Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
FALLON
T he last few days had been almost perfect, and I’d felt like I belonged somewhere again. Kristin and Nora were easily the best friends I didn’t know I was needing or missing in my life. Mom was more than thrilled to spend time with the girls and Nash and I had been getting along, and were falling into a rhythm with the girls.
My phone buzzed, and I picked it up to read the text.
Unknown: Hello sugar.
Frowning, I looked at the text. Nobody called me sugar. Why don’t people check who they’re sending messages to before they hit send? I thought to myself, but the hairs on the back of my neck suddenly became engaged. It’s just your paranoia, Fallon. The antidepressants have been helping. There’s nothing wrong. You’re fine, even if you don’t believe it. Trust my brain to state the obvious. But I wish I could get the nagging feeling that I was being watched to go away. I needed to relax. There was nothing here that was going to hurt me, and if anyone tried, they’d come face to face with whatever terror The Five knew how to dole out.
Things were buzzing around here thanks to Kipp and Nora’s wedding and then Christmas. I was baking up a storm for both events. My girls were down for a nap, I had the kitchen cleaned, and I was ready to dive into a book and drink my tea.
As I sat down, the door to the house swung open and two women stood in the entryway, letting the cold in. “What in the hell?” The woman with dark chocolate brown hair said with a smirk on her face.
“Yeah Fal, what gives?” The other woman asked. Her hair was more of a dark cinnamon but that wasn’t natural, her real hair color was a mousy brown.
“Well, if it isn’t the barrel racing twins. I heard a rumor you were coming to town.” I crossed my arms and stared at my sisters. “Could you close the door? I like the cold outside.” Staring at them, I was waiting for them to crack.
“Where are our nieces?” They squealed as they ran to me and enveloped me in a group hug.
“They’re both napping. I figured they’d need all the rest they can get since their aunties are going to make sure they never sleep again, I’m sure.” They took off their coats and settled in the living room. “So, what do you know?”
Tayla and Lark looked at one another, frowning. “We know you’re back, but that’s all.” Lark said. Trust Kipp to keep his mouth shut and not let me off the hook. Just this once I wish he were a gossip.
“Josie is two, and she’s, umm, well.” Did I tell them the truth? They’d figure it out and then be mad. I didn’t tell them, but they were perfect and I was the screw up.
“She’s mine.” His voice rumbled through the room, and my sisters turned openmouthed, staring at Nash. Tayla turned to look at me, mouth open wide, perfect to catch flies.
“Hey Nashy.” Lark said as if she hadn’t really heard what he’d said. As it sank in, she looked from him to me and then to Tayla. “Wait, you and Fallon.” Her voice trailed off like she was trying to work through her brain what we would have had to do for Josie to be his child. “You and Fallon?” She said a little louder, her mouth hanging open.
“Yes,” Nash said, taking his hat off and hanging it behind the door.
“Well, how did Kipp take that?” Tayla asked, narrowing her gaze at me.
“Not well,” I said as I looked down at my hands. “But I was having a baby, so I might not be the one to ask.” I smiled awkwardly and desperately wanted to change the subject.
“It was fine.” Nash scoffed. “Thankfully, Fallon had just had Lottie, so everyone was feeling kind of emotional and I talked my way out of a fight.” Nash’s eyes locked on mine and I briefly forgot my sisters were in the room.
Tayla cleared her throat, and I looked over at her. “Well, I’m going to let you girls get reacquainted.” Nash nodded and went up to his room and the soft thud of his door was all the signal my sisters needed.
They got off the couch and came to where I was sitting and pushed in, so we were all in the overstuffed chair like a can of sardines. “Tell us everything.” Lark said. The fire beside us crackled and popped. Nash’s heavy footsteps above us drew my attention for a moment until they stopped and my sisters staring at me like I held the secrets to life was almost too much.
“There’s nothing to tell. We had a few nights together and obviously were irresponsible.” I shrugged, knowing that would not appease these two.
“No, that wasn’t the only time, not with how that man looks at you, and has always looked at you, Fal.” Lark whined as she pointed up the stairs. “Tell us. Spill, or I will walk up to his room and ask him.” The wind picked up outside and I don’t know why it filled me with dread, but I was uneasy. I was with my sisters. We were actually talking, but something nagged at me.
“Fine.” I sighed, and I explained everything that happened after Dad died, and then the fateful night Josie was conceived. “When he called me in Lexington, I couldn’t contain my excitement. I was in the middle of a broken heart and he waited for me to come out of my apartment and there he was leaning up against his truck, looking all Nashish and well.” I shrugged. Did I tell them I jumped into his arms? Kissed him in the middle of the street and would have made love to him there too?
“So what happened?” Lark quizzed, her eyes narrowing at me.
“He wanted me to come home, but he also wasn’t sure he could risk having to deal with Kipp, so wanted us to be a secret for a while.” I looked down at my lap and Tayla put her arm around my shoulder. “God, I was such an idiot. I should have followed him and we could have dealt with Kipp together.”
“It wasn’t the time for you both, but could it be now?” Tayla rests her head on mine.
“I’m married.” I whispered, and both my sisters went rigid beside me.
“You’re what?” They said in unison.
“I got married right after I found out I was pregnant with Josie. He assumed the baby was his, and I never corrected him. He said he ‘had to do the right thing.’” Closing my eyes, I wished someone else had told them what happened. “When I showed up here, I’d driven the entire way without stopping and I was in labor when I got here. I’d also sported a lovely black eye and a split lip. I’m sure Nash would’ve been on a plane to Kentucky if it hadn’t been for the blizzard and Lottie making her presence known. I left divorce papers, but I haven’t heard from my lawyer yet.”
“You got married, and you never told us?” Tayla said, and I sensed a sadness in her voice. Out of everything I told them, that’s what they were fussing about?
“It’s not like we’ve ever been close.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “I’ve always been the screw up sister, causing trouble and making everyone clean up my messes. Well, this is a mess. I have to clean up on my own.” I sat straighter and clenched my jaw.
“Fallon, you’ve never been a screw up. Spirited, yes, screw up never.” Lark said, resting her head on my shoulder. “I’m sorry we weren’t better sisters. We’ve been too focused on racing and being away. It was easier.” Silence hung around us. Grief was a funny thing, and knowing we all seemed to process it by shutting down made me see that we all lost a lot over these last five years.
“Why do you think I stayed gone?” I whispered. None of us dared to say why we all left. That was too much sisterly love for the three of us.
“Is it just me or did Kipp morph into Dad?” Tayla said, frowning. “It’s kind of weird.”
“Tell me about it.” I laughed. “When he marched into the room after I got here, I had to take a second look, because I wasn’t sure what was going on for a moment.” Silence hung in the air for a split second.
Tayla shifted in the chair and propped her elbow on the back and let her hand rest in her palm. “Did you and Nash do it in the barn loft?” Her eyes were wide, and I almost didn’t follow the extreme shift in discussion.
“Yes.” I admitted quietly, in case someone overheard. “Wait, how did you know?”
“I think we’ve all done it in the barn.” Tayla said as she nodded.
“Who?” I turned to look at my oldest sister.
“Rhett Johnston.” She looked at her fingernails and avoided looking at Lark and I.
“You mean Rhett Johnston, that used to work here?” I said, frowning.
“Yep. He was amazing. Too bad Dad fired him when he found out.” She giggled and then sighed. “And then there was Jake. So many times with Jake.”
“Jake as in Doctor Gordon, Jake?” I frowned as I looked at her. She nodded and bit her lip.
“He’s the best I’ve ever had.” Her grin would have lit up the darkness.
“Tay, he’s Lottie’s doctor. How am I supposed to look at him?” I let my shoulder slump and pretended I was disgusted, but I needed to know more about this thing she had with Jake.
Lark let her head fall back onto the soft cushion of the chair. “Mine was Sam Hastings.” She sighed his name. “I wonder whatever happened to him,” she said wistfully.
“Your dad didn’t fire Rhett. He went back to Texas because he was homesick.” We all looked up at Nash, who was leaning on the banister. “Sam moved to Seattle and is very happy with his partner Josh.”
“His partner?” Lark asked and Nash nodded. “Who knew? Good for him.” She smiled as she crossed her arms and looked like she was lost in a memory.
“And well, you know where you can find Jake.” He said, looking at Tayla. Somewhere in me, I wondered if he knew more of the story about Tayla and Dr. Jake than he was willing to say. “You three look cozy there. Are you two staying for supper?” Nash said as he leaned against the wall and waited.
“Oh, that’s what we were supposed to tell you.” Lark said as she clapped her hands together. “We’re all supposed to go to Mom’s. She said now that we’re all in one place, she has something to tell us.” Lark wasn’t ever the person to leave a message with, but she’d remembered the same day this time.
“I wonder what she has to tell us?” Tayla said off-handedly. I looked up at Nash and I could see he was thinking the same thing I was. “What do you two know?” Tayla said as she punched my shoulder.
“Mom’s seeing someone,” I blurted out, and then covered my mouth. Nash shook his head and clenched his jaw.
“She’s what? How do you know?” Lark elbowed me.
“The night I got here, she said Phil had been at her house and well, they thought I was sleeping, but yeah, right.” I rolled my eyes. “She’s been seeing him for a bit, and she says he’s really nice. ”
“None of you can breathe a word of this until she says something.” Nash pointed at us from across the room. “You were supposed to keep your mouth shut.” He moved to just point at me.
I shrugged, “what can I say? I’m bad with secrets.” As soon as it came out of my mouth, I regretted it.
“Not all of them,” he grumbled as he walked out of the room. My sisters wrapped their arms around me and hugged me tightly.
“Mom has a boyfriend.” Lark whispered, and we all squealed as we kicked our feet.