AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Speaking of the truth.” Cloe looked at Belle with concerned eyes. “Are you sure your dislike of Jesse isn’t based on . . . something else?”
“I think she’s trying to ask you if you’re jealous of Jesse and Liberty’s relationship, Belly,” Hallie clarified.
“I’m not going to deny I feel a little slighted by Liberty’s infatuation with Jesse, but if I thought Jesse would make her happy, y’all know I wouldn’t have called this meeting. I’m seriously concerned. Liberty isn’t acting at all like herself.”
Sweetie reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “She’s in love, Belle. Love changes things.”
But it shouldn’t. It shouldn’t change things. Especially between sisters. But the looks on Sweetie’s and Cloe’s faces kept Belle from saying that. They thought she was just jealous. And she was. But she was also concerned.
“Y’all know Liberty. When she wants something, she goes after it with both guns blazing. That’s fine in business, but it’s not fine in love. She needs to slow down and think about what she’s doing—and who she’s doing it with—before she ends up getting hurt.”
Sweetie sighed. “Okay, Belly. I’ll talk with her. But I’m not going to bad mouth Jesse. I like him.”
“I do too,” Cloe said. “I think you will too, Belly, once you get to know him.”
Belle disagreed, but again she kept her mouth shut. Obviously, Jesse had charmed her sisters as well as Liberty. But he wasn’t going to charm her.
“I get that you’re worried, Belly,” Noelle said. “But if anyone can take care of herself, it’s Libby.”
“Elle does have a good point.” Hallie hopped in. “Liberty is one tough nut. I’m sure she’ll be fine. Now how are things going at convincing that no-account ranch thief to sell the ranch to Rome? Liberty acted like she had some kind of a plan, but wouldn’t tell me what it was. Did she tell you?”
Belle bristled. “A plan? She didn’t tell me anything about a plan. But she doesn’t seem to tell me anything these days. And if she has a plan, she’s certainly not implementing it. She’s too busy with Jesse’s harebrained idea of turning Mrs. Fields’ into a bed-and-breakfast.”
“I don’t think that’s a harebrained idea,” Sweetie said. “The town needs a place for visitors to stay. Especially if y’all are moving your event business here. And Mimi mentioned a plan for saving the ranch too, but wouldn’t go into detail.”
“She seems to think that befriending Corbin will make him change his mind,” Belle said. “But that isn’t going to work. Corbin wants the ranch for Sunny and he loves his sister as much as we love each other.”
“Then let the thieving asshole buy another ranch,” Hallie fumed.
“He doesn’t want another ranch. He has some image in his head of the Holiday Ranch being the perfect home for Sunny.”
“For Sunny? Isn’t he planning on living there too?” Cloe asked.
The stab of sympathy Belle had felt yesterday hit her again. I’ve learned it’s best not to want too much. That way you’re never disappointed when you don’t get it. They had been such hopeless words that she’d had the overwhelming urge to pull Corbin into her arms and hug him. Which was silly. He didn’t want hugs. Especially from a Holiday.
“I don’t think he cares where he lives,” she said. “Maybe because he’s lived in so many places.”
“It sounds like you’ve become friends with the enemy, Belly,” Noelle said.
Hallie jumped in before Belle could answer. “It sure does. And maybe Mimi’s idea isn’t just a bad thing. You’ve always had a talent for getting people to open up and talk to you. Maybe you can get Corbin to confide in you and we can find the chink in his armor. Besides, it will give you something else to worry about besides you and Liberty not being joined at the hip anymore.”
Belle scowled. “I don’t expect Liberty to be joined at my hip. We spent the last month without each other and I did just fine.”
“You weren’t fine. Every time I called, you sounded like a lost calf that couldn’t find her mama. Damn, Belly, you didn’t think you and Libby were going to live together forever, did you?”
“Of course not.” But she had thought they would live close to each other with husbands who never came between them. She had never imagined herself feeling like an outsider.
“Well, I wish I could say this has been a productive meeting,” Noelle said. “But all I’ve gotten out of it is that Belly is jealous of Jesse and Corbin has no intentions of selling Rome back the ranch. So if that’s all, I’m out.” She waved before her side of the screen went blank. Hallie soon followed, leaving Cloe and Sweetie sitting there giving Belle a sympathetic look.
Before she could reiterate that she wasn’t jealous of Jesse, just concerned for Liberty, Rome came in with an armload of skinny shipping boxes.
“I hate to interrupt, Lucky, but I think the wallpaper you ordered is here.” He set the multiple boxes on the island and smiled at Cloe. “And I think you got plenty to cover, not only the baby’s room, but also the entire house. Although Casey might throw a fit when he comes home and finds his room done in prancing ponies with pink bows.”
Cloe laughed. “I bet he won’t. He’s as excited about the baby as your daddy is.” She got up and walked into Rome’s waiting arms. They kissed like Sweetie and Belle weren’t there. When they drew back, Rome looked starry eyed and lovestruck.
“I’ll paper the entire house in pink ponies for kisses like that. When do you want me to start putting it up in the baby’s room?” Cloe must have sent Rome some kind of nonverbal message because he glanced over at Belle. “Oh, right. There’s no hurry then. I’ll just let you ladies get back to your meeting.” He gave her another kiss before he left.
Belle didn’t put two and two together until she’d left the Remington Ranch and was headed into town. The room Belle was staying in was going to be the baby’s room. Which made sense when it was right next door to Cloe and Rome’s room. That’s why Cloe hadn’t shown Belle the cradle and the baby’s room. They couldn’t start decorating it with Belle staying in it.
