Page 33 of Dark Truth

“I nearly froze to death when…” but Jessi didn’t finish because I kicked her under the table. “When I was working at the resorts.”

“Damn bugs are out already.”

“You were cold even with the ovens?” Roxie asked, confused. She knew Jessi was a baker before she married Trent.

“Yeah, sometimes that was the only thing that kept me warm.” She sipped at her drink and looked away.

I hated making her lie.

The moment sucked all of the fun out of the meeting. Jessi made it all better, though. She asked Roxie about the places she’d been to perform, and before long we were laughing all over again.

“I can’t imagine the life you’ve had. You’re really an amazing woman.”

“I’m just me, Jessi, that’s all I can be.” It wasn’t exactly a brush off of the compliment, but I knew Roxie hated them.

She was a proud woman, but she wasn’t one to seek compliments. Maybe that was odd for a woman who had excelled at a profession like exotic dancing, but it was true. She hated compliments.

Jessi took off the bright green cardigan she wore and fanned her face. “It’s so hot already.”

“It is. The tourists are starting to stream in,” Roxie pointed out.

“Traffic is going to be a nightmare soon,” I remarked, and they both groaned.

“Don’t remind me. I can’t stand it. I think I’ll have Trent send the kids and I back to Charlotte for a while,” Jessi said, offhand. “Or maybe we’ll find a place in the mountains.”

“Now that sounds nice,” Roxie said and leaned forward on the table. “Cool mountain shadows, cold springs to play in, and no tourists.”

“Sounds like heaven, doesn’t it?” I sighed. “Dylan needs me here, though. We’re opening next week. All the stupid little things that have caused delays are sorted, and we’re ready to accept guests, at last.”

Which was one more thing stressing Dylan out at the moment. Those final details, but I knew there was nothing he could do about most of it. Things would go wrong and would need to be sorted that first week, but really, that was what he had staff for.

“Maybe after the opening, in a month or two, when it’s really hot and super busy, you could get away?” Jessi asked, and I glanced at Roxie.

“Maybe we should all escape for a week, without the kids or the men, and just have a vacation to ourselves? You could get Laura to come too.”

“That sounds like a really good plan, actually,” Roxie agreed. “I can take the time off, and it would do me good.”

“Even with Nathan?” I asked, pointedly.

“It would do him good not to have me around for a week.” She had that smug look again. “Remind him of what he’d be missing if he walked away.”

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” Jessi muttered, and we all laughed.

“We can talk about it more later, but I guess we need to find a place first, don’t we? Everything might get booked up otherwise,” I prompted, and Jessi waved me off. “I know a place. I’ll call them later this afternoon.”

“Good. That settles that then.”

“August would be good,” Roxie said, and we all agreed. Right before the kids went back to school, and the last of the tourists were catching what sun they could before the fall came along. It would do us all good to miss that.

I’d be much bigger by then, but not too big. Just big enough for it to be noticeable. I could feel this emotion like excitement mixed with something sweet and happy, and looked at my friends. “I’m so lucky.”

“Fuck me, don’t start crying, Emily.” Roxie handed me a napkin. “I’ll cry with you, at this point.”

“As if you’d ever cry,” I answered and wiped my nose.

“I don’t know. Nathan’s made me soft, I think. I cried over a movie the other night. So much ick.”

“Say it isn’t so?” I breathed out with mock drama.