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“Bless you,” Nate said.
“Be sure to leave one of the maple long johns for Dallas,” Jess said, reaching the counter. “Everything else is fair game.” She lifted the lid on one box and took out two doughnuts. She approached Jill, who still stood near the hall that led to the garage.
“Tiger tail for you.” Jess handed her the doughnut, her eyes huge. “How is he?”
“I thought he was fine,” Jill said. “But apparently, I don’t have all the information.” She frowned at the doughnut, but half of the twisted, glazed doughnut was made with chocolate dough, so she took a bite. The crispy, sugary glaze combined with the soft dough made her moan. “Oh, I love these.” She chewed and swallowed, and then she drew Jess into a hug. “Thank you for coming.”
She hadn’t even realized she needed her friends here, but now that they had all gathered in the West Wing, Jill knew she did. She needed them. She loved them—and they loved her.
They chatted and ate cookies and doughnuts. Hannah got out milk and napkins, and after about a half an hour, Ginger raised both hands and called in a loud voice, “All right, everyone. I need a minute of your attention. Then Nate wants to go sit on the front porch and wait for his boys.” She gave her husband a knowing, loving smile, and he returned it.
She took his hand, and the two of them held everyone’s attention effortlessly, the way they always had.
“Nate and I are expecting a baby,” Ginger said, her voice breaking on the last word. Her face crumpled as her emotion flowed over it, and then she smiled through the tears.
A brief moment of silence filled the West Wing, and then a chaotic eruption filled the air as congratulations and squeals came from all of the women, Jill included.
She waited her turn to hug Ginger and Nate, but when she did, she clung to them with every fiber of strength inside her. “Congratulations, you two,” she said, smiling at her. “When are you due?”
“May first,” she said. “So not for a while.”
“It’s so exciting.”
“Connor’s already got names picked out,” Nate said, and he wore such joy on his face that Jill could hardly believe he was the same man as the one she’d embraced a half an hour ago, stealing his strength as he practically glowered with unrest.
Jill went outside first and took a spot on the bottom step, reaching out for Axle. “Hey, boy,” she said, glad and comforted when the dog came right over to her and sat on her feet. He leaned his head back and looked up at her with his beautiful, puppy-dog eyes. She leaned down and hugged him. “I’m okay,” she said, though she wasn’t sure if she was.
She just wanted Slate to get back so she could look him in the eyes andseefor herself how he was.
She craved the stability she’d found at the ranch. She wanted the husband, the family, the cabin on the edge of the lawn. She’d lived the life where she didn’t know where she’d sleep that night, and where she didn’t know where her next meal would come from. She’d thought she was happy then, but she hadn’t been.
She just wanted a quiet life, right here on this ranch. She wanted what Emma and Ginger had. She’d live in town near Jess—that would be amazing too.
Jess came to sit beside her, and she pressed her knee to Jill’s. “I know you’re not okay.”
Jill couldn’t bring herself to look at Jess. If she did, she’d cry, and she’d really rather not. She looked out at the children playing with the four blue heelers and each other, and though it was hot, the sun was going down. The soft glow coming from the west made everything seem plated in gold, and Jill wanted it all.
“I just want…certain things so badly,” she said, tucking her hands between her knees.
Jess put her arm around Jill’s shoulders. “I know you do.”
“I’m falling in love with him,” she whispered.
“You’re already in love with him,” Jess amended.
Jill tried to laugh or scoff, but what happened was actually a sob. She leaned into Jess’s shoulder and let her friend comfort her. She pulled back on her emotions when the front door opened and more people came outside.
Hannah took the spot on Jill’s other side, handing her a cookie with a knowing look.
“Thank you,” Jill murmured. She looked at Hannah fully, not embarrassed by the tears, not with Hannah. “Luke really likes you, Hannah. I’ve been helping him plan a way to ask you out.”
Her eyes widened. “What? You have?”
“I thought you needed a couple of weeks, and it’s only been ten days since Bill broke up with you. I didn’t want him to seem too eager, and I wanted you to have some time and distance from Bill.”
Hannah’s shock melted off her face, and she leaned over and hugged Jill. “You are a very good friend.”
“I love you and want you to be happy,” Jill said. “He’s meeting with his parole officer on Tuesday. I think he wanted to be free before he asked you out.”
