The People’s Place
Jordy
We spend the next few days at the ranch, just enjoying each other’s company.
Nina threatens to hold a family dinner, like the ones she’s been holding over the past year as a way to heal her rift with her mom.
I appreciate the gesture, but tell her that if she invites my mom to the ranch, I’m going to redecorate her home in dark gray and black.
My cousin is not one who enjoys a muted palate. From her electric blue hair to her wildly vibrant clothes, Nina is an explosion of color—and my threat is enough to keep our moms out of this private party.
Besides, my mom and I are fine. She’s a pain in my ass, and I can’t tell her anything I don’t want used against me.
And sure, I’ll probably hyperventilate again when we drive back up through Santa Barbara—but this is how it always is, and always will be.
I’ve grown to accept it, and that is as good as it’s going to get.
It’s also good to be around Brayden, seeing him as Nina’s husband and Juniper’s dad. Even though I’ve been over him for a long time ago, there’s still this part of me that stings at the fact he chose my cousin over me. It has this bitter taste of rejection that sours my mood every now and then.
But watching them together now, it’s clear they have something we never did.
Seeing him with his daughter heals something in me.
Yes, there’s a dull ache surrounding my heart—I realize it will always be there—but the way he looks at June, the way both he and Nina love that little girl …
it’s like our story didn’t end in vain. It simply opened the door for a better one.
And not just his story. Mine too.
I knew this trip would be healing no matter what, but it’s so much better having Ashton with me.
There’s this quiet way about him. I just have to look at him, and it’s like he knows what I’m thinking.
I love that he understands all the complicated feelings I’ve brought with me on this trip—from my trauma around babies to my broken engagement—and he keeps checking in to make sure I’m okay.
Sometimes, it’s just a touch of a hand and a look asking, do you need a minute?
If he’s not next to me, he’s always nearby, catching my eye to gauge how I’m doing.
Even when he’s busy with Lottie, I know he’s very aware of me.
I love the feel of his protection, how in tune he is with my emotions.
“I can’t believe you have to go,” Nina moans.
The boys are busy loading up the truck while the two of us hold our girls.
Lottie clings to me, fighting sleep as she rests against my chest. We prolonged naptime for as long as we could, hoping she’d fall asleep as soon as we hit the road.
Judging by her quietness, it’s a safe bet she will.
“I know. It feels like I just got here.”
“Any thoughts on what happens next?” Nina glances at Ashton, then back at me.
It’s a loaded question. I have a lot of thoughts—about Ashton. About New York. About Lahoma. About where I am, and where I want to be.
But I can’t say any of them out loud. Not yet.
“Not quite,” I say. “For now, I’m just taking it a day at a time.”
She leans forward to kiss my cheek, then takes my free hand in hers. “Well, keep me posted, okay? And don’t be a stranger, please? You haven’t even left yet, and I already miss you. I don’t want to go weeks without talking to you.”
“Careful,” I say, squeezing her hand, “I might just call you every day, and spam you photos of this little one.”
Nina raises an eyebrow. “That sounds like a decision,” she says, her eyes narrowing with a smile.
I just shrug, though I’m biting back my own smile.
“I have a lot of photos on my phone.”
We reach Lahoma Springs by dinnertime. Bec and Bob texted now and then while we were away, but it was brief little updates, nothing significant. When we see Bec beaming from the front porch as we pull in, I realize she’s been holding back.
“Mac and Clyve found the crack,” she says, jumping up and down as we get out of the truck. We talked to Mac on the phone while in Sunset Bay, and connected him with Clyve. The two of them had been working round the clock for the past few days, and apparently found some kind of breakthrough.
Over dinner, she fills us in completely. The property came with a concession that any new buyer had to be from Lahoma Springs.
“But Alexander is from Lahoma,” I say. Bec shakes her head.
“He claimed he was, but he’s not. He must have known about the restriction and pretended to live here. But he grew up in Wisconsin…” she pauses, then gives us a meaningful look. “…in a town called Maisieville.”
I perk up at this. “That corporate town?” I glance at Ashton. “Are you kidding?”
“I wonder if he was involved in that,” Ashton says. “If he wasn’t involved, he was at least inspired by it.”
“Maybe his family was one of the ones who were pushed out,” I muse. “But even if that’s not enough, the email hacking will do it. Did Clyve figure anything else out?”
Bec nods. “A private investigator uncovered a whole hacking ring that’s been going on, and Alexander’s money is all over it. He’s in a lot of trouble right now. He was forced to release Bernie’s businesses, but that’s not even the best part.” She turns to Ashton. “We got The Till back!”
“What? How?” Ashton shakes his head. “We took the money, that sale was final.”
“It wasn’t though,” she says, beaming. “There was a clause that said no criminal activity could be tied to any party within ninety days of the sale. With the hacking ring exposed, that clause kicked in, and since Bob never signed the final execution documents, we were able to back out.” She’s grinning, her eyes shining like I’ve never seen before.
“Of course, we had to give all the money back, plus pay for all the improvements. So we still owe a fortune, but we can figure it out.”
In this moment, I dread all the grand plans I’d made for that shop. A fortune is an understatement.
But I also know where she can get the money.
“What you need are investors.” I give Ashton a side glance. “At least, one person who’d be willing to provide an advance.”
Ashton’s eyes widen, and he shakes his head. “Oh, hell no. You’re not doing this.”
“I lost my job this week,” I say, “and I need something that’s going to make me money. So what if I invested in The Till?”
“Jordy, come on. You and I both know that shop won’t be able to pay you back that kind of money.”
“You don’t know that,” I say, even though I’m aware of the risk I’m taking. This is a small town. I’m not going to make a huge name for myself or become wealthy from putting my money into this shop.
But looking around this room, at Bec and Bob with their arms around each other, at Lottie in Ashton’s arms—at the conflicted look on Ashton’s handsome face…
This is so much more important. This means more than seeing my name on a billboard or becoming some fancy designer. I realize I want this more than anything.
“You don’t have to do this,” Ashton says, reaching forward to touch my arm.
“I know I don’t,” I say, sliding my hand into his.
“But I want to. My grandmother’s money is just sitting in a bank account, waiting for an opportunity like this.
I’ve been banking it for a while, kind of as a security fund in case I couldn’t grow my business.
But I’d always hoped I could do something important with it. I feel like this is it.”
“But—”
“Kids, let’s talk about options in the morning,” Bob interrupts, but he and Bec are grinning at each other. “Right now, dinner is getting cold, and I’m hungry. There’s plenty of time to talk business tomorrow.”
Ashton and I settle in bed once Lottie is asleep. We’re exhausted from the drive, but also buzzing from all the new information that emerged over dinner. It’s hard not to feel excited about all of this.
“I can’t have you tie up your money in our family business,” he says. “It’s not fair. It’s not a money maker; it never has been.”
“I know,” I say. “And yes, you can. I’m partially offering this to help you guys out. But I’m also doing this for me too. I love Lahoma Springs, and I love being here with you. No matter what happens, I want to be a part of this town, and that could be by investing in The Till.”
He sits up, looking down at me. “What are you saying? Are you—”
“Staying? Yes. I think I could probably rent a room from Bernie until I find someplace—”
He tackles me before I can finish my thought.
“You will do no such thing, young lady,” he growls, climbing on top of me and securing my wrists in his hand above my head.
I squirm underneath him, laughing as he pokes my side with his free hand.
“Are you asking me to move in with you?”
He leans down, brushing his mouth across mine.
“Darling, you already live here. We just need to get your stuff here, and probably build an addition on to this house for all your clothes.”
“Hell, I’m ready to just let all of it go and start over.
” It’s true. There’s nothing in my apartment I’d miss.
Well, maybe my little black Chanel dress, or my Louis Vuitton handbag …
and then there’s my Alexander McQueen gown.
“Okay, maybe I could clear it out and just sell what I don’t want. You know, as part of the investment.”
He laughs lightly, moving to the side of me. His hand runs over my bare stomach, light strokes that send chills all over my body. “If you did this,” he says, “I’d want it to be our store.”
“Okay,” I say slowly.
“And I would want to rename it.”
I turn to face him. “What would you want to call it?”
“You pick.”
I think about it for a moment. In the early days of being here, I’d researched a bit about Lahoma Springs, and I’d learned that Lahoma is not just the name of Bernie’s family who founded this town, but is also the Choctaw word for “The People.” It seems such a fitting name, since the townspeople of Lahoma Springs are a bonded community.
The people are who make this town what it is. You can’t separate the two.