Chapter 17
All through supper, Liberty watched the clock on the stove and listened for the rumbling sound of Jesse’s truck. She knew the rest of her family was doing the same thing. Mama, Mimi, Daddy, Cloe, and Sweetie barely spoke as they ate the tater tot casserole Mama had made for supper. It was Decker and Rome who kept the conversation going.
“Ms. Peterson got a new Mini Cooper,” Decker said as he watched Sweetie pick at her food with a concerned look. “Today was the third time in two weeks that I had to pull her over for speeding. I hated to give my favorite librarian a ticket, but I’d already given her two warnings. Still, Melba gave me a thorough scolding when I got back to the office about Ms. Peterson just needing to sow a little wild oats after her husband left her.”
“You’re lucky Melba just gave you a scolding, instead of one of her foster pets. She came by today with a pudgy pug that she tried to pawn off on us.” Rome dished up some more casserole. But instead of putting it on his plate, he put it on Cloe’s. “Remember you’re eating for two, honey.”
Cloe shook her head. “Thank you, but I’m just not hungry.”
Liberty wasn’t hungry either. She was scared, but she couldn’t help trying to calm her family’s fears. “Jesse is going to get everything figured out. He’s probably on his way back here to tell us the good news as I speak.”
But when they’d finished eating and all the dishes were cleaned and put away, Daddy had had enough waiting around. He grabbed his hat off the rack by the door. “I’m heading to Corbin’s to see what the hell is going on.”
“No, Daddy,” Sweetie said. “We need to give Jesse more time.”
“I agree,” Mama said. “Maybe they went to the Hellhole and just lost track of the time. How many times have you been late for, or completely missed, supper, Hank, because you ran into a friend at Bobby’s? Jesse hasn’t seen his friend for a while. I’m sure they have a lot to catch up on.”
“I’m sure that’s it,” Cloe agreed. “Jesse just hasn’t been able to get away. If he doesn’t make it tonight, I’m sure he’ll be here bright and early in the morning.” She got up from the couch. “We better get going, Rome.”
Sweetie stood. “We need to get home too.”
Everyone walked out to the porch to say goodbye. Once her sisters and their husbands had driven away, her parents went inside, leaving Liberty and Mimi on the porch. Feeling the need to ease her grandmother’s fears, Liberty spoke,
“Jesse won’t give up, Mimi. He’s one of the best negotiators I’ve ever met at getting what he wants.”
Mimi sat down on the swing and patted the spot next to her. When Liberty was seated, Mimi studied her with intent eyes. “I don’t doubt for a second that Jesse will do his best.” She hesitated. “And not because he likes your mama’s apple pies. After that kiss he gave you earlier, I figure I know what Jesse wants.”
Liberty didn’t deny it. She knew Jesse wanted her. Just not enough to stay.
“Don’t be thinking you hear wedding bells, Mimi. Jesse’s not the marrying kind.”
Mimi’s eyebrow lifted. “You usually say that you’re not the marrying kind. Are you starting to change your mind about marriage being the worst thing that could happen to an independent, strong woman? Does Jesse have you starting to doubt your belief that marriage takes your independence?”
She shrugged. “It doesn’t seem to have taken Cloe’s and Sweetie’s. So I guess it all depends on the man.”
Mimi pushed the swing and sent it swaying. “And is Jesse the kind of man who will let his wife be who she is?”
Liberty thought over the question. There was no doubt in her mind Jesse would allow the woman he married to be who she was. He wouldn’t try to change her or suffocate her. In fact, he seemed to love challenging Liberty to be even stronger and more independent. It was too bad he wasn’t the marrying kind. Even if he was, she wasn’t. And not just because she was scared about losing her independence.
“I can’t have kids, Mimi.”
Mimi didn’t even flinch or act the least bit surprised. Of course, she had witnessed Liberty’s horrible periods and emergency room visits when she was a teenager. “And what does that have to do with getting married?”
“Men, even men who say they don’t want children, don’t want the option taken from them. I don’t want to be the woman they end up resenting.”
“And you think Jesse will be the type of man to resent his wife for something she can’t help?”
She didn’t know why tears sprang to her eyes, but there they were. “No, but he doesn’t want to marry me, Mimi. He’s made no bones about struggling with relationships.”
Mimi snorted. “Everyone struggles with relationships. If they say they don’t, they’re lying. The question is ‘Does he think you’re worth the struggle?’”
She brushed a tear from her cheek. “I don’t know. But if he doesn’t, you don’t need to worry. I’ll survive.”
Mimi placed an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “Of course you will. Of all my granddaughters, you are a survivor, Liberty Lou Holiday, and I don’t doubt for a second that you can survive without Jesse or any man.” She paused. “But there’s a difference between simply surviving and living life to the fullest. If Jesse is the kind of man who lets you be the strong, independent woman you are, why would you want to survive without him?”
“I don’t think Jesse is going to give me that choice.”
“But if he did? If he showed up here tonight and said, ‘Libby Lou, you’re the woman of my dreams and I can’t live without you,’ what would you say?”
The answer came immediately. She just couldn’t bring herself to say it.
But Mimi knew. Her grandmother had always been good at reading her.
“So I guess you have a choice, Libby Lou. You can sit here hoping your Prince Charming shows up and says those words . . . or you can take matters in your own hands and go after what you want.” She gave her a tight hug before she got up from the swing. When she glanced down at Liberty, there was a twinkle in her eyes. “I know my strong, independent granddaughter will make the right choice.”
After Mimi left, Liberty sat there on the swing thinking about everything her grandmother had said. Mimi was right. All her life, Liberty had worked hard to prove to herself, her family, and everyone else that she was a strong, independent woman who could do quite nicely without a man. But being strong and independent didn’t mean she had to be alone for the rest of her life. Some people didn’t take away your strength and independence. Some people only added to it.
Jesse had forced her out of her one-track mind and made her notice the world around her. He made her laugh and cry and feel things she’d never felt before. He challenged her to enjoy life. To see more. To feel more. To be more.
She was more with Jesse. So much more.
So why would she let him go?
She jumped up and hurried into the house. Daddy and Mama looked surprised when she grabbed her purse and keys. Mimi only smiled.
“I’m going to see Jesse,” she said. “Don’t wait up.”
On the way to Corbin’s trailer, she went well over the speed limit. She wasn’t in a hurry to find out about the ranch. She was in a hurry to see Jesse and tell him she thought their relationship was worth fighting for. Correction, she knew it was worth fighting for.
When she got to Corbin’s, Jesse’s truck and another white truck were parked in the yard so she parked just outside the rusty chicken-wire fence. As she headed toward the front door, she could hear laughter coming from the trailer. It looked like Mama had been right and Jesse and Corbin were so busy catching up that they had lost track of the time. She took the laughter as a good sign that everything had gone well with Corbin.
But she wasn’t concerned about the ranch now. All she was concerned about was Jesse feeling the same way she did. She thought he did. But what if she couldn’t convince him that what they had was special enough to give a chance?
Her hand shook as she knocked on the door. The laughter inside faded and a few seconds later the door swung open.
It took her a moment to recognize Corbin. In high school, he had been a tall, skinny kid with shaggy, unkempt hair and acne. Now he was an even taller, muscular man with styled hair that swept back from a handsome face with a smooth complexion. As soon as he saw her, the smile he had on his face turned to a scowl.
“Well, if it isn’t Liberty Holiday. Or are you Belle? I always struggle to tell the difference.” There was a sarcastic tone to his voice that made Liberty more than a little leery.
“Hey, Corbin. How have you been?”
Before he could answer, a woman moved next to Corbin. Jesse stepped up behind her. The similarity in his and the woman’s features was startling.
“Libby?” Jesse said.
She pinned on a smile. “Sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to talk to you, but we can talk later.” She looked at the woman. “I didn’t realize you had family in town.” She held out a hand. “Liberty Holiday.”
The woman took her hand and smiled brightly. “We’ve already met. I’m Sunny Whitlock, Corbin’s sister.” She glanced over her shoulder at Jesse. “And Jesse’s.”
Her words completely blindsided Liberty. “You’re Jesse’s sister?” She glanced at Jesse. “I don’t understand.”
“Of course you don’t,” Corbin said. “Your parents didn’t switch partners like ours . . . but you and your sister didn’t mind switching boyfriends.”
Liberty was so stunned about Jesse being related to Corbin and Sunny, she didn’t even try to grasp what Corbin was talking about.
“That’s enough, Whitty.” Jesse stepped out the door and closed it behind him. He took her arm and led her down the rickety steps. Still stunned, she allowed it. But once they were at the bottom, the truth finally sunk in and she jerked away from his grasp and whirled on him.
“You’re Corbin’s brother!”
He held out his hands. “Calm down, Libby.”
“Calm down? Calm down? Like hell I’m going to calm down. Answer the question. Are you or are you not, Sunny and Corbin’s brother?”
He sighed. “Half brother. We have the same father.”
She felt like she had the time she’d been tossed off a horse and had all the wind knocked out of her. She had trusted Jesse. She had completely trusted him. And he’d been lying to her all along. Her voice shook with anger and hurt.
“So you’re not friends. You’re family. Not once when you were telling me about your adoptive family did you mention Sunny and Corbin.”
“Because I didn’t find out about them until a couple years ago. That’s when we went into business together.”
“You’re business partners? What business?” When Jesse didn’t say anything, she knew. Once again, she felt the searing pain of betrayal. “So it’s not just Corbin foreclosing on my family’s ranch. It’s you too.”
He shook his head. “No. I didn’t have anything to do with your family’s loan. But I still should have told you that Corbin was my brother and business partner. At first, I didn’t because I didn’t think you needed to know. Later, it was because . . .” He let the sentence drift off, but Liberty didn’t need him to finish it.
“You wanted to get me into bed.”
“That’s not it at all, Libby.” He went to reach for her, but she stepped back.
“Oh, come on, Jesse. There’s no need to lie anymore. That was the bet, wasn’t it? And you won. You got me in bed. Not just for one night, but for many.” She forced a laugh. “Damn, you are good at getting the most out of a deal.”
“Stop it, Libby. It wasn’t like that and you know it.”
“Then what was it, Jesse? Was it love?” Even in the darkness, she could read the panicked look on his face. A dagger sliced her heart and she struggled to keep her voice from trembling. “Of course it wasn’t. It was just a little fun while you waited for your brother to get back.” A thought struck her. “You never planned to talk to him about the eviction notice, did you? I bet you never even planned to talk him out of foreclosing on the ranch.” Her temper flared and she swung at him. “You bastard!”
He easily caught her wrist. “Stop it, Liberty. You’re letting your temper keep you from thinking logically.”
“Don’t tell me I’m not thinking logically. I know exactly how you think, Jesse Cates. You said yourself that you and I are two peas in a pod. My family will always come first with me. Then business. Everything else comes after that. Which means the deal you made with a woman you had a spring fling with is third on your list.”
“A spring fling? So now we went from a one-night stand to a spring fling?” He snorted. “Wow, Libby Lou, I’m honored.”
She jerked away from him. “Please don’t act like you thought it was more. You’re too terrified to make any kind of commitment and we both know it.”
“And you’re not? How many men have you been in a serious relationship with? Just one name.”
“At least I can commit to something. You can’t even commit to a place to live.” She used her hands to bracket a headline. ‘Jesse Cates, Billionaire World Traveler!’” She lowered her hands. “More like ‘Jesse Cates, Lying Loser.’”
Even in the dark, she could see the anger flare in his eyes. “Let’s talk about lying, shall we? Why didn’t you tell me about what you did to Corbin?”
“What I did to Corbin? It was a high school crush. Nothing ever happened between us.”
“I wouldn’t say agreeing to a date and then sending your sister in your stead is nothing.”
Her eyes widened. “I never sent Belle in my stead.”
“That’s not what Corbin told me. He said Belle pretended like she was you.”
“Belly wouldn’t do that. Corbin must be confused. All I asked her to do was tell him that I was sick.”
“Were you sick?”
“No, but what difference does that make?” She stared at him as the truth dawned. “That’s why he’s taking the ranch? He’s pissed at me because I pretended to be sick and went out with another guy? I was all of seventeen, for God’s sake.” She turned for the door. “I’ll be happy to apologize if that’s what it takes.”
Jesse caught her arm. “He doesn’t want an apology. He wants the ranch.”
She looked back at him. “But why?”
He sighed. “Because he wants to give Sunny the home she never had.”
“Then let him choose another home. I’m sure the Cates family has enough money to buy him whatever he and Sunny want.”
“He doesn’t want another home. He wants the Holiday Ranch.”
“So stop him. You’re not only his business partner. You’re his brother. Stop him.”
A resigned look came over his face. “I can’t.”
“You can’t or you won’t?”
He stared back at her for a long moment before he spoke. “I won’t.”
She’d come there hoping to get Jesse to fight for her. To fight for them. With just two words, that hope had been crushed like his truck tires crushed sagebrush. She wanted to hate him, but she couldn’t. She understood exactly what he was thinking. He was fighting for his family . . . just like she would fight for hers.
“Then I guess the battle lines have been drawn.” She turned and walked away.