by Carly Morgan
Lance’s phone rang, interrupting Jackson’s thoughts. “Hey Ross, talk to me.”
Jackson sat up, intent on the conversation. They’d been waiting for any sort of gossip from around town as to the whereabouts of Quin Carone. Jackson had only slightly hoped the man had changed his mind and left town, but between the music and shouting on the other end of the phone, it was obvious that wasn’t the case. “You’re kidding. Scarlett?” Lance met Jackson’s gaze and shook his head. “All right, man. Thanks for the information.” Jackson hung up.
“He’s at Kilpeppers drinkin, and sayin stuff about Maya.”
“Figures,” Blaze said, his face disgusted.
Nearly every town had a sketchy underbelly. For Peach Valley that happened to be Kilpeppers.
“Saddle up, boys.” Everett stood.
“Be careful. Don’t fight. But make sure he knows we don’t take kindly to those who deliberately try to hurt our own.” Milly hugged each of the boys as they headed out to Jackson’s truck.
“Will do, momma,” Blaze said, kissing her cheek.
They drove over, but didn’t go in. It was known around town that the Bale boys didn’t frequent bars. Most said their momma would beat them senseless, but the truth was they didn’t like those kinds of places. They had their own personal reasons, each different. But they’d come to the same conclusions and steered clear. So instead of going in, they waited.
It wasn’t more than an hour before Quin came out. He had Scarlett on his arm. Jackson snorted. Not that he had feelings for Scarlett, other than that she was part of his town. Jackson had talked to Scarlett after he’d taken her to church. It’d been one of the most uncomfortable conversations of his life, but it clarified that the two of them weren’t a good fit. Now, she leaned into Quin as they walked to his car.
Jackson squeezed his steering wheel.
“Ease up, Jack. We’re going to talk to him and he’ll be gone before mornin.” Everett punched his brother less than lightly in the arm.
Jackson rubbed the spot, trying to work out the soreness. “I’m going to talk to him by myself first. No sense putting him on the defensive.”
“Yep, and when he doesn’t listen, then we’re all going to talk to him.” Lance added.
“No trouble though. By talking, I mean just talking. I don’t want there to be any fighting,” Jackson said.
“We know, brother. We’re just going to make sure he’s clear that Peach Valley is Team Maya. That’s all.” Blaze patted Jackson’s shoulders from the back seat.
“Nothing more,” Lance added.
Jackson shook his head. “Y’all aren’t going to make me regret spilling my guts to you, are you?” He turned facing Everett, who sat in the seat next to him and then glanced at Lance and Blaze.
“No way. We all hoped you’d find someone after Diana died.” Lance crossed his arms.
“Easy, man.” Blaze smacked him in the chest.
“I am.” Lance blinked several times. “We love you bro. That is all.”
“Exactly,” Everett added. “And if you care for Maya like you say you do, then we owe it to her, to the memory of Diana, and especially to you to make sure no one, including the schmuck in the Porsche hurts her.”
“Good. Thanks guys. Now, stay here.” Jackson jumped out of his truck to complaints, but Jackson had only asked his brothers to be back up. Just in case Quin wouldn’t listen to reason. He cleared his throat, pushed his hat more firmly down on his head, and headed over.
Quin had been saying something to Scarlett as he held open the car door. In the low light of the street lamps, he could see the car was red and the license plate said #1 Lover. Jackson rolled his eyes. What had Maya seen in the guy? Scarlett saw Jackson first. She whispered, “Trouble,” before moving out of the way.
“Scarlett you’d better get on home. I need to have some words with Mr. Carone and it might take me a while.”
Quin, who was several inches shorter than Jackson, turned. For a spilt second, fear crossed his features, but was gone the next. “Look, I don’t want any trouble.”
“Good. I don’t want any trouble either. I just came to ask you politely to leave town. There’s nothing for you here.” Jackson tucked his hands into his pockets, trying to make it seem like he was having a casual conversation.
Quin seemed to comprehend that Jackson wasn’t a threat because he smiled. “Now that’s not true. Look here, I’ve just met,” he glanced over, indicating Scarlett.
“Scumbag,” Scarlett huffed, moving off and getting into her own car.
Quin snorted. “Well, I’m sure there are plenty more like her.” He ran a hand though his thick, black hair.
Jackson ground down on his teeth, fighting the urge to punch the guy multiple times. The door’s to his truck opened and then slammed shut. Jackson groaned. His brothers were terrible at following directions.
“What, you’ve got like a gang or something. Planning on hurting me?” Quin eyes flicked between Jackson and his brothers, a wild look on his face. “This is a free country, you know. I can be wherever I want to be.”
Jackson lifted his arms in supplication. “That’s true. You can, but really how much inspiration are you going to find out here? I mean it’s too hot in the summer, too cold in the winter, and always windy. There are bugs, rattlesnakes, and animals bigger than anywhere else in the country. Why just last week, we had to fight off a grizzly that went after some cattle. Plucked them right off our land and ate them like they were his snacks. Two thousand pounds of beef, and he went after them like they stood still. This country is wild and unforgiving. You could get yourself in a world of hurt out here. So do yourself a favor and get out of town. The sooner the better.”
“Is that a threat? If I don’t leave, then you’re going to pound me or something?” Quin climbed into his car. The tiny, low to the ground vehicle seemed ridiculous out here, like it didn’t belong and neither did he.
“It’s a promise,” Blaze yelled.
Jackson held up a hand, telling him to chill. But Blaze was the youngest and tended to have a hot head. “No. Look, we aren’t like that. We aren’t going to fight. What we want is for Maya to feel safe. Peach Valley has already claimed her as one of its own. We care about her, and we don’t want anyone saying things about her that aren’t true.”
“You mean you care about her?” Quin slammed his door, and his car roared to life. He rolled down the window. “You’re wasting your time. She’s a cold, unfeeling—”
“Stop,” Jackson yelled, nearly losing his temper. “I’ve heard your opinion of her once already today and have no desire to hear it again.”
“Wait. You’ll see.”
“Let me just hurt him a little,” Blaze said.
“You’d better keep that guy in check. I’d hate to have to call the police.”
Lance and Everett laughed.
“Maybe we could call Sheriff Green. I know he’s been dyin to try his hand at driving a Porsche.”
“What a bunch of red necks. Get out of my way. I’m out of here.” Quin’s car lurched forward, his tires spinning in the gravel. “Hicks,” he shouted and tore off down the freeway.
“What did Maya see in that guy?” Everett asked.
“I mean seriously. He’s a weasel,” Blaze added.
“Haven’t you heard the term, love is blind?” Jackson crossed his arms, remembering he’d asked himself the same question more than once.
Lance clapped Jackson on the back. “Looks like he’s heading out of town. Are we going to stand here until he’s out of the state?”
“I want to, but—” Jackson’s phone rang. “It’s momma,” he whispered, even though no one else was around.
“Better answer it. She’ll just keep calling if you don’t,” Everett said, knowingly.
He answered. “Hi momma. What’s going on?”
“Are you still with your brothers?”
“Yes. They’re all here.”
“Did you handle Maya’s ex?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Get home. It’s your dad.” She hung up.
A feeling of dread drifted through Jackson’s body as he told his brother’s what he knew. They drove home in silence. No one had the heart to talk.
14
The next morning Maya woke after only a few hours sleep. She made herself some oatmeal and was about to take a bite when someone knocked on the door. She wore sweatpants and a tank and hadn’t brushed her hair yet. It was becoming a regular occurrence with her. She debated whether to answer. Her first thought was that it might be Quin, and she didn’t want to see him ever again. It’d been a rough night. She’d finally acknowledged her deep feelings for Jackson. She’d even let herself be happy about it. But Quin had shown up and ruined everything. More than once she berated herself for not telling Jackson sooner that she’d been married before. It never seemed like the right time. Now, she wished she had just blurted it out. Anytime would’ve been better than the way it happened.
“Who is it?” Maya went over to the door, placing her hand on the knob, making sure it was locked.
“It’s Milly Bale.”
That was the last person Maya expected to show up on her doorstep. “Hi,” she said, but the word froze on her lips. The woman’s eyes were puffy and her usually perfect bun and outfit was askew. Immediately, Maya knew. Milly’s husband had died. “Come in,” she said, stepping out of the way.
“Thank you, Maya, but I can’t stay.” She held out a leather folder. “Randall mentioned the idea you spoke to him about Sunday night. I’ve brought the pictures.” She paused, and wobbled.
Maya reached out and held her. “Please, come in. Let me get you something to drink.”
Milly shook her head. She was a tough woman. “My husband passed last night and I have a million things to do.” She nodded. “I hoped you might be able to do something with these.” She held out the folder. Maya took it.
“I’m sure I can. Did you want the photos for the funeral?”
“If possible, that would be wonderful.”
“I’ll make sure it gets done. Is there a particular size?”
“Um, yes. A family photo in twenty by thirty would be great and various sizes besides that.”
“And when is the funeral?”
“Let’s see. It’ll be Saturday. Is that enough time?”
Maya nodded. “I’ll make sure to have them ready.”
“Thank you, Maya.” Milly hugged Maya tightly. “I’ll be sure to get you all the details for time and when you can drop them off.”
“No problem.”
Once Milly left, Maya picked up her cell phone and debated whether to call Jackson or not. She wanted to tell him she was sorry for his loss, but as she typed the words, they seemed ridiculous. She erased it and thought about typing how sorry she was for not telling her about her ex and that she was sorry his dad died. “Nope.” She threw her phone. It wasn’t something one sent over text. She needed to speak to him in person, but the last time she’d seen him he’d walked away. And she didn’t want to bring her drama into his life. He didn’t need it. So she did what she could, edited the photos and worked on her special project, which turned out better than she could’ve imagined. She had the photos rushed and found frames that would work.
Quin seemed to have disappeared. She didn’t hear from him again and was happy about it.
By Friday she had everything ready. Her aunt had given her the address of the mortuary and the time to drop off the photos. She wrapped the photos in butcher paper and placed them carefully in the back seat of her little bug, using her GPS to find the place.
Inside a kindly, elderly man in a black suit met Maya. “Hello, my name is Maya Vance. I have the photos to be used at the Randall Bale funeral.”
“Of course. You can put them in here.” He walked her to the room. For the next several minutes, she unloaded them and drove home. She hadn’t seen Jackson in days. With every passing moment she kept a prayer in her heart that he was doing all right.
The day of the funeral, Maya chose a black dress with matching heels. Her aunt drove them. They arrived a little early and it was a good thing. The parking lot was packed. As soon as Maya saw Jackson, her heart flew into her throat. He looked good, of course. Handsome in his black suit and black cowboy hat that was exactly the same as his brother’s. He seemed to be working to keep it together, but it was apparent he was struggling. Milly stood so that the open casket was on one side and her sons stood on the other.
Aunt Patty took a program from an usher and they found a spot in the middle to sit. For the briefest moment, Jackson’s eyes found hers. She held his gaze, hoping he could see how much she cared. After several long seconds he looked away. Maya wondered where Ava was and found her near the front sitting with an elderly woman Maya hadn’t met.
The funeral was lovely. Maya shed lots of tears during all of the tributes offered and memories shared. It was apparent Randall was well loved by his family and his friends. Afterward, the Bale family held a get together at the main house of their ranch. Maya went with her aunt, desperate for an opportunity to see Jackson. She found his brothers and Milly, but Jackson and Ava weren’t there. Maya wondered if he’d taken his daughter to their house for a nap. She sighed, resigning herself to missing him.
“Hey, Maya. Thanks for coming. The photos you took are amazing.” It was Blaze. His eyes were slightly swollen. “Everyone has said how much they love them.”
“Thank you, Blaze. You all made it easy on me.”
Everett and Lance appeared next to their younger brother.
“Hey, Maya.” Lance hugged her.
As did Everett. “I especially like this one.” He pointed at her special project. During their Sunday evening photo shoot, she’d taken a picture of Jackson, Everett, Lance, and Blaze standing together. Then Maya had taken a picture Milly had brought of a younger and much healthier Randall. Using her photo-editing program, she superimposed Randall into the picture of the brothers, making it look like they’d all had their picture taken together and at the same time. It’d been a lot of work getting the editing, lighting, and coloring to turn out just right, but as she looked at it now, she knew she’d done a good job. The photo would be a cherished memory for many years.
“He looks like us,” Blaze said, his voice soft and filled with awe.
“I agree. Jackson and I were discussing it earlier. It’s amazing,” Everett said.
At the mention of Jackson’s name, Maya perked up. Everett’s face softened when he noticed. “He’s having a really hard time, Maya. Just know he cares about you, but he may need a few weeks of space.”
“Jackson cares about you, deeply,” Blaze admitted. “And I’ve never seen him so wound up because of a woman. The guy made us run your ex out of town.”
“He what,” Maya whispered-shouted. Mortified, she covered her mouth. “Sorry.”
“It’s true. He didn’t want that guy causing you any trouble. The first night he was in town he had us wait outside a bar until the guy came out. Then proceeded to suggest rather strongly that he leave and not come back,” Blaze continued.
“I think we might have scared him,” Lance added.
Maya’s heart warmed and the gooeyness returned to her insides. “But Quin isn’t dead, right?”
“No, we didn’t lay a finger on him or his Porsche.”
Maya gave them each a sincere smile. “Thank you for telling me. I’d wondered why I hadn’t heard from Quin.”
“You can thank Jackson. It was all his doing. We were just there for moral support,” Everett confirmed.
Tears filled her eyes and her throat constricted. Maya nodded. “I’ll give him the space he needs and thank him when the time is right.” She glanced at each of them. “But if you can and it seems appropriate, would you let him know how grateful I am.”
“Of course, Maya.” Blaze squeezed her against his side. “We’d do anything for you. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen Jackson happy a
nd we all know you’re the reason. The guy was whistling last week. Once he’s got a handle on his grief, he’ll be back around.”
“Thank you,” she said again.
“Momma loves the pictures too, especially the one you took of her and dad the other night,” Everett nodded toward the photo. Milly had bent down to kiss Randall. He’d smiled and returned the kiss. The pictures confirmed the thirty-five years of love they’d shared together. She’d also edited one of all of them standing around Randall’s bed as well as one of the six of them when they’d all been younger. She’d retouched Milly and Randall’s wedding photo, giving it new life while still keeping the integrity of the original photographer’s work.
Before leaving, Maya hugged Milly complimenting her of the beautiful day. She quickly scanned the room for Jackson. Her aunt noticed and said, “He still isn’t here.” She debated going over to his house, but had no idea what to say, and she felt she might be an intrusion. She didn’t want that.
So she and her aunt left.
Over the next several weeks, Maya threw herself into learning the business of running a bed and breakfast. She followed her aunt around, took pictures, and assisted in taking reservations, preparing the rooms, and anything else her aunt needed.
The Palace in Peach Valley’s grand opening was a great success. Local news turned up. Maya took pictures for all eight couples staying at the Palace. The whole process was a lot of work, but Maya found she loved it.
In her personal life, the first thing Maya did was delete the awful picture she’d taken of Quin and Violet in bed together. That moment no longer had an effect on her life. Not in the least. Keeping it felt like she was hanging on to a past she no longer cared about and that wasn’t true. She’d fully moved on.