Page 74 of Protective Cowboy

“Yay!” Jayden finally perked up. “Can you put sliced banana on it like last time, Uncle Brock? And an extra cherry?”

“Sure. One sundae with extra banana, extra cherry. Got it,” Brock assured him cheerfully.

“Will you bring us some of those huckleberry-apple turnovers if I kiss you?” Summer asked in an arch tone.

Brock grinned down at her. “You know I will, cupcake.”

Autumn’s brother-in-law had been the star of the high school football team, and it showed in his fit, broad-shouldered frame. He was a little rough around the edges, but one of the sweetest men Autumn knew. She adored him, and so did Jayden. Best of all, he made Summer very, very happy.

“You okay, sis?” Summer asked when Brock had vanished into the kitchen again. “I noticed you looked kind of upset when you came in. Did Phillip do something else?”

“Ugh, that guy,” Winnie groaned. “I really wish—” She shot Jayden a look, and stopped. He was busy swirling his fries in the paper ketchup cup and appeared oblivious to the conversation. “I mean, I wish your ex would just behave like a decent human being.”

“No, there’s nothing new on the Phillip front,” Autumn said. “And thank God for that. He’s done plenty this week, don’t you think?”

“He always struck me as an overachiever,” Summer said, her tone as tart as a chokecherry. “Okay, if it isn’t Phillip, then what’s going on?”

Autumn hesitated. Should she confide her conflicted feelings about Matt? Or would that only make leaving harder?

“Come on, tell us what’s bugging you,” Winnie prodded gently.

Autumn sighed. Her sisters knew her too well to let this go. “It’s just… when I told Matt about the job, he seemed really disappointed. Hurt, even.”

Winnie and Summer exchanged a knowing look.

“And that bothers you because you have still feelings for him? Seeing you two together, we figured you guys haven’t been completely faking your relationship,” Summer said.

Busted! thought Autumn. She wondered how many other people had guessed she and Matt weren’t exactly platonic house-mates.

“Can you blame him for being upset?” Winnie added, blunt as always. “You two have always had something special, Autumn. If you’ve gotten back together again, don’t throw it away for some job. Even a great job like the one that HomeRenoTV is offering you.”

Summer nodded in agreement.

Autumn stared down at her plate. She knew her sisters were right, but the fear of making the wrong decision again gnawed at her insides.

“Maybe you’re right,” she admitted. “But I need to do what’s best for Jayden and me.”

“I like Matt’s house, and I don’t want to leave,” Jayden said with surprising vehemence. “I hate Seattle!”

“You’ve never been there,” Autumn said, as gently as she could. “How can you know you hate it?”

“I just know!” Jayden lifted his head and glared at her. “It’s a stupid place really far away from everyone! Uncle Spring can’t give me riding lessons there! And Matt won’t be there, either!”

“Sweetie, I’m sorry,” Autumn said, guilt sliding like a sharp dagger between her ribs. “But this is something we have to do.”

She turned to her sisters, who were watching the exchange with compassionate expressions.

Do they think I’m being cruel to Jayden?

“This job is my big break!” she protested. “A chance to prove I’m more than just the charity-case sister.”

“Autumn, you know that’s not true,” Summer said, her brow furrowing in concern. “You’ve done so much for this diner, it’s not even funny.”

“Exactly,” Winnie chimed in. “And Karla didn’t hire you out of pity. You’re talented and hardworking and you’re amazing at what you do. But this job… is it really worth losing Matt and everything you’ve built here?”

Autumn didn’t have an answer for that.

“Maybe there’s another way,” Winnie continued thoughtfully, stabbing at a piece of flaky pot pie crust. “I’ve worked with Karla for years on my shows. She’s really nice and a reasonable person. Why not negotiate for the ability to work remotely?”

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