Chapter 28 #2
Evelyn set plates in front of us, piled high with fluffy omelets, bacon, and toast. “Eat up,” she instructed.
“And Jesse’s right, Cole. You two deserve some time away.
This ranch will still be standing when you get back.
” She gave me a long hard look. “Might give you a chance to think things over too. Figure out how you want to continue things around here.”
Jesse and Evelyn exchanged a knowing glance. I wasn’t in on whatever they were hinting at, but I had an idea. And considering there was a little black box upstairs tucked into the back of my sock drawer, they probably knew what I’d been thinking as well.
“We’ll see,” I replied nonchalantly, drinking my coffee. “But I’m gonna lose my damn mind on a beach with no work to do.”
Jesse laughed, pulling my coffee mug from my hands and taking a sip. “That’s because you’re a workaholic. But I promise I’ll find ways to keep you entertained.”
The suggestive tone in his voice made heat rise to my cheeks. Evelyn cleared her throat pointedly, and I remembered we weren’t alone.
“Sorry, Evelyn,” I mumbled, focusing on my breakfast.
“Don’t apologize to me,” she said with a chuckle. “I’ve seen worse than a little flirting at the breakfast table.”
We ate in companionable silence for a few minutes.
I watched Jesse devour his omelet with the same enthusiasm he brought to everything in his life.
That was what had drawn me to him from the beginning.
He had this capacity for joy, for diving headfirst into whatever caught his interest. He’d done exactly that with the ranch, despite his initial reluctance. And with me.
“I found something yesterday,” Jesse said suddenly, setting down his fork. “When I was cleaning out the office.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Cleaning? That’s a first.”
He ignored my jab, reaching into his pocket. “It was tucked behind one of the filing cabinets. Must have fallen there years ago.”
He placed a small, faded photograph on the table between us.
I picked it up carefully, my throat tightening as I recognized the image.
It was me and Jesse, probably sixteen and fourteen at the time, sitting on the fence by the creek.
We were laughing about something, shoulders pressed together, completely unaware of the camera. Of my father capturing that moment.
“I don’t remember this being taken,” I said quietly.
“Me neither,” Jesse replied. “But look at us. We were just kids.”
I stared at our younger selves, struck by how obvious it seemed now. Even then, there was something in the way we leaned into each other, the unguarded joy on both our faces. How had I spent so many years denying what had been there all along?
“Your daddy took that,” Evelyn said, leaning over to look at the photo. “Summer before Jesse’s sophomore year, I think. Jack had that little camera he carried everywhere that season.”
“Why didn’t I ever see this?” I asked.
Evelyn shrugged. “He had a whole stack of photos he kept private. Said some memories weren’t meant for sharing.”
Jesse took the photo back, studying it with a soft expression. “He really did know, didn’t he? Even back then.”
“I think so,” Evelyn nodded. “Jack Nelson wasn’t as oblivious as you boys thought.”
“Did you know about him and Mack?”
“I had my suspicions,” Evelyn said, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “But I didn’t pry. People grieve and love in their own ways. Best not to get in the way of either.”
“Do you think they loved one another?” Jesse pushed. The curiosity had been eating at him since Mack’s threats. “That they were happy?”
“For a time, maybe,” Evelyn nodded. “And maybe that’s why Mack was so bitter about you two. He saw you happy and realized what he’d missed out on.” She shook her head, letting out a long sigh. “And maybe one day he’ll see past his grief and realize he did you boys wrong.”
The sound of tires on gravel interrupted the moment. We all glanced toward the window, though the angle didn’t show the driveway.
“That can’t be Whitaker already,” Jesse said, checking his watch. “It’s barely nine.”
“Probably one of the hands,” I said, rising from my seat. “I’ll deal with it.”
However, I’d barely made it to the front door when I saw the delivery driver walk up the front steps. I smiled, knowing exactly what he had in that box.
“Cole Nelson?” the driver asked.
“That’s me.”
He handed the box over. “Have a nice day.”
“You too. Thanks.”
I signed for the package, trying to hide my smile as I carried it inside. Jesse was still at the kitchen table, chatting with Evelyn about possible vacation destinations.
“What’s that?” he asked, eyeing the box in my hands.
“Just a delivery,” I said casually, setting it down in front of Jesse. “I got it for you, actually.”
Jesse’s eyebrows shot up as he stared at the box. “For me? What’s the occasion?”
“No occasion.” I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant despite the excitement building in my chest. “Just thought you might need it.”
He eyed me suspiciously, then turned his attention to the package. “If this is some kind of prank...”
“Just open it,” I urged, leaning against the counter with forced casualness.
Jesse tore into the packaging, his fingers quick and eager despite his skepticism. When he pulled out what was inside, his mouth fell open.
It was a cowboy hat. Not just any hat, but a cream-colored Stetson with a simple black band. The morning light caught the pristine felt, making it glow like something precious.
“Cole,” he whispered, turning it over in his hands reverently.
“Every real Montana rancher needs his own hat,” I said, my voice rougher than I intended. “Not just borrowed ones.”
Jesse looked up at me, his eyes shining. “It’s beautiful.”
“Try it on,” I suggested, my heart pounding as I watched him place it carefully on his head.
It fit perfectly, the cream color setting off his tanned skin and hazel eyes in a way that made my breath catch. He looked like he belonged here. Not just on Nelson Ranch, but in my life.
“How do I look?” he asked, a hint of vulnerability in his voice.
“Like you were born to wear it,” I answered honestly.
Evelyn clapped her hands together, beaming at us both. “It suits you, Jesse. Brings out your eyes.”
Jesse stood and moved to the small mirror by the back door, examining his reflection. “I feel like a real cowboy now,” he joked, but I could hear the emotion beneath his words.
“You are a real cowboy,” I said. “You’ve earned it.”
He turned back to me, his expression serious despite the playful hat perched on his head. “Thank you, Cole. This means a lot.”
“There’s more,” I said, gesturing for him to follow me. My stomach fluttered with nerves as I led him into the entryway, stopping in front of the wall where my hat hung on its wooden peg. “Look.”
Next to my hook was a second one, newly installed, waiting for his hat. I’d put it up last night after he’d fallen asleep, wanting everything to be ready for today.
Jesse stared at the empty hook, then at me, understanding dawning in his eyes. “My own hook?”
“Your own hook,” I confirmed. “Right next to mine. Where it belongs.”
The symbolism wasn’t lost on either of us. This wasn’t just about a hat or a hook. It was about permanence. About Jesse having his own place here, not just in my house but in my life. It meant he was home, that we both were.
“I love you, you know that?” Jesse said quietly, taking the hat off and hanging it on the hook. “I love you so fucking much, Cole.”
He threw his arms around me, hugging me tight. I wrapped my arms around his waist, holding him just as tight back. This was where he belonged, with me, forever.
“I love you too, Jesse.”
For the first time in my life, everything was exactly where it was supposed to be. And I’d never been happier.