Chapter Four #2
Marcella had been the housekeeper for over a decade.
Her surprise was to be expected at the news, but she was also very happy by the turn of events.
It was apparent to Jessie that the woman loved her family and was glad Cole had taken her copious hints that he needed to add a wife to the household for all of their wellbeing.
Even though she had expressed her congratulations and the fact she was glad he had finally listened to her admonitions, Jessie sensed that she would still be reserving final judgment until a future time that only she would deem appropriate once Jessie had passed some final hurdle known only to the woman.
That only meant she would be keeping her eye on the pair of them.
Just added pressure on an already tricky situation.
Jessie accepted the hugs and then took a deep breath when she sat beside Cole on the couch in the den a few minutes later and faced the toughest jury to date.
Emmie sat in the high-backed chair in front of them, eyeing them both.
“I know this will be quite a surprise to you, Em,” her dad began, “and it was to me also. That’s to say, that I hadn’t expected something so amazing to happen when I went to Kentucky several weeks ago.
That’s where I met an amazing lady and we spent some time together and well, Jessie luckily felt the same way about meeting me.
So, she came here to visit us so that you and she and I can spend time together and… ” He was interrupted.
“You like each other a lot. And if I like her, too, then she might stay here with us. And then we could have a big wedding, and I will be in it, and we will all be happy ever after.”
That had been summed up with a pink bow on top by the seven-year-old. Jessie had to stifle the huge laughter that bubbled up inside her. Instead, she managed a big smile and laid her hand on top of Cole’s that had been gripping his knee as he rambled through his speech.
“I believe Emmie has summed it all up, Cole. I hope this doesn’t come as a really huge surprise, but your dad and I wanted to be together when we told you. I hope you and I can get to know each other in the couple of weeks I will be here.”
“And if I don’t like you then? Will you go back to Kentucky?”
“Emmie, you…” Cole began, but Jessie put pressure to stop him saying more.
“That about sums it up,” Jessie took over.
“Your happiness is very important. Your father loves you more than anything in this world. I would never want to see that harmed in any way. If you don’t think the three of us can make a good team by the time for me to leave, if any of us don’t feel that way after doing our best to be fair, then we promise to call it off. Agreed?”
Emmie was silent, her gaze solemn and assessing both.
She was the judge having heard an earnest case and about to render a verdict.
Only she had no idea just how important it was.
Only the two grown-ups in the room understood that part.
Jessie had just taken a two-fold gamble.
She had hoped to buy them more time for what was to come and created a viable exit strategy when the time came for her to leave them.
No harm, no foul. That’s what it had been labeled in her brain, at least. If the little girl was as smart as she believed since their first meeting over the yellow folder a few weeks before, then she would see it made sense.
The gamble paid off. Emmie nodded her head. “Agreed. So, what do I call you while you’re here?”
She felt Cole’s body relax beside her. Jessie smiled at the child. “I think Jessie is appropriate in the situation. Are you good with that?”
“I like that name. You remind me of someone I met once. She was a nice lady, too.”
Jessie grinned. “Well, I will take that as a compliment and I’m glad you found her to be a nice lady. Maybe we’ll run into her one day in town and you can introduce us.”
“I don’t think Dad liked her, but I did. Anyway, since you live on a ranch in Kentucky, you need a horse to ride here, too. Dad, we need to get her a really good one.”
Cole stood up. “And that is a good idea, but I think Marcella has held lunch long enough for us. We have some time to choose the right mount for Jessie. Go wash up and meet us in the dining room.”
“Okay,” she said and stood, giving Jessie a final glance. “And you’ll have to meet my pet pig and Cheese Puff and…”
“Marcella is waiting,” Cole recalled. Emmie gave him a playful grimace and headed off to do as told.
Cole motioned to Jessie to follow him. They went down the hall and stepped into what Jessie had rightly assumed earlier was the rancher’s office by all the papers on a wide desk and maps on the wall, and the framed photos of Emmie on the long desk behind his chair and on the corner of his desk.
Emmie as a small baby in pink, Emmie dressed for her first day of school possibly, and Emmie astride a horse next to her father’s mount.
There were no shortage of photos of his daughter in the house.
“This should do for our quiet place to talk when needed,” he explained as the door shut behind them. Then he turned, hands on hips, and scowled. “What was that in the living room? She could have easily said no and get out now. And did she recognize you in some way?”
“Calm down,” she began. “Learn to deflect when you don’t like the conversation.
I deflected and all was fine. And learn to gamble when you must do so.
I gambled that she loves you more than anything.
I gave her the opportunity to show that by being willing to accept someone or the idea of someone who might make you very happy.
And perhaps, she’s a little girl who might be wanting a female in this house besides a housekeeper.
It was an educated gamble, and it paid off.
But there is always a plan A, B, and C in my back pocket.
Don’t forget that. Relax and know that we will get through this and hopefully sooner rather than later.
But we have more time to prepare now. To become more at ease in our roles and make them believable when the visitors arrive.
Now, we will go to lunch, take deep breaths, and be normal. ”
“Normal?”
“As normal as two people who are madly in love and thinking of a blissful future and all is rosy around them. Easy.” She threw him a pointed grin of challenge and left the door open behind her as she departed.