomorrow evening! It’s drag night. We’ll get dolled up, make a batch of cocktails here and play some games, and then head there.”
“Ohhh that does sound fun!” I say, finally getting into the idea of celebrating this wedding. “Someone needs to get Beau and Nathan to plan Jonah a bachelor party though, I guess.”
“Aw, that’s cute Win. You’re looking out for him already,” Jenny says.
“It’s not like that. Jonah is just so…so grumpy that I know he’d never ask for one himself.”
“Mhm, sure.” Jenny raises a brow at me.
“You know,” Candice says. “Jonah hasn’t dated anyone in a while. He and his last girlfriend broke up right around the time his mom got sick.”
“And?” I ask.
“And,” Candice continues, “I just thought you might care about your husband-to-be’s dating history. Especially since this is a small town.”
“Well, that’s none of my business,” I say, uncomfortable with the idea that Jonah has a dating history, and that I know so little about it.
And about him, period. What I do know is that we’ve butted heads many times since meeting, even if we’ve managed to get along at points.
I mean, the man called me a ditz when he first met me.
“If it were me, I’d want to know everything,” Jenny says.
“About what, mama?” Lila asks. She’s toddled over from her blocks and to the table. Jenny picks her up and bounces the toddler on her lap.
“About how stinking cute you are!” Jenny plants a kiss on Lila’s head. “But serious, Winnie,” she continues. “There isn’t much dirt to be had on Jonah anyways from what I can tell. None of the single gals in town have any complaints about him.”
“Well that’s good,” I say. “He was a bit of a prick when I met him, so I’m honestly not sure he’ll be the easiest husband to deal with.”
“Jonah is all bark,” Candice says. “But he’s a good guy, and he’s honest. He won’t lie to you or cheat on you.”
“I bet that’s why he seems to hate pageants so much,” I remark.
“What do you mean?” Candice asks.
“Just that pageants are anything but honest. I mean even the interview portion is contrived. At least it was in my case.” I let out a hollow, brittle laugh. “My mom would coach me on my answers for hours, until I was just parroting what she wanted me to say.”
“But your singing isn’t fake.” Candice smiles at me encouragingly.
“No, it’s not. I love to sing.”
“Sing? Mama, sing?” Lila says and pounds her little fist on the table.
“Maybe, sugar beet. Let’s see what Winnie says.”
“I can’t exactly say no to her, can I?”
“You can try,” Jenny says. “But it doesn’t work very well.”
“Just for you, Lila,” I tell her. And then I start singing “Over the Rainbow,” because it’s been in my head all day. Something about getting my hands on the money that is mine has me feeling like a bluebird myself for once.
Lila joins in and tries to sing some of the parts along with me, and Jenny and Candice do as well, until we’re a motley chorus of my mezzo-soprano, Candice’s tuneless alto, Jenny’s throaty warble, and Lila’s little screeches and laughs.
It makes my heart happy, and my whole body feel warm.
I can’t remember the last time I felt this good—or this safe.
Maybe I’m already over the rainbow. Maybe Star Mountain is that place.