She wanted to come out to them for herself. She wanted them to know who the real Bridget was, the real woman they had raised. She didn’t want to hide anymore. No matter if they didn’t like her or care for who she was, she wanted to be herself. She wanted to be able to walk down the street with Jerica and hold her hand. She wanted to be able to get married, in public, and have her friends and whatever family would accept her come to the wedding to celebrate her and make their own damn party favors.

  Raising her gaze, Bridget looked Kara right in the eye. “How did Alicia deal with her parents?”

  “She didn’t. She moved away and cut them out of her life. They came and collected her because they had to. They acknowledged our daughter because I’m not going to hide who she is, and I want her to know who her other mother is, the one who wanted her and loved her even though she’d only just found out about her.”

  “I envy your strength,” Bridget whispered. “And Alicia’s.”

  Kara’s lips barely quirked up. “I’m not sure if it’s strength or stubbornness. But it is what it is. It’s how I’ve chosen to live, and I want our daughter to live the same way. That first year after Alicia died was the hardest year of my life. Truly it was. And I was stupid enough to think that moving to a place where I knew no one in a conservative town while pregnant was a brilliant decision.”

  “But you still live there, right?”

  “I do.” Kara smiled. “I met a wonderful woman, and she helped me figure out a lot of my shit. But more than that, I’ve made a home for my daughter, and I don’t want to leave it.”

  “Sounds like you’re on the right road.”

  “She is,” Sarah chimed in finally. “Dealing with these tough situations isn’t something for the faint of heart. You’ve both come through terrible times.”

  Kara glanced from Sarah to Bridget. But she didn’t say anything as she grabbed another party favor bag and filled it up with bird seed. It took them two hours to fill all the bags, and by the end of it, Bridget’s back ached from being hunched over the table. Sarah took the full basket and put it someplace out of sight, Bridget wasn’t entirely sure.

  Eli came in from being out in the fields with her dad. The two of them had always been inseparable when they were growing up, and it seemed as though that hadn’t changed since Eli had taken over the ranch. They washed their hands at the kitchen sink and then went to find Karen to see where they could help out. Bridget was stuck at the dining room table, at least mostly—it was going to be a while before she could move easily enough that she would readily take the challenge to move on her own without good reason.

  As much as she wanted to be walking again, she knew she wasn’t ready for it. She still needed crutches and to take her time. Eli came back in and slipped into the chair next to Bridget. “I see you met Kara.”

  “I did.”

  “She’s a fun one, isn’t she?”

  “I liked her, actually.”

  “Did you?” Eli raised an eyebrow. “Good, because I think she’s going to be around a lot more, and I hope you are, too.”

  “You sure about that? Because I’ve been stuck here for weeks and I’m sure you want to get rid of me.”

  Laughing, Eli shook her head. “Not a chance. I kind of like having you up here. It gets quiet with only guests for company. They don’t know me like you do.”

  “Don’t talk to Ava much?”

  Eli frowned. “Not really. She’s been busy, and she lives out in Hutch still.”

  “Yeah. She’s teaching out there, right?”

  “Yup. Enjoying it.”

  “Good for her.”

  “Seems we all found our calling.” Bridget smiled and crossed her arms. “So, what are we doing next? I’m sure your mother has a list a mile long.”

  Eli burst out laughing. “Of course she does. It’s the event of the year. Didn’t you know that?”

  “I did. The question is, Elijah Wilson, did you?”

  CHAPTER 14

  Bridget was stuck at the house. She wasn’t able to go out and help with anything else, though if she stood on the porch or watched from the windows she could see what everyone else was doing. It hurt not to be able to run out and give a helping hand, especially with moving some of the bigger things around.

  Eli had built a brand new wedding arch for them, one that was more their style than the original one on the property. Bob used the tractor to pick it up and move it where Eli wanted. Sighing, Bridget plopped down onto the swing outside and stretched her legs out in front of her.

  It was such a beautiful day for it being so early in the fall. The air was still filled with warmth that kissed her cheeks, and the breeze was gentle and not too strong. Bridget smiled to herself. She’d rather be enjoying the time with Jerica, like the many times they had spent on the bench in the past few weeks, but Jerica was at work and still not sure if she was going to be able to come up and visit or if she was going to be with her sister for longer. It seemed as though her sister was doing well, but the family was unsure.

  Bridget could understand. Going through something like that was so traumatic. Though after her conversation with Sarah and Kara the other day, she’d been spending a lot of time thinking about how she had been raised. Anxiety was nothing new to her, but in the big picture of her life, perhaps it was partly what her problem was.

  Anytime her parents were nearby, she was overwhelmed with anxiety and fear about what she or they would do or say. Nothing was ever right, and it was equally a struggle to get anything across to them. They never listened, no matter how many times Bridget explained something or took a deep dive down their line of thinking.

  Life had gotten so much better when she’d gone away to college. It had been the best part of life for her and Eli—well, her at least. She’d been so free to be who she was out there, unlike here. Sighing, Bridget rubbed her temple and closed her eyes, listening to the noises going on around her. All she wanted, for that day at least, was not to feel useless.

  “Mind if I join you?”

  Bridget’s eyes snapped open and she stared into the deep hazel of Jerica’s gaze. “What are you doing here?”

  “Didn’t you hear me pull up?”

  “No. There’s so much going on right now.”

  Jerica smiled. “Mind if I sit?”

  “Sure!” Bridget scooted over so Jerica would have room, but Jerica insisted on sitting so their bodies touched. Reaching out, Bridget covered Jerica’s knee with her hand. “What are you doing here?”

  “I needed a day off, so I switched shifts.”

  Bridget couldn’t help but smile. “How’s your sister?”

  “Surviving. Day by day, I think. She’ll work through it again until this time next year. It seems to be that way.”

  Nodding, Bridget squeezed her hand. “That’s usually how it goes with things like this.”

  “Yeah.” Jerica stared down at the deck. “But I wanted to see you.”

  “I’m glad you came.” Bridget reached forward and touched Jerica’s chin to raise her gaze so their eyes met. “I’ve been thinking about you.”

  “Have you?”

  “Yeah.” Bridget smiled as she leaned in, their lips brushing tenderly. She pulled away, but at Jerica’s contented sigh, she moved right back in for another kiss. With their lips locked, everything going on around them disappeared and became about Jerica.

  Bridget loved when it happened like this. She shuddered as she drew Jerica in for a deeper embrace, their tongues sweeping together as they drew in unsteady breaths. The throat clearing caught her attention, and she pulled away to look up and find none other than Karen eyeing the two of them.

  “I see you’ve got a friend who has joined us.”

  “Uh…” Bridget’s cheeks tinged with heat. “This is Jerica. Jerica, this is Eli’s mom, Karen.”

  “Good to meet you.” Jerica held out her hand, and Karen took it.

  “You too. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Bridget with someone. But if you’re free—” Karen gave Bridget a pointed look to mean she wanted her to have time “—I have another project you can do.”

  “Of course.” Bridget would agree to anything. This family had been so hospitable to her and her needs, especially Karen and Eli. “What is it?”

  “We need to do the wedding favors, the ones that are being sent with people.”

  Furrowing her brow, Bridget stared at the floor before looking up into Karen’s eyes. “Isn’t that what Sarah, Kara, and I did the other day?”

  “Hmm? No. That was for the couple as they’re done with the ceremony and walking back down the aisle.”

  “Oh.” Bridget raised an eyebrow. “So what are we doing now?”

  “The favors for the guests as they leave. I’ve set it all up at the dining room table for you, and Jerica can help if you want.”

  “Sure.” Bridget grabbed her crutches and moved to stand. They all waited for her until they shuffled into the house, Karen the last one through the door.

  Bridget went to the table. If she thought there were bowls aplenty for the last project, this one was massive. “You’re going to have to give some pretty specific instructions.”

  “I will.” Karen smiled and pulled out a chair for Bridget to sit in. Jerica moved in right next to her. The explanation lasted at least twenty minutes this time, but she felt slightly more confident in how to do this project compared to the last.

  Karen sat down with them to show them, thankfully. Crafts were not in Bridget’s wheelhouse, and yet, that had been what she was stuck doing since she couldn’t be out helping to move the big heavy items. They still had a week and a half to the wedding, and she knew it was going to be packed with shit to do, if only because Karen had planned most of it.

  As soon as Karen had put together two of the small sunflower globe things, she left Jerica and Bridget on their own. Sighing, Bridget grabbed a lid and a small sunflower that Karen—or someone—had gotten from the craft store. It wasn’t a real one, but they weren’t exactly in season and couldn’t last the next week and a half if they were real.

  “Remind me,” Bridget started, “when I get married to keep it as simple as possible, and if Karen offers to plan anything, kindly reject it.”

  “I heard that!” Karen called from the den.

  Bridget cringed and yelled, “It’s beautiful! But so not me!”

  Karen peeked her head around the corner of the living area into the dining room. “It’s not, but if I get to plan your wedding, which I sincerely hope you will let me, then I will make it perfect for you and what you want.”

  “Eli really wanted all this crap?”

  Karen shrugged slightly. “Not all of it. She’s not a detail person, you know that.”

  “True. I think she’d rather just have a paper to sign and be done with it.”

  “No, she wanted the whole wedding—ceremony, party, dancing.”

  Bridget wrinkled her nose. She wouldn’t be dancing at weddings anytime soon, which sucked, but she did remember how much Eli loved the dances in town. It would make sense that she would want that for her wedding as well. “I suppose.”

  “Now get to work, my little elves!”

  Turning back to the project at hand, Bridget sighed. “There’s at least two hundred here.”

  Jerica grabbed a sunflower and used the hot glue to put it on the lid. “Yup. Looks like we’re going to be here for a while.”

  “We’re never going to finish this today.” Bridget just stared at the project, not sure she wanted to even start it. It was hopeless, and in her opinion, a little pointless.

  Jerica nudged her with her shoulder. “Come on. We’ll get as much done as we can before I take you downstairs to make out with you.”

  “Oh, I like that idea.”

  Grinning, Bridget started on her first little sunflower. She had to concentrate fully in order to do it. Glue the sunflower to the lid, make sure it’s standing. She got that right. Then sprinkle the dirt to cover the base. Got that. Then screw the top dome lid, glass thing on. She stuck her tongue out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrated. Finally she moved on to tie the twine around the bottom with the tag that read “Sarah & Eli” along with the date of their wedding.

  “Do people even keep these things?”

  “Some do. Don’t you?”

  “No.” Bridget wrinkled her nose as she set that one to the side where Jerica could move it to the kitchen counter and out of the way so it would dry. She started on the next one. “I really have never thought about getting married.”

  “Why not?” Jerica was finishing her third or fourth one.

  She was so damn good at this in a way Bridget was not. Not for the first time in the last few minutes was she reminded that crafts were not her specialty. Give her a gun to shoot and targets to aim for any day and she’d beat anyone, but this? This was something she always had seemed to fail at miserably.

  “Bridge?”

  “What?” Bridget jerked her chin up at Jerica’s tone.

  “Why didn’t you think you’d get married?” Jerica looked so concerned.

  Reaching out, Bridget brushed her fingers over Jerica’s cheek. “Because I never thought it was a possibility.”

  “How so?”

  “Because my parents are bigots, and because outside of Eli, I never really dated with that goal in mind.”

  “And with me?”

  Clenching her jaw, Bridget eyed Jerica. She knew what Jerica was fishing for, she wanted to know how deep Bridget’s commitment ran, how much she was willing to give up so the two of them stood a chance at surviving. Bridget didn’t have an answer for what she was willing to risk, but she did know that she was in love and she didn’t want this to end any time soon. If that was going to lead to marriage was anyone’s bet.

  “With you I’m dating with a more long-term goal in mind.”

  “I suppose I can take that.” Jerica’s mouth curled up on either side. “For now.”

  “What do you mean for now!” Bridget teased. “What about tomorrow? Hell, what about at dinner time?”

  Laughing, Jerica started in on her next project. “I still think you mean something else, but I’m not going to push you for it.”

  Huffing, Bridget angrily stabbed the hot glue she’d put on the lid with the sunflower and waited for it to harden. “Well, what are your intensions, dearest Jerica?”

  Jerica paused, then she leaned in so her lips brushed against Bridget’s ear. “My intentions are to eventually get you in bed, under me, using your body like you will use mine. My intentions are to never have to find someone else again because I’ve already found you.”

  Bridget sucked in a breath, not quite sure where the hell to go with that. She eyed her, her mind spinning in so many different directions she wasn’t sure which path she needed to follow to get anywhere. She knew which ones she wanted to follow, but holy fuck, Jerica had just tipped her upside down on her head.

  Jerica grinned and leaned in more, taking Bridget’s earlobe between her teeth and nibbling on it before swiping her tongue out to soothe the skin.

  “Fuck, woman,” Bridget breathed out.

  Jerica’s chuckle rolled around in Bridget’s chest as she pulled away. Bridget’s skin was on fire from where Jerica had touched. Clearly, she wasn’t the only one struggling with the lack of sex in their relationship so far. She honestly couldn’t wait for when they took that final step.

  They went back to work, silence filtering between them, but it wasn’t awkward. It was wrought with sexual tension. Bridget wanted to be done with the fucking project Karen had given them and take Jerica downstairs right then and there. Except, she was pretty sure Karen would come down and find them and they’d end up back here doing this fucking project.

  “So what do you want for the future?” Jerica’s voice was much lighter, much less seductive, thankfully. Bridget wasn’t sure how much more that she could handle.

  Bridget shrugged, however. She didn’t really have an answer. Outside of her career, she didn’t have any hard and fast plans for her future. “I wanted to be Sheriff, and I got there well before I thought I would. Now I’d just like to keep the title and win reelections for years to come.”

  “Ah.” Jerica rubbed her lips together, giving Bridget furtive glances. “But what about beyond a career?”

  Sighing, Bridget stabbed another sunflower into glue. “I honestly haven’t thought about it much.”

  “How could you not think about it? Didn’t you ever want to be a parent, have kids, get married?”

  Bridget remained quiet, though her body was tense. She wasn’t quite sure how to explain to Jerica she hadn’t been given those opportunities. It was expected of her, but she’d known from such an early age that she would never be able to fulfill them that she had given up on that dream. She’d given up on the possibility even.

  “Bridge,” Jerica’s said, so softly that it caused Bridget to turn and look her in the eye. “What are you thinking?”

  “No, I didn’t think about kids or a wedding. Never have, really. I hated playing it when I was a kid and all the other kids wanted to play mommy and daddy. It just…wasn’t my thing. I wouldn’t play with them. Eli wouldn’t either, but I’m pretty sure it had more to do with me not playing than with her not wanting to.”

  Jerica gave her a look of pity, which immediately got Bridget’s back up.

  “It’s not a big deal, really.”

  “It is, but we don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. What do you want now? Now that you’re an adult and know yourself better?”

  Bridget had to think about that. She still hadn’t really spent a lot of time contemplating her future. She more went with the moment and wherever it took her, except in the last few weeks since being run over by a combine and a drunk farmer, she’d had a lot more time to think about shit she didn’t want ruminate on.