Chapter Five #2
Within a few years, her father drank himself to death, leaving behind a second wife and a son who she had refused to acknowledge as her brother.
Until this opportunity arose.
She didn’t feel guilty about using him in her scheme.
Why should she? He had a similar lack of conscience.
Her brother was an easy mark because he’d always wanted the relationship with his sister that she’d denied him since birth.
Her half brother had been more than eager to bring down the man “responsible” for destroying their father’s future.
Her hands closed into fists under the table. There was still a chance her carefully laid plans could still unravel. Willem was in jail. Staying silent, sure. For now. Eventually the prosecutor would find the sweet-spot offer that would make Willem sing.
And then it would all be over. Job lost. Friends gone. Possible jail time for her, too, based on the roll of the dice. No amount of deep breaths could will away panic over the undeniable.
Because once they knew it was she—Tatiana Havery, Willem’s half sister, Angela Perry’s “best friend”—who’d orchestrated everything? Her time would have run out to make her enemies pay.
Esme was running low on patience. With herself, primarily.
She stood at the kitchen island, chopping a salad and wondering why and how she’d assumed control of entertaining matchmaking contestant number one—Amaryllis, the veterinarian, who was likely perfect for Jesse.
Esme diced radishes faster and faster, struggling to appear unaffected by the brunette on the barstool.
Would she be the one Jesse chose for his perfect mate? She seemed right on the surface, given her career. Even Amaryllis’s car was a better fit than Esme’s destroyed Porsche.
The knife slipped, barely missing her thumb.
Jesse’s dating life was not her business.
It had no bearing on the situation with her father.
She’d just shared a couple of kisses with Jesse Stevens, nothing more.
Okay, so it had been, quite possibly, the best kiss of her life.
All the more reason she should stay in her suite and work since he had plans to marry and propagate with a stranger.
But curiosity had her out here playing chef on the off chance of finding out why this woman was completely wrong for Jesse.
Radishes reduced to edible rubble, she moved on to cucumbers, still trying to study the woman without being obvious.
The last thing she wanted was for Amaryllis to notice.
Or worse yet, for Jesse to come back inside and catch her in an unguarded moment.
He likely wouldn’t be much longer talking to the ranch hands who’d made it back, thanks to their four-wheelers.
When Jesse had asked Amaryllis how she’d managed the drive in spite of the weather, she’d informed him she’d had lots of experience driving in all kinds of storms. After all, her work as a vet extended to farm animals.
She’d navigated worse roads to assist in a delivery.
Being punctual was important, she’d added, tapping her wristwatch.
She had committed to being here at a certain time and she kept her commitments.
No spinning out in a sports car on a washed-out road for her, apparently.
Amaryllis sounded…too perfect.
Even from here, Amaryllis sat too straight. Like a rod shot through her back. Neatly trimmed nails painted a pale pink fiddled with her hair. The first bachelorette glanced down at her watch, then looked impatiently at the kitchen threshold.
Amaryllis broke any stereotypes Esme’d had about vets dressing in baggy scrubs even on their off days.
A fitted lavender button-up shirt outlined her curves.
Without so much as looking at Esme, the woman scrolled through her phone, pausing to type every so often.
She delicately crossed her legs, clad in a pattern of thin black-and-gray pinstripes, as she ignored Esme’s presence.
Esme skillfully scraped the chopped vegetables into a large pottery bowl before turning her attention to the grilled chicken breasts waiting to be sliced.
“So what made you sign up for a matchmaker? If you don’t mind my asking.
” The words came out of her mouth before her filter could catch them.
Slicing the chicken breast into even strips, she waved her free hand.
“Wait. Forget I said anything. It’s none of my business. ”
Since walking into this house, she’d lost all damn control of herself. Frustration grew in her chest, and she continued the rhythmic slicing, attempting an air of casual sophistication and disinterest that Esme knew lingered somewhere inside her.
“I’m not ashamed at all. Ask away.” Amaryllis pulled out a gold compact from her leather bag.
Looking at herself in her reflection, the brunette fluffed her hair and then turned her attention to Esme.
Unruffled and precise. “I’m a large-animal veterinarian, which means I spent almost every waking hour of my twenties studying.
And now’s not much better. I’m a workaholic who loves her job.
There’s not much chance for me to meet people who aren’t affiliated with my practice. ”
Esme nodded, dumping the chicken into the bowl. Shifting her weight from left to right foot, she shrugged her shoulders, tension growing the longer the woman stayed.
“I would think that would actually give you plenty of opportunities to meet people who share interests with you. You didn’t have to drive all the way out here to meet a rancher.”
Was she trying to make Amaryllis leave?
Jesse wouldn’t appreciate having his plans upset. And it wasn’t that she actually had a problem with matchmakers. Plenty of her friends used dating websites, quite successfully. She’d even dipped her toes into those waters a couple of times.
She knew her questions were pushy and not even necessary, but she couldn’t make herself stop.
Brows raising, Amaryllis pinned Esme with a matter-of-fact stare that threatened to shut down the conversation. “In my small town, the options are limited. This is the most efficient use of my time.”
Amaryllis was too…practical for Jesse. Even though he proclaimed he was going this route for logical reasons, she could tell by his messy desk, it was all an act. He had a freer spirit than he wanted to admit.
“And you don’t care that he has two other women coming?” The question sucked the air from the kitchen.
Amaryllis blinked fast, her lips going tight. Apparently, it did matter to her. And Esme felt bad for bringing it up. This really wasn’t her business. But something like satisfaction clung to her regret for sharing Jesse’s plans.
Which only made her feel worse. Confused her, too.
How did this happen? Esme felt the weight of why she was actually at Jesse Stevens’s house crash on her shoulders. Her father’s future as the president of the Texas Cattleman’s Club. Not to scare away Jesse’s suitors.
“I’m sorry,” Esme said quickly, shoving aside the bowl and racing to the other side of the island. “That wasn’t my place. Talk to Jesse. He’ll be back in a moment. I’ll just get out of your way.”
“I should be leaving.” The lady vet moved faster toward the door, tugging her rain jacket on with each step.
Oh, hell. What had she done? She’d ruined everything. This wasn’t going to help her father at all. She should have reined in her jealousy, damn it.
“He’s a great guy.” Esme fast-walked after her, her socked feet slippery against the tiled floor. “I can give you pointers on him, make up for the fact that I shouldn’t have said anything.”
Amaryllis turned quickly, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise.
“So you’re going to apologize for meddling by meddling some more?
” With a bark of bitter laughter, she shook her head, securing her purse strap over her shoulder.
Anger and embarrassment flared in the woman’s brown irises.
Looking her up and down with an X-ray stare, the woman pressed her lips together. “Wow, you’re a piece of work.”
Before Esme could think of a suitable response, the door was slamming. Esme tried to formulate a recovery plan. It was her forte, after all. But then she heard the sound of a car engine starting, tires crunching.
Any hope for salvaging the damage she’d caused extinguished as the engine sound faded.
Guilt pinched. Hard. She sagged back against the counter. She’d had no right to be jealous. But the feeling was still there all the same.
Why?
Did she have feelings for Jesse she was unwilling to explore? Yes, she was undeniably attracted to him. And they did have a lot in common, like having been brought up on a ranch. A strong work ethic. Humor.
But she certainly wasn’t putting herself on the list of marriage candidates.
She wasn’t even sure she wanted to have children.
Jesse hadn’t hidden his plans for the future.
In spite of her upbringing, she was a city girl, an executive who loved five-hundred-dollar shoes, in spite of the muck boots she’d worn earlier today.
That seemed like a lifetime ago.
The door opened again and Esme straightened. Had Amaryllis come back? No, the footfalls were too distinctly masculine.
Jesse stepped into the kitchen, sweeping off his Stetson. “Where’s Amaryllis?”
Esme cleared her throat, knowing this could hurt her father’s bid for a favor from Jesse, but unable to offer anything but the truth and a vow to herself that she would do better with the next two candidates. “I have a confession to make.”