Southern Charm

Chapter 16

JESSIE

Max's family ranch was almost as beautiful as my family's. Of course, I liked mine better; I grew up on it. The only difference between our ranches was ours had a pond with a small dock to fish off. The Lane ranch brought up all sorts of memories the second Trace's truck pulled down the long driveway. Max and I had been in love at one point, so seeing this place after all the time we spent together down here was crazy.

"You going to be okay doing this?" Trace asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm a big girl. I've got to do this to get it off my chest. I hope my being here won't cause a rift with Max's parents. They were glad Max cheated on me. Word got around town, and everyone whispered when they saw me as if I was the one who cheated."

Trace frowned. "That's messed up. I'm sorry about that." Trace came around to help me out of the truck, and we walked together to Max's front door.

I knocked and waited. Lainey opened the door with a look of surprise on her face. "Jessie! What are you doing here? And Trace, is it?" Lainey asked.

"I need to speak to Max. You can listen in, too, but it's something I should have told him two years ago, and I need to get it off my chest. I hope now is a good time."

"Um, sure. Come on in and have a seat. I'll go grab him from the kitchen."

Lainey left the living room as Trace and I sat on the couch. I glanced around the room and noticed Max's place was about the same as before. New pictures hung from Max and Lainey's wedding. The wall was painted differently, but the furniture was all the same. Aside from the potted plants and rug under the coffee table, nothing seemed to have Lainey's touch.

"Jessie, what are you doing here?" Max asked, entering the room with Lainey on his heel. He made eye contact with Trace and glared at him.

"Firstly, Trace, this is Max. Max, this is Trace, my fiancé," I said.

Max and Lainey's eyes widened. "Fiancé?!" They said in unison. Both were shocked, and that didn't surprise me one bit.

"I knew I saw a ring the other day, but I didn't think it was that serious," Max said.

Lainey glanced at Max. "The other day? Since when did you see Jessie the other day?" She asked.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "He was checking to see how I was doing; that was it. Moving on."

The two of them shut up and let me continue with my conversation.

"I want to discuss the day you cheated on me. That Friday morning, I came to see you at the mechanic shop."

Max sighed. "You came over here to bring up the past? It's been two damned years, and you want to rub it in my face that I cheated on you with your best friend. Get over yourself."

Trace began to stand, but I pulled him back down to the couch. I was in no shape to stop any fights, nor was Lainey. "I came here to tell you why I visited you that morning. You know I had felt sick the last few days and well I had taken a pregnancy test. I had it with me, and I was ready to show you until I saw you with Lainey." Max and Lainey were silent. "After I left in tears, I went home and worked so hard I fainted. I had been on my feet for too long and had done lots of heavy lifting, causing me to lose the child. I thought you might want to know."

Max's parents, Becky and George, entered the room. They must've been in the kitchen listening to our conversation. I was hoping we would avoid them if at all possible. Now, I wondered what they would have to say.

"You were pregnant with Max's child?" Becky asked, taking a step forward toward me on the couch.

I nodded. "Yes, I was hospitalized after fainting. Dane found me unconscious in the barn that day, and the doctors told me the baby was gone."

Becky glanced from me to Max, then back to me. "Is this your way of trying to get Max back? By telling a stupid lie like that? You think any of us would fall for that or that my son would ever come running back to you even if you were carrying his child?"

I was baffled. Becky and George may have never liked me, but neither had ever spoken to me like Becky had. I wanted to cry, but I wasn't about to show my tears to her. Not now. I stood even though it pained me, and Trace grabbed my hand to pull me back down. I was tired of being treated like I was the one who did wrong.

"Listen here, Becky, I don't know why you have disliked me since I dated Max, but let me tell you this: since Max cheated on me, not the other way around, I have never wanted to get him back. He's happy with Lainey, and I can see that. I would never make up a pregnancy from that day so he could feel apologetic and run back to me. I thought he deserved to know the truth, and for the record, I never liked you either. I always tried, but with you, there is no point. I'm far from over, Max, because I'm engaged to this man sitting before you who loves me and treats me better than your son ever did. I don't think you should accuse me of nonsense. We're all adults here. Maybe you should start acting like one; after all, you have a grandchild on the way."

Everyone in the room was speechless as I grabbed my crutches and left to head to the car. Trace followed after me and began helping me into the truck. All I wanted to do was get out of here. I should've never come.

"Jessie!" Max came running out the door with Lainey standing behind him. Max came up to me, looking apologetic. "I'm so sorry for everything. For the things that happened then and the child, we could've had. I'm sorry for my uncontrollable mother. I don't know the deal with her, but I think it has to do with something that happened with your mother or father years back, and she takes it out on you."

Lainey came up to me as well. "I'm sorry too, Jessie. All those years, we were friends, and I screwed it up. I never should have done it, but I wouldn't be where I am now if I hadn't. I hope you can forgive both of us. I'd love to be friends again and have you over for dinner."

I smiled, glad that something good was coming out of this. "I'm sorry for never telling you, Max. I feel it was my fault. I forgive both of you. We're all better than our past and have grown. I'd love to do dinner, just maybe not here."

Max laughed. "If it makes you feel any better, my mother and Lainey don't get along that well either. Jess, know that I don't blame you. I caused what happened that day. We can move on. All of us."

Max, Lainey, and I hugged for the first time in a long time. It was so weird but so great at the same time. Telling the truth goes a long way.

"Are we good?" Max asked Trace. He held his hand, and I prayed Trace would shake it. I wanted everything to be good between the four of us.

Trace nodded, and I let out a sigh of relief as they shook hands. Luckily, no one noticed my little sigh. "We better get going. Jessie has been on her feet enough today and needs some rest. We'll see you two around."

Once we were in the truck and headed down the road, I could feel Trace's eyes on me more than usual. "You know you're supposed to pay attention to the road, not me."

"I'm sorry, I'm distracted by your beauty and how well you stood up for yourself back there. I never doubted you for a second, but can I say, wow," Trace said.

I laughed. "You should've met me back in high school. You think I'm a firecracker now, which is fine, but I was dynamite then. No one wanted to get on my bad side. I'm a tough cookie and don't take anyone's crap."

"Alright, it's official. Your new nickname is going to be dynamite. How come I didn't come up with that one sooner?"

I laughed. "I like Firecracker better." I reached over the truck console and grabbed Trace's hand to link my fingers through his. "Thank you for coming with me. Meghan had offered, but having you there made me a little tougher. You always got under my skin at first. Trace Calvin, you bring out the best in me."

Trace turned and looked at me in surprise, and I laughed. "You got my middle name from Meghan, didn't you?"

I nodded. "I told you I would get you back one way or the other. Having your sister around is a big help. Plus, we're getting married, so it's not like I wouldn't have found it out."

"Aw man, I was hoping to die with you, never knowing my middle name," He said sarcastically.

"Ha ha, very funny. Now we're even," I said.

Trace raised his eyebrow. "For now."