Page 114 of Blue Jean Summer

This was where I sucked at relationships. There were too many variables that I couldn’t log. I couldn’t prepare and practice. What I saw as the simplest solution was often the wrong course of action because it removed her from the equation.

I fought the intrinsic fight-or-flight response and the anger that masked it, and nodded contritely. “Yes, ma’am.”

Catherine held my hand in hers and smoothed the pad of her finger over the tattoo. “Tell me this is some gumball machine temporary tattoo that will fade after you wash your hands and that it just happened to be a crown.”

“It’s real,” I said as sparks skittered up my arm at the feel of her soft touch. My god, I missed this.

The knee-jerk fight-or-flight reaction began to fade. “And I hated every minute of getting it done. I can’t believe people get tattooed willingly.”

Catherine raised an eyebrow. “I can’t believe you got a tattoo for…”

“For you,” I said as I cupped her cheeks. “I’m not trying to manipulate you, Cath. The first night of the conference ended early and all my meetings were done. I didn’t feel like driving back to Bethesda just yet. I saw a tattoo shop and went in because I was missing you. Because I always miss you, even when you’re just up working on the cottage.”

I kissed her softly, savoring how it eased the torment I had felt ever since she gave the ring back. To my surprise, Catherine tipped her head to the side and kissed me back.

“I don’t know what this is supposed to feel like,” I admitted. “But it feels real.”

Catherine took my hand in hers and slid my ring back on.

I reached into my pocket, pulled out her wedding band, and slid it back on her finger. I hadn’t let it out of my sight since she took it off. “Tell me what you need from me,” I said as I rested my forehead on hers. “Space? Groveling? I’ll do it. I’m more than happy to get on my knees for you.” I brushed strands of hair away from her face. “I will shovel cow shit for you. Just tell me what you need from me.”

Her arms snaked around my waist. “For you to trust me. Treat me like an equal. Don’t problem solve for me. Problem solve with me.”

“Is that your way of saying I’m forgiven?”

She swallowed. “You’re forgiven. But I’m still hurt. Both can be true.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Catherine turned to walk away, but I caught her hand. “How did the interview go?”

“Good,” she said without skipping a beat, but I didn’t miss the way her gaze floated to the mountains. “They said I’d hear back by the end of the week.”

Chapter 29

Catherine

“Hey, beautiful,” Hayes said as I entered his room. He patted the spot on the bed beside him. “Did you get everything you needed?”

Hayes was protective of his space. Whenever we slept together—which hadn’t happened recently—it was in my room.

“Yeah,” I said as I hesitantly climbed onto his bed. “Hallie and I stopped by the Moo Brew for coffee, and I asked Jeremiah if he and Mike would bring the trailer out here for the grand opening. He said yes.”

“Of course he did,” Hayes said as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

“And then I told him about the summer program that the Elias family is sponsoring with their grant, and he and Mike volunteered to provide box lunches for all the kids who show up.”

Hallie had gone with me to pick up one last load of supplies for the Learning Cottage. My new refrigerator was installed. The incubators now had homes on the beautiful countertops Mason had put in. I had a state-of-the-art hydroponic growing system, thanks to a generous donation from Adeline and Beckett Fairchild, and newly cultivated gardens where neat rows of fall crops had been planted.

The Elias family had been thrilled to hear about the project during the owners’ luncheon and had provided a two-year grant from their charitable foundation that would allow me to pay teachers to run the program over the summer while they were out of a paycheck.

Hayes’s brows lifted. “That’s incredible.”

“Being able to provide free lunches during the summer when kids can’t get lunch at school will be huge. It’ll make it easier on families that face food insecurity during the summer. We’ll be giving their kids a safe place to go when school isn’t in session and making sure they’re fed.” I was practically bouncing on top of the bed. “Honey Hollow doesn’t have as many resources as bigger towns or cities, so this is going to be huge for the town.”

His smile grew. “I love seeing you like this.”

“Like what?”