“He’s okay,” Jesse said. “We’re working our way through it.”

Bill studied him for a few seconds. “If you say so, darlin’.”

Bill had his arm around her. She seemed very comfortable next to him. Yet looking at them, Matt knew there had never been anything between them. The old guy was just what she’d said. A friend.

Which should have made him feel better, but didn’t.

Jesse knew she should probably be standing on her own two feet, but it felt good to be leaning on Bill, even for just a couple of minutes. He’d always been there for her and right now she needed a friend.

Matt’s accusations still rang in her ears, making her feel small and petty.

He was wrong, of course. He had to be wrong. She hadn’t been punishing him by keeping his son from him. Had she? While she’d never thought of that as her motive, was it possible that deep inside she’d wanted to hurt him back? Hurt him as much as he’d hurt her? Was she really that horrible a person?

It was too much to consider, so she focused on Bill. They walked up to the house, Matt coming with them. She ushered Bill inside, only to have Gabe come running into the room, then launch himself at the older man.

“Uncle Bill! Uncle Bill!”

The boy’s joy was impossible to miss. Jesse glanced at Matt. His face didn’t show any emotion, but she saw the tightness in his jaw, the stiffness in his body. Bill had known Gabe all his life. He’d been a part of everything Matt had missed and it was possible that was her fault.

She touched his arm. “Matt, I’m sorry.”

He looked at her, his eyes blazing with a rage she’d never seen before. “Do you think that comes close to being enough?” he asked, then turned and left.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Five years ago…

JESSE PUT THE LAST OF the plates in the cupboard, then stood back to look at the neat stacks of dishes. Matt hadn’t had much in the way of housewares to move. Except for his clothes and a few personal items, everything in the town house was new. The flatware, the pots and pans, the sofa, the bedroom set, all of it. It was new and lovely and made what had been an empty space seem almost homey. Or it would when the furniture arrived.

She glanced at her watch. All the delivery appointments were between ten and one. She and Matt had decided to get them all over at once. She’d volunteered to take the day off work, because sitting in an empty place was better than dealing with Nicole at the bakery.

Now as she moved from room to room, she tried to imagine what it would look like when Matt really lived here. When she really lived here.

Just thinking the words made her both smile and shiver. He’d asked her to move in with him shortly after he’d signed the paperwork to buy the place. They’d picked out all the furniture together, had argued about towel colors and who was going to do the cooking. They’d made love on the carpeted floor and he’d promised he would love her forever.

For all her sexual experience, Jesse had never had a real boyfriend before. Not one who called when he said, didn’t explode for no reason, who seemed to love her as much as he said. It was wonderful…and terrifying. She couldn’t stop wondering how long it would be until she totally screwed up everything.

That was her pattern. She’d done it all her life. Her sister kept telling her she took screwing up to a professional level. Jesse had never cared about it before because there hadn’t been anything to lose. But now? Matt was everything to her. She didn’t know if she would survive destroying what they had.

Which was why she hadn’t yet agreed to move in with him. She was beyond scared. The love that burned inside of her was so strong, so real, it had become as much a part of her as her heartbeat. What if she did something wrong?

Matt understood why she was afraid and had told her to take her time. He’d been kind and loving and then had teased her into laughing. He was perfect, or as close as she needed a guy to be.

The doorbell rang. She hurried to the front door and let in the first of the delivery guys.

The next couple of hours passed quickly. The upstairs media room sofa came first, quickly followed by the kitchen table and chairs they’d ordered. The living room furniture was still being put into place when two guys showed up with the big bed he’d bought. A bed they’d giggled over in the showroom.

When she was finally alone, Jesse walked from room to room, seeing the town house as it was going to be. They still needed to get pictures and maybe some plants or books. Work was required to make the space lived-in, but they were getting closer.

Could she see herself here? Did she want to? She closed her eyes and imagined herself with Matt. In the living room, reading. Upstairs, watching a movie. In the shower, making love. Sleeping with him every night.

Her throat tightened as love washed over her. He was the best man she’d ever known. She would be crazy not to try to make it work, despite her fears. She could do this, couldn’t she?

She was about to head upstairs to make the bed when the doorbell rang. She crossed the carpet. As far as she knew, everything had been delivered.

When she opened the door, she saw Paula standing there. The two women looked at each other.

Paula spoke first. “Matt said his furniture was being delivered today.”

“It was. I let them in.”

“Oh.”

Obviously Paula had expected Matt to be the one waiting. She’d come by to see her son.

“Do you want to come in?” Jesse asked, hoping she would say no.

Paula nodded and stepped past her into the living room. Once there, she glanced at the leather sofa, shook her head, then faced Jesse.

“I’ve wanted to talk to you for a while,” she said.

Inside, Jesse winced. Paula wanting to talk to her couldn’t be good.

“This won’t last,” Paula said bluntly. “I know that sounds harsh, but it’s true and the sooner you accept the truth, the easier it will be for you.”

“Because you care so much about me,” Jesse said bitterly, not surprised at the other woman’s attack. “I’m who you’re so concerned about.”

“I am concerned,” Paula told her. “Not that I expect you to believe that.”

“Oh, good.”

Paula ignored that. “Matthew is a very special man. I’m sure you’ve seen that in him. I’m sure that, and his money, are why you’re together.”

Jesse ignored the slam about the money. She hadn’t known about it when she’d first met Matt and it had never mattered. But Paula wouldn’t believe her so there was no point in trying to convince her.

“He is honorable and sees the best in people,” the other woman continued. “What he wants them to be, rather than what they are.” Paula walked over and glanced in the kitchen, then turned back to Jesse. “I’m a little like you. I have a past. Not one that we’re going to discuss, but I’ve lived through things. I know what you are, Jesse. You’re trying to be more than you were meant for and you see Matt as your way to get there. I’m sure you care about him, but you are completely out of your league with him and it’s just a matter of time until he figures that out, too. Until he sees he can do better and moves on. You’re simply not good enough and once he realizes that, it’s going to be over.”

Jesse told herself Paula was angry and bitter and her words didn’t mean anything. Unfortunately, they still hurt to hear.

“You’re wrong,” she said quietly, holding herself still and straight. “About all of it.”

“Am I? I don’t think so. You won’t last six months. I know you think I’m being an incredible bitch. Maybe I am. I’ll admit to some anger about how you’ve turned Matt away from me. I wouldn’t mind a little revenge. But I’m not going to bother. You know why? Because you’ll be gone and I’ll still be here. When he finds the right girl, he’s going to marry her. That’s what I’m waiting for.”

Paula gave her a tight smile, then walked out of the town house.

Jesse sank onto the sofa and did her best not to cry.

“Stupid old cow,” she muttered.

Paula was trying to push her away. Trying to make her doubt Matt so she would do something stupid. That wasn’t going to happen. She was stronger—stronger than Paula knew. She and Matt weren’t going to break up. They loved each other. Jesse would do anything to protect their relationship.

That decided, she made her way upstairs where she went to work unpacking the boxes Matt had brought over from his mother’s house. She put clothes in the new dresser and hung up shirts in the closet. The whole time she worked, she did her best to forget what Paula had said. Those words didn’t matter.

Except they’d scared her because Matt’s mother had said one thing that was true—she was in over her head. Being with someone like him, someone so good and loving and supportive, terrified her. She loved him so much and was desperate not to do anything wrong. If only she could shake the sense that she was going to mess it all up.

She reached for another box of stuff he’d brought over and pulled out a pile of T-shirts. As she lifted them to the bed, something fell onto the floor. She bent down to pick it up, only to gasp as she saw a small, pale blue box. A Tiffany’s jewelry box.

Jesse’s heart pounded in her chest. Her body went completely still just before her legs gave way and she sank to the carpet.

It was earrings, she told herself. Maybe a sort of thank-you present for helping him move. It could be for his mom, although she doubted that. Matt hadn’t been getting along with Paula for weeks now. Or it could be something else. An engagement ring.

She should put it back in the box and stop unpacking, she told herself. She should pretend she never found it and just see what happened. That would make the most sense. Except she couldn’t. She had to know.

Her fingers trembled as she picked up the box and opened it. Nestled on soft, white fabric sat a stunning solitaire diamond ring. The perfect engagement ring.

It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen, she thought, barely able to breathe. The diamond sparkled. It was probably a high-quality stone and expensive, but what reached inside and squeezed her heart was what it meant.

Matt wanted to marry her.

He loved her. He really loved her. He believed in her and trusted her and wanted to spend his life with her. He wanted to have children with her and grow old together. How was that possible? How had someone like him fallen for her?

“He loves me,” she whispered, as she closed the box. “He loves me.”

The wonder of the moment took her breath away. Her body felt light with hope, her future bright with possibilities. As long as Matt believed in her, she could believe in herself. Maybe she could go back to college and get her business degree. Maybe she could figure out a way to make it work with Nicole in the bakery. Maybe her life didn’t suck. Maybe she could be forgiven her past.

She stood and carefully tucked the ring back into the moving box and put the T-shirts on top. She moved that box back with the others in the closet and went downstairs. She would unpack the rest of the house, but leave the bedroom. She didn’t want him to know she’d found the ring. She would wait until he gave it to her, until he asked her to marry him, and then she would tell him yes.

JESSE SAT ON HER BED in Nicole’s house and sighed. “I’m so scared,” she admitted to Drew, Nicole’s husband. “He really loves me.”

“Which is what you want.”

“I know. It’s hard to explain. I don’t feel like I’m good enough. I’m terrified I’m going to mess everything up.”

Jesse had never understood Nicole and Drew hooking up, let alone getting married, but it had happened. While Drew wasn’t the brightest bulb in the chandelier, he was always willing to listen, which Jesse appreciated. Aside from Matt, she didn’t have anyone else to talk to. Certainly not Nicole, who had an ongoing list of complaints about Jesse.