Chapter 7
Mariah
“I CAN’T STAY here.” I wipe at one of my teary eyes with the sleeve of my hoodie. “Not now.”
I know I’m overreacting. Yes, Moss Creek is a small town, but it’s not my small town. I wasn’t born and raised here. People haven’t known me since I was a kid. They won’t judge me for the situation I’ve accidentally found myself in.
And it was absolutely an accident. One I never saw coming.
“Of course you can stay here.” My friend Janie wraps one arm around my shoulders, pulling me into her side. “You know Devon and I have your back.” She wiggles her brows. “And I’ve got three built-in babysitters at my disposal now.”
I manage a watery smile. I’m happy for my friend. She’s had a shitty go of it and deserves the love and support she’s found in Devon and his three teenage daughters. But damn, I wish I could have found something like that.
Instead I tripped and fell onto a fly-by-night ranch hand with smooth moves and faulty condoms.
Along with no sense of responsibility or attachment.
“I know, and I love you guys for that.” I take a shaky breath. “But I think it’s time for a fresh start.”
Again.
That’s what Moss Creek was supposed to be. A fresh start. And it was. Right up until I started making the same mistakes I always do. Seeing what I want to see instead of what’s really there.
I can’t do that anymore. Now it’s not just me I have to worry about. Not just me have I to look out for.
Yet another reason I have to go.
“Plus, I really can’t turn this opportunity down.
” Technically, it wasn’t even supposed to be my opportunity.
Janie’s the one who found this job. If things had gone a tiny bit differently, she would be the one selling off her furniture and packing everything else into a couple suitcases.
It would be her driving to Wyoming in the morning.
But things didn’t go differently. They went the same way they always do.
I fucked-up. I put my trust in the wrong person and it came back to bite me.
“I mean, you’re not really wrong about that.” Janie leans close, lowering her voice like we aren’t the only two people sitting in my empty apartment. “You realize you have to tell me everything when you get there, right. I need to know what it’s like working for Deidre Bradshaw.”
“Technically, I’m not working for Deidre Bradshaw.” I sit a little straighter, repeating the words Deidre said during my interview. “I will be working for her son Titus Bradshaw, tech genius.”
Whatever the hell that means.
I know how to use the Internet as well as anybody, and I can take a pretty great selfie. But that’s as far as my digital knowledge goes. Thankfully, I am one hell of a good cook, so I’m not too worried my new boss will be as unimpressed by my skills as I currently am by his.
Maybe unimpressed is the wrong word. Uninterested is a little more applicable. To be fair, I’m not interested in much right now outside of naps and dry toast with a side of ginger ale.
Janie purses her lips, nose wrinkling as she asks, “did you tell them you’re pregnant?”
“No, I did not.” I have a whole list of reasons why I held that information back, the main one being I haven’t hit twelve weeks yet, so I’m still technically in the danger zone. It’s entirely possible that this could all go away.
And I’m not sure how I feel about that. Initially I was not thrilled to end up a member of the two percent of the population victimized by ineffective latex.
But now that I’ve had a little more time to think about it—and get used to the idea—I have to wonder if this might be the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
I’m not great at looking out for my own best interests. I let people manipulate me and take advantage of my generally kind personality. But I already feel a fierce sort of protectiveness over the little bean in my belly.
That’s why I’m moving. I love my job at Red Cedar Inn here in Moss Creek, Montana, but at the end of the day I need to make as much money as I can, and Deidre Bradshaw is willing to cough it up.
Not only that, since Titus and his brothers own some sort of security business, they’re able to give me insurance that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
When she told me I’d get to have a suite of my own on-site and wouldn’t be shelling out rent, I was sold.
Now I just have to sell them on me, so I don’t get shipped out when they learn I’ll be temporarily unavailable in seven months.
“When do you think you’re going to tell them?” Janie’s question is reasonable, and it’s one I’ve thought about almost constantly since accepting the job.
Which is why I have a ready answer.
“As soon as I think they won’t let me go because of it.” Normally I would be terrified of the situation I’m in. But for some reason I feel determined. Hell-bent on making sure these people see I’m worth keeping around even though maternity leave is in my near future.
“Hopefully, I can show them it will all be okay. I have a whole bunch of ideas for meal preps that I can do in one day, so as soon as I’m up and moving after having the baby, I can just spend one day doing everything for the whole week.
” In my head it all makes sense. In my head I can make this work.
I just have to figure out how to put it in their heads too.
“I have complete faith in you.” Janie stands from where we’re seated against the wall in what used to be my living room, grunting a little as she gets to her feet.
“You are the best chef I know, so if they freak out over something as normal as you having a baby, then I’m going to drive to Wyoming and kick every one of their asses myself. ”
I shouldn’t laugh—though I do—because there’s a very real possibility she’s being completely serious.
Janie is a lot calmer than she used to be back in the days when she threw her ex-boyfriend’s furniture out windows and set his clothing on fire.
But it wasn’t long ago that she knocked out the man responsible for my current condition in the middle of a crowded bar.
So the Bradshaw bunch might want to be on their best behavior.
I stand up, one hand going into my stomach at the immediate wave of nausea the move brings on.
Once it passes, I grab my friend in a hug, squeezing her tight.
“I’m going to miss you so freaking much.
” My voice gets a little wobbly, so I pause to clear my throat.
“Are you sure Devon and the girls don’t want to move to Wyoming?
I’ve heard it’s really beautiful there.” From the Internet, and if it’s on the Internet it must be true, right?
Janie snorts. “You know that man is never leaving Moss Creek.” She leans back, offering a sly smile. “He does like to vacation in Florida though, so maybe you and the little peanut can go with us on our next trip.”
Hearing Janie making plans for our future makes me feel better about leaving her. I’m acquainted with lots of people, but making friends has never been easy for me, so losing her on a daily basis is going to be hard enough. I’m not sure I could stomach the possibility of losing her permanently.
Though there isn’t much I can stomach right now.
“That sounds amazing.” I lift my brows. “And maybe once I convince the Bradshaws I’m the best thing ever, you and Devon and the girls can come visit me.”
“Heck yes.” Janie smirks. “It will do Devon some good to see what he almost lost me to. See where I might have ended up if he hadn’t played his cards right.”
I roll my eyes, because I know exactly what would’ve happened if Janie had attempted to take this job in Wyoming. “Don’t act like he wouldn’t have driven straight to Willow Bend and begged you to come back home because he’s lost without you.”
I can’t imagine being loved the way Devon loves Janie. Can’t comprehend the fierceness of his devotion to her.
That’s probably how I keep ending up with assholes. Because I can’t tell the difference between Mr. Right and Mr. Wrong.
But I am learning Mr. Wrong is usually real fucking charming.
Maybe one day when I decide to date again—if I decide to date again—I’ll go for a man who is the opposite of charming.
Someone grumpy. Brooding. Someone who is a little abrasive and rough around the edges.
Someone who isn’t looking for attention and always trying to be in the spotlight.
I’m not sure what I’ll do with him if I find him, but I bet I can figure it out.
I hope you enjoyed this peek into the world of Willow Bend, Wyoming. Each of the Bradshaw boys will be getting a book, starting with Titus.