Everly
Jack pullsme along a stone-cut path stretching from my dad’s ranch and into the wooded landscape along the width of the property. Now that it’s dusk, any light left from the day is fleeting. I hold tightly onto Jack’s hand and listen as fills me in on what’s been happening with his sister and nephew. I knew from the Strutt’s gossip train that Kathryn had been frequently fall-down drunk at the local bars, that the last time it happened was the night before the Tree Lighting and that’s what had pulled Jack from the event. She chose to go to rehab and re-enlist in therapy to work through it. What I didn’t realize was that it meant Jack stayed in town, taking care of his nephew and keeping Books & Brew running smoothly. He joined her in therapy.
“I know I didn’t handle any of it right, Ev. I should have told you what was going on instead of assuming you couldn’t exist with me while I was dealing with it. He looks toward me again, closing his eyes and pausing with a squeeze to my hand. “And as far as Jin is concerned, I’m sorry I behaved the way I did. He and I never got along, ever since we were kids. It’s always a competition between us about something. Most of the time, it was about my sister's attention, but that’s my shit. Anything else I say will just be an excuse.” He smiles and then says, “Kathryn always says how much we’re alike. Maybe that’s why he pisses me off so easily.”
“I wasn’t happy with him either. We ended things and left it as friends before you and I met, so I was thrown as to why he acted like we were anything more at that point. He was just as much a prick as you were.” I stop walking for a minute, wanting him to hear me when I tell him this. “You both make it difficult for other people to see it sometimes, but you’re good men. You have that in common.”
He doesn’t respond right away, instead he brings my hand that he's holding to his lips and kisses it. We continue walking, and I can tell he has more he wants to say, so I stay quiet and let him work through it.
“Maybe. I never liked the way he assumed responsibility for Kathryn. They weren’t the same, not the way she and I were. And then after a while, everything was a competition and not a friendly one. So then you came into my life, and I find out that you’ve had or have a relationship with my brother, of any kind, and it instantly pissed me off. That wasn’t fair to you, but I wasn’t thinking, just reacting.”
He's right, that wasn’t fair. I squeeze his hand and tell him, “You could have asked me what was going on, how I knew him. I would have told you anything you wanted to know.”
Jack rubs the back of his neck with his free hand. I can tell there’s more to unpack. It’s a lot of family drama, but if he wants to move forward, I need to hear it. Understand it at least.
“Jin disappeared for a handful of years, and Kathryn took it pretty hard, losing another person in her life, our life. She was young, pregnant by some kid from our neighborhood that she was wrapped up with, and then one of the people she grew to depend on just left.”
Without thinking, I say, “Another thing in common.” He looks over at me, questioning what I mean. “Disappearing.”
His face changes quickly, caught off guard by the admission. He stops walking and pulls me into his arms, holding on tightly and burying his face in my neck. “You’re right,” he whispers. “I’ll do better, Ev. I promise you I’ll do better.” He pulls back, kisses my forehead, and then leans his head against mine. The tenderness of it makes me feel his words, not just hear them. He grips my chin and kisses me gently.
I smile at him, and though it would be easy to get lost in his ocean blue eyes or fall daintily into the sweetness of his touch, he needs to know I hear his words, and he should hear mine too. “I’m going to hold you to that. I won’t stick around for another apology,” I say, leaning in to press another soft kiss to his lips. “I love you, but I love me more, and I won’t allow myself or the life I’ve built to come crashing down, because I’ve chosen to trust you. That’s what this is, for me, trusting you to put us first, respect me enough to include me in your life, and to trust me in return, even if it’s messy.”
He threads his fingers through mine and squeezes my hand. “I understand”. The corner of his mouth kicks up, and before a full smile takes over his face, he says, “Damn, I’m in love with you.”
We walk around a curve in the pathway, and it’s then that I can see the Muldowney Ranch house in the distance. I’ve walked this property dozens of times, but I was so wrapped up in what we were saying to one another that it hadn’t registered where we were headed. The ranch looks different from the last time I ventured over here. The outdoor space is lit up with big, round bulb patio lights strung around the space. It’s surrounded by beautiful orange, pink, and blue wildflowers and pristine green landscaping. The barn house and guest house in the distance are lit as well.
David Muldowney, while a refined sommelier, is also a cowboy at heart, and his tastes reflected it. His home was adorned with all shades of wood and plaids. The main house was a deep russet log cabin framed by heavy greenery around the outside. It looked very different from what’s standing out in front of me right now. And then, as I look up at my dream home in awe, my thoughts come back to me. This walk was leading us to Jack’s new house…
“You boughtthis? The ranch, I mean,thisranch?” My voice kicks up at the end, in complete shock.
This fucker just smiles at me, hitting me with those dimples. “C’mon,” he says, knocking me down a peg. I am so overwhelmed, I can’t even get my feet to move. He tugs my arm, leading me toward the house. The bright white siding and oversized black framed windows make it completely new. Refreshed and modern, but it still maintains some of its rustic charm with distressed wood patio furniture surrounding an oversized outdoor fireplace with a massive hearth.
I’m still rendered speechless as we rush forward. Jack pulls open the sliding glass door, which really should be considered a wall, since the pristine glass runs the length of almost the entire house. There is nothing remaining of the dark aesthetic that stood here before. Instead, it looks like Chip and Joanna Gaines crossed paths with Frank Lloyd Wright, and the result is an architectural work of modern farmhouse art. It’s incredible.
As we enter, a loud, New York-infused accent comes from the open refrigerator. “You only have some local bourbon shit stocked in your bar. Jack, that’s not acceptable and you know it. Next time I come here to help your stupid ass, I need more variety. Oh, shit!”
“Forgive me, Luce. I’ll have it stocked next time.” Jack laughs while shaking his head. “I thought you might like to meet Everly, finally.”
A gorgeously confident Asian woman saunters my way with a level of confident swagger that makes me instantly like her. Her lips stained in a bright purple gloss and nails almost as long as her fingers in the same shade greet me with a closed smile and a firm shake.
“Lucy,” she says. “And thank the universe, you’re stunning and you look like you can hold your own in a room. I was afraid he went and fell for a debutante, or worse, some crunchy granola who makes her own soap or some shit.”
“Luce,” Jack growls.
“It’s nice to meet you, Lucy. I was told you’re the one to thank for my Sunday breakfasts these past few months. They were delicious.”
“Don’t mention it.” She kicks her thumb at Jack. “His sorry ass paid me well for it.” She moves toward the oversized couch in the living space and picks up a black furry coat and matching hat. “My work here is done.” She looks at Jack with a scowl. “For now, at least.”
“Luce, you don’t have to go.”
“Give me a fucking break, Romeo. I’ve had enough bonding time with you to last me the rest of this year. Call me next week, and we can talk about your contracts and that gallery in Chicago.”
She turns around before leaving through the front door. “Everly, treat him right. He may be stupid a lot of the time, but, you know, MEN! This one, though, deserves only the best.”
Without responding, I give her a quick nod and lean into Jack’s arms. We watch as she pulls out her phone and starts barking directions at someone on the other end.
I can hear the smile in Jack’s voice as he says, “Now you’ve met the devil herself.”