Free Jessie Belle: The Women of Merryton - Book One by Jennifer Peel Page A

one.”
    “Sounds
good.”
    “Jess
…”
    “Yeah.”
    “I
miss you.”
    “I
miss you, too.”

Chapter
Eight
     
    I
dressed with a purpose that morning. I chose some fabulous fitted jeans that
showcased my figure and paired them with a violet blouse that I belted at the
waist. I even ventured outside the norm and threw on some leather wedges. I
added some volume to my hair, applied my make-up, and called it good. As I
looked myself over in my long, free-standing mirror, I almost recognized
myself. My skin was even glowing and the blue was coming out in my hazel eyes.
It’s amazing the benefits you gain from eating real food and from caring about
your appearance.
    Blake
hadn’t complained about my appearance, but he hadn’t complimented it, either. It’s
not that he would; he wasn’t one to really dish out compliments. He never even
said anything one way or the other when I cut six inches off my hair several
weeks ago.
    I
went into work early and tried hard to be myself. I missed talking to my
morning crowd at the café. And by the response I received, I was missed,
especially from one group in particular.
    There
was the cutest bunch of “mature” ladies that set up shop in my café each
morning. They each brought some project or another to work on—from knitting to
scrapbooking. They also brought a computer and watched reruns of the show Reba ,
all while eating scones and sipping tea and coffee. I told Cheyenne and Abby
that would be us someday. Abby was on board, Cheyenne, not so much. Doris,
Ingrid, Fran, and Gerri stopped me as I walked by.
    “You’re
looking quite attractive this morning. Do you have a hot date?” Fran teased me.
    “This
early in the morning?”
    “Morning
dates are the best—it meant the night before never ended.” Doris winked at me.
    Cheyenne
was going to be the Doris in our group.
    I
shook my head at my seventy-year-old friend. “Blake and I do have a lunch date
later.”
    “Lunch,”
Ingrid said. “Is that what you kids are calling it now?”
    “You
ladies are a lot of trouble. You know that, right?” I grinned at them all.
    They
all laughed and admitted wholeheartedly that they were. 
    “Well,
have a good day. Try not to get into too much trouble.”
    “You
have fun at ‘lunch,’” Doris said with an impish grin.
    I
didn’t respond. I knew what she was talking about wasn’t on the menu and it
hadn’t been for some time. I could hear the rumors now if people only knew we
were sleeping in separate bedrooms. I tried not to let that thought get to me.
It was a good thing we were stepping back and reevaluating, right?
    I
greeted several more customers before I made my way back to the counter. There
sat Easton. Normally he took his food to go in the mornings, so I was intrigued
as to why he was there.
    “Easton,”
I said as I stood across from him behind the counter.
    He
looked up from the Merryton Daily Press he was reading. He didn’t look
well at all. His eyes were bloodshot and he was going way beyond the five
o’clock shadow. He was an attractive man, but the scraggly beard did not suit
him.
    “Are
you okay?” I asked when he didn’t say anything. He almost seemed paralyzed.
    “Have
you ever had a moment in your life where you knew exactly what you should do,
but you didn’t do it, even knowing the outcome wouldn’t end well if you didn’t
act?”
    I
thought for a moment as I watched him. I felt like his eyes were begging me for
relief, but I didn’t know what to say or do. He looked about two seconds away
from losing it. “Easton,” I said quietly, “what’s happened?”
    “The
outcome from not going after her.”
    “Are
you talking about Kathryn?” I leaned in and whispered. I didn’t want to start
the rumor mill this morning.
    The
look of disgust on his face when I mentioned his wife’s name was more than
telling. “I’m talking about Taylor.”
    A
hush could be felt across the café at the mention of his ex-wife’s name. I
could feel the