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“Okay, I think that should be fine,” I say, sinking down to sit on the armchair by the fire.
Keira dumps the bag out onto the bed. Inside are pads, tampons, painkillers, an electric heating pad, and two pregnancy tests. The knot in my chest that only eases with Westin lessens. I never had access to these things freely while living with Thomas. He didn’t like me spending money on anything that wasn’t for the house.
“Is there anything else I can get you?” she asks, offering a smile.
Already, I like Keira. She’s soft and feels trustworthy.
“How do I get over it?” I whisper, dropping my eyes.
My thumbnail is peeling. I pick it.
She sighs. “Westin is a good man; you can lean on him. And I’m here, Maddie is here. She helped me a lot. It just takes time to learn to trust people again.”
My eyes blur. Maybe I was hoping for a different answer.
“Let’s go downstairs,” she says. The bed creaks, and I hear her open the door. “Maddie is making lunch. I think everything seems better when your belly is full.”
I wipe my nose and offer a brave smile, following her back downstairs. The kitchen is warm and smells like chicken broth. My mind drifts back to being sick as a child and watching my Nana make chicken soup with homemade noodles.
“What are you making?” I ask.
Maddie rinses out the coffee pot and starts making a fresh batch. “Chicken and dumplings. I hope you like it,” she says. “It’s my family recipe.”
I nod, sinking down at the table beside Keira, who has her chin on her folded hands. “Thank you.”
The coffee pot bubbles. The dumplings smell so good, they make my stomach twist. Maddie starts talking about something to do with the spring calving season. Keira answers her. I’m focused on the realization that I could have friends. Other women. It’s like a dream.
A bowl hits the table in front of me. It’s huge, piled with thick, dark chunks of chicken and fluffy dumplings. On the plate beside it is a stack of biscuits covered in blackberry jam.
“Dumplings and biscuits?” I ask.
Maddie opens her mouth, and I see Keira shake her head from the corner of my eye.
“I had leftover biscuits,” Maddie says quickly. “Eat up.”
I’m getting tunnel vision. Yes, I’ve eaten since I came here, but not like this, and it has always been just enough for two. Westin eats a lot of lean meat and eggs, and they don’t fill me up.
Keira pours coffee. I start eating, and suddenly, my eyes are wet.
“Are you okay?” Keira asks.
I nod, sniffing. “I’m just a lot happier than I was.”
“Well, don’t let it get in the way of you having hot food,” Maddie says. “Go on, girl, eat.”
Keira and I laugh. Obediently, I start eating and keep going until I can’t fit anything else in my stomach. The dumplings are perfect, savory and soft, melting on my tongue. The chicken is hearty, the vegetables fresh, the broth thick. When my bowl is empty, Maddie takes it and gives me an approving nod.
“Good,” she says. “I’ll have a chat with Westin about getting some things from the grocery store.”
We have coffee, and I relax enough to ask some questions about the ranch. Maddie lives in employee housing with her husband while Keira lives with Sovereign in the ranch house. I’m dying to ask her about that, because I can’t see someone as sweet as her with a man like him.
We have coffee. Maddie unwraps a sticky chocolate cake drenched with canned cherries, and we eat it slathered in fresh whipped cream.
Then, Maddie pulls out a little bottle of red wine. We have a glass each, even though it’s only three in the afternoon.
The room is warm. I’m safe. My heart doesn’t hurt.
Is this what the rest of my life could feel like?
