placed a hand on her arm. “It’s just for a few days. I’ll be back Monday night.”
Sarah looked at Jesse and the tension seemed to slowly dissipate from her face. “It’s fine.”
“Really?” Kevin asked, disbelieving. “Are you sure?”
Jesse couldn’t believe it either.
“We’re only getting married once.” She uncrossed her arms and placed her hand in his. “If this is what you want, then go and have fun.”
Jesse had been with enough women to know that when a woman says that, it’s simply a test.
Kevin leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. “And that’s why I’m marrying you. Because you’re the best.”
Not exactly the best answer. But Jesse watched as Sarah ran the blueprint changes by Kevin. He showed a mild interest, nodding at all the right times and asking a few questions, but Jesse got the sense that he was glad that he didn’t have to spend a lot of time on this project. Then, after one final hug and kiss to Sarah and a handshake with Jesse, he departed.
For the first few hours working on the fence, neither Jesse nor Sarah said much. Jesse got the feeling that Vegas wasn’t sitting well with her. He imagined telling Kate the same news, except it ended with her throwing things at him and glass shattering against the wall. It was moments like these where he realized he had made the right decision, staying away from love and the chains that went with it.
Sarah left around noon, leaving Jesse to handle the fence on his own. He didn’t mind; he actually enjoyed a little manual labor. Working outside, taking in the sun, and getting a little unintentional exercise. It felt good.
She returned a few hours later, holding two brown bags. “I brought you some lunch just in case you were still here when I got back. You hungry?”
“I’m starved.” Jesse slammed the shovel head into the ground and pulled out a rag from his back pocket.
She sat the bags on the hood of the car and started unloading the food. Bags of chips, a few ham and cheese sandwiches, and a couple bottles of water.
Jesse got an idea. He retrieved a blanket from his truck and laid it out on the ground.
“Wow, you come prepared,” she said, moving the food from the hood of her car to the blanket.
“You never know when you’re going to have an impromptu picnic.” Jesse took a bite of the sandwich. “This is good. Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. The work you’re doing is more than I can repay you for.”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s definitely not nothing. You’ve almost got the entire fence up.”
Sarah’s eyes trailed off to the forest.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just wish he showed more of an interest in this place.”
“Kevin?”
Sarah nodded. “I don’t think he gets it.”
Jesse ate a chip and looked at the freshly cleared land, envisioning the greenhouse. “Maybe it’s just not his thing.”
“But it’s mine. Shouldn’t that be enough?” She looked up at Jesse, her eyes full of disappointment. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be unloading this on you. This isn’t what you signed up for.”
“It’s fine,” he said. “I completely understand.”
“What about you,” she said. “Do you have anyone?”
“Not exactly.”
“That surprises me.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re a good catch. Smart, funny… And not bad to look at.”
“Nope, even with all those things going for me, I’m still not attached.” Jesse twisted the cap off his water bottle and took a drink.
“Attached? That’s how you see being in love?”
“Is there any other way to see it? Look at you two. Kevin’s friends are taking him to Vegas, but he can’t go without checking it with you first. Doesn’t exactly scream freedom.”
Frowning as she placed her sandwich aside, Sarah said, “Jesse Malone, what has happened to you?”
Jesse cocked his head back. “What do you mean?”
“What happened to that sweet boy who built me my first house, carved our initials into the willow
Sarah looked at Jesse and the tension seemed to slowly dissipate from her face. “It’s fine.”
“Really?” Kevin asked, disbelieving. “Are you sure?”
Jesse couldn’t believe it either.
“We’re only getting married once.” She uncrossed her arms and placed her hand in his. “If this is what you want, then go and have fun.”
Jesse had been with enough women to know that when a woman says that, it’s simply a test.
Kevin leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. “And that’s why I’m marrying you. Because you’re the best.”
Not exactly the best answer. But Jesse watched as Sarah ran the blueprint changes by Kevin. He showed a mild interest, nodding at all the right times and asking a few questions, but Jesse got the sense that he was glad that he didn’t have to spend a lot of time on this project. Then, after one final hug and kiss to Sarah and a handshake with Jesse, he departed.
For the first few hours working on the fence, neither Jesse nor Sarah said much. Jesse got the feeling that Vegas wasn’t sitting well with her. He imagined telling Kate the same news, except it ended with her throwing things at him and glass shattering against the wall. It was moments like these where he realized he had made the right decision, staying away from love and the chains that went with it.
Sarah left around noon, leaving Jesse to handle the fence on his own. He didn’t mind; he actually enjoyed a little manual labor. Working outside, taking in the sun, and getting a little unintentional exercise. It felt good.
She returned a few hours later, holding two brown bags. “I brought you some lunch just in case you were still here when I got back. You hungry?”
“I’m starved.” Jesse slammed the shovel head into the ground and pulled out a rag from his back pocket.
She sat the bags on the hood of the car and started unloading the food. Bags of chips, a few ham and cheese sandwiches, and a couple bottles of water.
Jesse got an idea. He retrieved a blanket from his truck and laid it out on the ground.
“Wow, you come prepared,” she said, moving the food from the hood of her car to the blanket.
“You never know when you’re going to have an impromptu picnic.” Jesse took a bite of the sandwich. “This is good. Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. The work you’re doing is more than I can repay you for.”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s definitely not nothing. You’ve almost got the entire fence up.”
Sarah’s eyes trailed off to the forest.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just wish he showed more of an interest in this place.”
“Kevin?”
Sarah nodded. “I don’t think he gets it.”
Jesse ate a chip and looked at the freshly cleared land, envisioning the greenhouse. “Maybe it’s just not his thing.”
“But it’s mine. Shouldn’t that be enough?” She looked up at Jesse, her eyes full of disappointment. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be unloading this on you. This isn’t what you signed up for.”
“It’s fine,” he said. “I completely understand.”
“What about you,” she said. “Do you have anyone?”
“Not exactly.”
“That surprises me.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re a good catch. Smart, funny… And not bad to look at.”
“Nope, even with all those things going for me, I’m still not attached.” Jesse twisted the cap off his water bottle and took a drink.
“Attached? That’s how you see being in love?”
“Is there any other way to see it? Look at you two. Kevin’s friends are taking him to Vegas, but he can’t go without checking it with you first. Doesn’t exactly scream freedom.”
Frowning as she placed her sandwich aside, Sarah said, “Jesse Malone, what has happened to you?”
Jesse cocked his head back. “What do you mean?”
“What happened to that sweet boy who built me my first house, carved our initials into the willow
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