“Great,” Maisie grumbled, watching a hawk soaring over the hay field through her window. “I never understood why any of this takes so long. We’ve been paying the insurance company for years to ensure we’ve got money there if we need it. Why all the friggin’ paperwork? Just cut the damn check.”
“You won’t hear me arguing,” Clara said. “It’s ridiculous.”
Amelia agreed with a quick nod, looking ready to speak, when the GPS indicated a right turn ahead. Clara made the turn, and then Amelia looked between the seats again, a big fat grin on her face. “Now that Mason’s out of the car, want to talk about what happened with Hayes and Seth last night?”
Maisie stared down at her throbbing finger in her lap. “Nothing happened with either of them.”
“It didn’t look like nothing to me,” Amelia said, voice light. “I saw Hayes’s face when he walked up and saw you dancing with Seth. He didn’t look happy.”
Maisie sighed, rested her head back against the headrest and looked at her sister. “Believe me when I tell you that Hayes is not jealous over Seth. I told him why Seth and I broke up, and well…he didn’t like how Seth bailed. That’s the reason for the tension last night.”
“He’s not the only one,” Clara cut in. “But I’ve got agree with Amelia, he definitely wasn’t glaring at Seth because Seth’s a shitty guy.”
Maisie glanced at Clara in the rearview mirror. “You saw him too?”
She nodded, and her eyes squinted a little. “Listen, I wasn’t going to say anything, but I’m your older sister and keep thinking that maybe I should.”
“Am I going to hate what you’re about to say?” Maisie asked with caution.
Clara laughed softly. “No.”
“Then proceed.”
Clara’s amused eyes came to Maisie’s again in the rearview mirror before they softened. She pulled the car over, kicking up dust on the gravel side. On the quiet country road, Clara unhooked her seat beat. “I hope you know you don’t owe anything to Hayes or Laurel.”
A frown tugged on Maisie’s mouth. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Clara turned fully in her seat. “I mean, just be happy, Maisie. You’ve been through so much. Far more than most people. And we saw you pick yourself up from your pain and start living again.”
Amelia agreed with a soft, “You were so strong. We’re so proud.”
“Don’t make me cry,” Maisie said, pointing at Amelia.
“Won’t. Promise.” Amelia laughed, raising her hands in surrender.
Clara continued as if she’d never been interrupted, “I just want you to really think about why your heart reaches for Hayes. Is it because he’s giving you all the happiness in the world? Or is it because you and Hayes have been through hell and back and now you feel obligated to be there for him?”
Maisie nearly answered, but then stopped herself. She did feel like she needed to be there for him. She’d been his lifeline for a while, she’d always known that, and she had no doubt Hayes knew that too.
Clara went on, “This isn’t something you need to ever tell anyone, only yourself, but these are important things to ask. Because you, Maisie, with your sunny ways, deserve to be happy. Truly happy and loved.”
Maisie’s heart expanded, healing cracks she didn’t know were there. “Thank you.”
Clara smiled and nodded.
Next to her, Amelia reached for Maisie’s hand, squeezing tight. “If I can add my two cents, if you do want to be with Hayes, it’s okay to fall in love with him. Laurel would want you both to be happy. You both deserve a win. But, as Clara said, don’t let him forget that your happiness matters too. At some point, you’re going to have to stop taking care of him, and he needs to put the past behind him. And if Hayes cares about you like he should, he’d want that too.”
Tears rolled down Maisie’s cheeks during Amelia’s speech and Maisie couldn’t stop them. Love touched every broken spot in her heart. This felt really nice. “Thanks,” she said with a sniff. “I actually think I’m finally starting to think of myself again.” And maybe she hadn’t seen that before. Just how lost she’d become. How much of herself she’d given up after Laurel died. Because seeing Seth shifted something inside her last night, reminding her of all the things Maisie had wanted for herself…before Laurel died, before Pops died, before the brewery.
Clara smiled and gave Maisie’s hand another tight squeeze. “Good, I’m glad, and if you need anything from us while you figure this out, you’ll let us know.”
“I will,” Maisie said. “I love you both. Thank you.”
“Love you back, Maisie-Moo,” Amelia said, eyes watery too.
Clara gave a soft smile and mouthed “love you” before she fastened her seat belt again drove off.
They passed buzzards gathering at the side of the road, and Maisie’s head began to hurt as much as her finger. She wasn’t going to get any answers in the car right now. To get her mind off herself, she aimed the spotlight on Amelia. “Since you’re in the talking mood, how about we talk about your fight with Luka, and Beckett getting growly about it?”
Amelia went still. “I’ve got nothing to say about that.”
“Sure, you don’t.” Clara snickered, elbowing Amelia next to her. “What should we talk about, then?”
Amelia turned her sly grin on Clara. “How about that guy you were kissing?”
Clara swerved the car, the tires hitting gravel before she straightened the car on the road.
“Oh, damn, you near drove off of the road,” Maisie drawled. “This has got to be good.”
Clara straightened in her seat, her cheeks burning red. “No one was supposed to see that.” Her stern eyes flicked to Amelia. “How did you see that?”
“You weren’t exactly hiding it,” Amelia said with a snort. “You were just too busy to notice that your hiding spot sucked.”
Clara’s shoulders curled. “Oh my God.”
Maisie burst out laughing.
Amelia glanced back at Maisie and nodded. “You should have seen our big sis here. It was scandalous. She practically ate the guy’s face off then grabbed him by the T-shirt and dragged him into the storage room.”
Maisie gasped jokingly, a hand on her heart. “Oh my.”
Clara frowned at Maisie in the rearview mirror. “All right, that’s enough. So, I had some fun last night.”
“I’m just busting your balls,” Maisie said with an answering grin. “Or did you bust his balls?”
“Just stop,” Clara muttered.
Amelia laughed then quieted enough to ask, “Who was he anyway?”
“I have no idea, and that’s exactly how I like it.”
Maisie whistled. “Look at you, being all…wild.”
Clara straightened her shoulders and replied, “Mason’s the only one I’m thinking about right now, but last night was some much-needed fun.”
“You don’t need to explain yourself,” Maisie countered. “You deserve all the screwing in the barn you want.”