“You are if you think this is something we can easily fix,” Jesse retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m going to have to sell the farm. I don’t have a choice.”
Amber couldn’t believe it. He was so wrapped up in his own issues it didn’t feel like he was even listening to her. Her heart shattered, and she couldn’t believe she’d been so stupid. She should have gone home when Laura first called. She should never have gotten involved with Jesse Wyatt. This was all just going to end in disaster. It was better to nip it in the bud before she dug a deeper hole for herself.
“Well, there’s one other thing you won’t have a choice in,” she stated as tears began to fall down her cheeks. “I’m going back to Chicago and you won’t ever see me again.”
Jesse turned his face away from her, not even reacting to what she’d just told him and it was the final nail in the coffin for Amber. He never loved me and he never will. With that devastating thought resounding in her head, Amber left Jesse’s house and walked over to Billy’s ranch without looking back.
Chapter Fourteen
“This is the final boarding call for flight 730B to Chicago. Please make your way to gate number seven immediately. The final checks are being completed and the doors will close in a few minutes time. Thank you,” a robotic voice called over the tannoy system.
Amber sighed as she glanced once more behind her, hoping to see a familiar face begging her not to go, but there was no one. With a heavy heart, the redhead walked toward gate number seven and handed her boarding pass to the flight attendant. At least once I’m home I can put this whole mess behind me, she tried to reassure herself, but it didn’t work.
The flight was short and easy. By the time Amber arrived in Chicago, it was mid-afternoon and she decided to call Jessica to see if she wanted to hang out. Amber thought if she had some company, maybe she could get rid of that lonely ache she felt inside her. So, she hailed a cab at the airport and pulled her phone out. She tapped her best friend’s number and waited.
However, when she called, her best friend didn’t answer. So, Amber climbed into the car and sat in the cab with Jellybean’s cage on her lap. Then, she placed her phone back into her pocket with a sigh and pressed her forehead against the smooth, cool glass of the window, and felt sorry for herself.
She should have been happy. She should have been thankful to get out of that harsh, smelly place with its terrible internet signal and cell service. There wasn’t even a Starbucks within walking distance in Valley Springs. Here in Chicago, Amber could get whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted it.
Why did that thought not comfort her?
She entered her apartment and set Jellybean free, watching as the tiny dog sniffed around their home and curled up on the sofa. Amber switched on the lights and looked around. Instead of feeling like she was coming home, the redhead just felt like she was terribly alone. Her house no longer felt like home, and it hurt her like a knife to the heart.
Unable to contain her tears, Amber dragged herself over to the sofa and collapsed on the soft, expensive cushions next to Jellybean. Sobs wracked her body and made her chest shake with fervor. She couldn’t believe that she’d ended up coming home more heartbroken than when she had left. After Mike’s betrayal, Amber thought she’d never feel so hurt in her life… Then Jesse arrived.
Even thinking about him made her want to curl up in a ball and never see the light of day. In the end though, she’d been right all along. They were too different for it to ever work beyond sex —beyond a fling. Now, all she could do was move on and try to forget about sexy farmer Jesse Wyatt.
***
The next day, Amber awoke still wearing the same clothes from the flight. She looked up and glanced around the room in confusion before realizing that she was no longer in Valley Springs anymore. Memories came to her of what had happened and she groaned, shoving a cushion over her face and wishing she could fall back asleep.
But her alarm on her phone was persistent, and Amber knew she was due back at work today. With a sigh, she pushed herself up from the sofa and set about getting ready. She took a long hot shower to try and soothe her body before moisturizing her face and trying to get herself looking somewhat decent. She threw on whatever clothes were clean from her suitcase and rushed toward work, her hair still damp and frizzing a little in the wind.
When she took the elevator to the eleventh floor, Amber still didn’t feel any better. This was the building she’d spent a good chunk of the last three years of her life in and yet, being here now felt so hollow and meaningless to her. As she strode down the middle of the room, she caught a glimpse of familiar brunette hair, and walked toward her best friend with a wide smile.
“Jessica! Long time no see!” she greeted happily. “How are you doing?”
Jessica turned in her seat and gasped. “Oh my God, you’re back! I can’t believe it. How are you? What was hillbilly country like?” She laughed, and Amber had never realized how annoying and nasally it sounded before.
Trying not to cringe, Amber sidestepped the question and beamed down at her. “I’m okay thanks. I’m excited to be back,” she lied. “Laura said she has this huge promotion lined up for me, so I’m excited to get started on it. Has she said anything about —”
“Oh my God!” Jessica interrupted as she peered down at Amber’s feet. “What are those?”
Confused, Amber followed Jessica’s gaze and looked down to see that she was wearing the cheap, brown leather boots Jesse had given her on her first day of work on his farm. She hadn’t realized that she’d chosen them to wear today, but while she was in Valley Springs, they’d been a key item in her wardrobe. It was hard to work on the fields all day without a sturdy pair of boots.
“Oh, they’re the shoes I got when I was working down in Arkansas,” Amber said with a flippant wave of her hand. “I was tired when I woke up and I —”
“You need to burn those hideous things,” Jessica stated with wide eyes. “I mean, seriously, do you want me to run out and grab you a pair of shoes from my car? I wouldn’t want anyone to be caught dead in those shoes.”
Amber bristled. “I know they’re not designer or anything, but they mean something to me…”
Jessica laughed. “They mean ugly feet, sure,” she replied, before flicking her hair over her shoulder. “Okay, if you want to wear them then I can’t stop you, but don’t come crying to me when someone else tells you just how hideous they are.”
In spite of Amber’s love for fashion and clothing, she couldn’t quite reconcile the idea that people would judge her solely for wearing one single item of clothing that they deemed unfashionable. Amber wanted freedom. She wanted to be able to wear what she wanted — when she wanted it. Isn’t that what true art was all about? Back before designers and runways, weren’t real fashionistas just artists experimenting? Why did Amber have to follow some guide book on what was right and wrong?
Feeling a little angry with Jessica, Amber just smiled and turned away to take a seat at her own desk. When she found it, there was a note from Laura waiting for her: “Amber! Please come see me ASAP, it’s important!”
After she dropped her bag on her desk, Amber stood and made her way to the familiar glass office that held her boss. She knocked once and Laura called out, “Come in!” As she pushed the door open, Amber was greeted with the usual cheerful and upbeat blonde who was arranging some designs on a large cork board filled with ideas for the fall line.
Amber eyed them with interest and noted that quite a few of the outfits pinned up were ones she had sent Laura by email. That should have filled Amber with pride and made her feel valued, but for some reason, Jessica’s words were still resonating inside her head and she couldn’t shake them.
“Amber! I’m so glad you’re back home where you belong,” Laura said with a grin. “I have to admit I was a little scared when you didn’t want to come home right away. I thought maybe you’d gotten used to a little dirt under your fingernails!” She laughed
as she approached Amber.
“It’s good to be back,” the redhead stated, even though she didn’t really mean it. “What did you want me for?”
Laura grinned. “I’m so glad you asked! I’ve been putting up these inspiration boards for creativity, and I wanted your feedback.” She beckoned Amber over toward the corkboard and smiled. “What do you think?”
Amber looked over at the collection of designs she’d made while living in Valley Springs, and it made her heart sink. She could recall every moment she’d spent working on one, and what she’d been inspired by: A peculiar pattern she’d spotted on a throw in Carol Ann’s living room, a color she’d taken from the way the rays of sunshine turned pink during the sunset, or the hair clip she had designed based on the shape of an ear of corn.
Everything here just reminded her of the life she had left behind — a short life of only two months, sure, but it was filled with more life and happiness than Amber ever remembered experiencing in her whole twenty-four years. It was then that she made a decision.
“I’m so sorry, Laura. I should never have come here,” she said as she turned and headed for the door.
“Wait! What?” her boss called in confusion. “Where are you going?”
“I can’t do this anymore. I quit.”
“Amber! Don’t quit! We need you.”
“I know… But I don’t need you.”
With those final words, Amber left her boss’ office, closing the door behind her and closing the door on every ambition and goal she had been working toward since she was eighteen years old.
***
As Amber returned to her apartment, she threw her bag on the floor and started crying. What have I done? she asked herself. Nothing seemed right anymore. She didn’t belong in Chicago, but Jesse wasn’t going to take her back. Not after their last encounter. The thought caused her tears to finally fall and she walked over to the couch, collapsing once more and pulling her laptop closer to herself.
She went to put Netflix on, but she found herself typing into the search bar something completely different: “Flights to Arkansas”. She didn’t know what she could do even if she went back. She wanted to apologize to Jesse for walking out on him and not being strong enough to stick with him during such a difficult time in his life. She wanted to show him that she did understand his world, and that she could be a part of it… But she had no idea how!
“This is useless!” she cried, and pushed her laptop away onto the coffee table.
The action startled a sleeping Jellybean, who leaped up onto the keyboard before running off toward the bedroom. She’d hit a number of random keys and Amber freaked out a little, worried that the Pomeranian might have damaged something. Yet, when she pulled the computer closer, she spotted something that changed everything.
It was a page for a huge farm in Texas that described their facilities. They had horse riding lessons, educational classes, and a petting zoo…
That’s it!
Chapter Fifteen
The town of Valley Springs filled Amber with affection. She had learned so many things while living here for just two months, and she’d met people she would never forget no matter how long she lived. So, as her car pulled into the town and she spotted the familiar sign for Peter’s Groceries, Amber headed straight for it.
“Good afternoon, Peter!” She greeted with a smile as she roamed around the small store and collected supplies and groceries she wanted in her arms.
“Good afternoon, Amber,” he called back. “Say, Billy told me you’d gone back to Chicago already.”
Amber approached the counter with her bundle full of items. “I did, you’re right, but I came back.”
“Ah,” Peter acknowledged with a sigh as he began scratching his old, gray beard. “You miss the smell of manure or something?” he asked with a hearty laugh.
Amber chuckled too. “Something like that.” She watched as the old man tallied up the total for her shopping and she handed him enough bills to more than cover it. “Keep the change,” she found herself saying in spite of the fact that she’d quit her job and currently had no place to live after leaving her old apartment behind.
But the look of astonishment and happiness on the old man’s face was worth it. “You’re too kind, Miss Amber.”
“Just doing what I can,” she told him as she dragged her suitcase out of the shop with Jellybean’s cage perched on top of it while she held her paper bag of groceries in the other hand.
***
Her heart was racing as Amber walked up to the door she never thought she’d see again. She had no idea how the person inside was going to react to her presence, but she needed to at least give it a shot. She was determined to win Jesse’s affection back, and she wasn’t the type of person to give up on a challenge.
With a deep, steadying intake of breath, Amber knocked hard on the wooden door in front of her and waited. Her foot was tapping nervously on the floor, and no matter how much she tried to calm it, she couldn’t. Her body was vibrating with anxious energy, and she knew that Jellybean could feel it too because she started to yap quietly.
Then the door swung open and Amber was confronted by the person she wanted to see.
“Carol Ann, I’m so glad you’re home. Is it possible for me to come inside to talk?” Amber asked, her tone of voice high and hopeful.
The blonde, southern woman in front of her looked surprised and glanced around at Amber’s suitcase and the cage with Jellybean in. “I guess you must be looking for a place to stay,” was all Carol Ann said in response.
Amber nodded. “Yes, I am, but I’d be willing to give you some money. I just need a few days to set some things up, and then if it doesn’t work out, I’ll be out of your hair and on a plane flying back North, I promise. Please, just hear me out?”
Carol Ann looked her up and down before stepping back and opening the door wide enough to let Amber through. “Sure, but be quiet. Callie is already sleeping.”
Amber crept inside and followed Carol Ann into the living room before sitting down on the couch and looking over at the other woman. “You really do have a lovely home,” she told her politely. “Do you mind if I let Jellybean out of her cage? She’s been stuck in there for a few hours now.”
“Sure,” Carol Ann agreed. “And then you can tell me all about what happened between you and Jesse.”
Just as Amber was about to open Jellybean’s cage, she peered back up at the blonde. “You mean, he never told you?” she asked.
Carol Ann shrugged. “All I know is that you left the same day as half his farm was burned to cinders. Mason was convinced for a while that you were the one who set the fire, but I told him that was ridiculous…” Carol Ann narrowed her eyes at the redhead in front of her. “That is ridiculous, right?”
“Of course! I would never do something like that!” Amber cried as she finally unclasped the door on Jellybean’s cage and let the Pomeranian leap out onto the floor. “It was just an accident.”
“Then why did you leave?” she probed, leaning forward on her knees and peering over at Amber.
The redhead sighed and put her head in her hands before summoning the courage to explain what had happened that night. When she was finished, Carol Ann was watching her with wide eyes and a puzzled expression. “If you walked out then, why on Earth would you come back?” she asked.
“Because, I don’t belong in Chicago anymore. I belong here. With your brother. I want to help him and show him I’m serious about this. I quit my job and I know he might not take me back or we might not be together forever, but… I want to try.” She paused for a moment and clasped her nervous hands together on her lap. “I’ve thought of a few ways to do that… Would you help me?” Amber turned her hopeful gaze upon Jesse’s sister, and her heart stopped for a moment as she waited for a response.
But Carol Ann just smiled.
***
Within a few days’ time, Amber’s plan was well underway. Carol Ann had arranged invitations t
o be sent to all the local townsfolk to let them know about a Harvest festival in her ranch’s barn to help raise funds to repair the damage to Jesse’s farm and help him see through the winter months without having to sell the place.
Decorations were being hung in the now-empty barn by Mason and Callie, while Amber set the tables out, pulling them together into one long line before throwing a burnt-orange and deep-red tablecloth over the top. With a satisfied smile, Amber turned to her new friend, Carol Ann, and pointed to the assemble row of tables.
“What do you think? Do we have enough space for the food, now?” she asked.
“Hmm,” Carol Ann began as she considered the work Amber had done. “It looks good, Amber. If there are some things that don’t fit, I can always bring out our dining room table!”
Amber laughed. “That must weigh a ton! Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that!” She patted her friend on the shoulder and beamed at her. “I collected as many buckets as I could find around the ranch to use for donations. I picked up some paper and sellotape from Peter’s store the last time I was there, so I’ll label them up and we can spread them out.”
“Sounds great,” the blonde replied. “Let me just remind Mason to bring the portable stereo outside for music.”
“Great idea!” Amber told her before heading outside and back to the house to retrieve her supplies. She had a few permanent markers and began to write, “Wyatt Farm Rebuild Donations” on a few pieces of paper, when her thoughts strayed to Jesse as they so often did these days.
In spite of Amber’s desire to run straight back into Jesse’s arms and beg for his forgiveness, Carol Ann had convinced her to wait to let him know she was back until he was at the fundraiser. She said it would be such a nice surprise, and Amber couldn’t help but agree. It did little to settle her nerves, however. What if he rejected her? What if he still didn’t want to be with her in spite of everything she attempted?
Straddling States: A Contemporary Ranch Cowboy Romance (Western Valley Love Book 1) Page 8
