~~~~~~~ ONE YEAR AGO~~~~~
Jules Pov
Ugh, another farm day. I stared out the window, watching the dust motes dance in the afternoon sun. Nothing ever happened here, except maybe the occasional cow giving birth (which, frankly, wasn't that exciting after the third time). I yearned to be hunched over my laptop, fingers flying across the keyboard as my story unfolded, I love writing. But Nana always insisted I keep her company while she cooked. Most of the time, it was nice. The smell of her apple pie simmering in the oven, mixed with the warm, yeasty scent of bread rising, always made my stomach rumble. And Nana's stories about her wild youth in the city before she settled down on the farm were the best. But lately, her forgetfulness had been acting up more and more. Sometimes, she wouldn't even remember who I was. Thankfully, that wasn't happening today.
Suddenly, a loud rumble shattered the afternoon quiet. I whipped around to see a fancy, chrome car pull up by the rickety old cow fence next to the barn. Great. Nana loved renting out the loft above the barn to city folks on a "back-to-nature" kick. They were always such a pain - clueless about where milk came from or the difference between a goat and a sheep.
"Nana, is this another one of those city people?" I groaned, already picturing the inevitable questions about milking cows and sheep shearing.
Nana chuckled, her wrinkles crinkling around her eyes. "Now, Jule, don't be rude. It's good to have someone new to cook for besides you and Danny." She winked, slipping a golden-brown pie into the oven.
"But Nana..." I whined, rolling my eyes.
Nana patted my shoulder, her touch warm and comforting. "Come on, sweetheart, let's go meet them. Maybe they won't be so bad this time. Besides, you never know, they might even have some interesting stories from the city."
I grumbled as Nana pulled me to my feet. Maybe she was right. Maybe this time, the city person wouldn't be a complete dud. After all, a little change of pace from the usual farm routine wouldn't hurt.
My Nana's grip on my hand went from friendly to ouch-tight. "Honey, don't be a grouch," she whispered. "We've got company today."
I stuck my tongue out at her, just barely. "But Nanaaa," I whined, "I don't wanna go out there!"
"Hush now," she said, her voice leaving no room for arguing. "Come on, outside with you."
We stepped outside, and there by a Toyota truck was a guy who looked, well, perfect. Even with his back to us, he just…had something.
Before I could even open my mouth, Nana was talking a mile a minute. "Hello there! Glad you could make it!"
The guy turned around, and my stomach did a weird flip. His eyes were brown, like melted chocolate chips, and they locked with mine for a brief moment. My heart started hammering in my chest like it was trying to escape.
This guy was definitely different from any boy I'd met around here. He was tall and had messy brown hair that kind of flopped around his face in a way that made him seem…well... perfect.
"Hey there," he said with a grin. "I'm Adam."
Adam, Adam...his Adam. Even his name is perfect, the first man....
"This is Majorie," Nana said, gesturing between us, "and this right here is my amazing granddaughter, Julie Rose."
"Just Jules," I mumbled, my voice sounding like a tiny kitten. Fantastic. Here I was, trying to make a good impression on this super cute guy, and I sounded like a squeak toy. Why did I have to be such a dork?
The minute he said, "Hey there, Jules," I felt like I could melt into a puddle. His eyes locked onto mine, and there was no way I was looking away first. It got quiet, but in a good way, like neither of us wanted to mess up the moment. Then, I saw something in his eyes. Maybe... a spark? I really, really hoped he liked me back. Grandma always said I'm the kind of girl who'd fall for a guy hard and it'd be a forever type of falling, like Romeo and Juliet. I never wanted to correct her by telling her they both died in the end. It felt a bit brutal to get the sweet old lady down like that.
But looking at him right now... let's just say my heart was not doing a happy dance but rather shooting faster than a metourite.
"Jules, honey," Grandma chimed in, "why don't you be a sweetheart and show our guest to his room?"
"No worries, ma'am," the guy said politely. "I don't want to cause any trouble. Just point me in the right direction, I'll be fine." He still hadn't looked away from me, which was making me blush like crazy.
"Call me Marj, dear," Grandma said, puffing out her chest proudly. "And don't you worry about Jules. She's tougher than Bummer, our prize bull."
"Nana!" I groaned, hiding my face in my hand. Grandma always knew how to embarrass me at the worst times.
The guy chuckled and handed me his suitcase. "Just a little help, Jules, if that's alright? I promise I pack light." He winked at me again. The bag was heavy but not enough to tip me over "Seems you might even be stronger than Bummer himself."
My stomach did a somersault. Butterflies galore! Was he, for real, flirting with me? Before I could even stammer out a reply, Grandma was already walking away. "Gotta make sure that pie doesn't burn!" she yelled back.
Suddenly, I was all alone with this incredibly handsome guy. He leaned in a little closer, a big smile on his face. "Alright, starlight," he said, "show me the way." Everything felt tingly and exciting. Maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something truly amazing.
Jules' POV“Are you going to just stand there and stare at me?”His voice yanked me back from my shameless staring. Heat crawled up my cheeks. Busted, plain and simple. But come on, the guy was sculpted by the gods themselves. How could you not sneak a peek?"Yeah," I mumbled, twisting a stray strand of hair around my finger as I perched on the worn couch by the barn window. For the first time in forever, I was actually grateful for Grandma's rules"all access rule," I finished lamely, glancing at Adam where he stood unpacking.He chuckled, the sound warm and rich. A hand ruffled his dark, chocolate curls, making them seem even more enticing. "The what?" he asked, a playful glint in his eyes. It hit me then - he truly had no clue. Didn't even bother skimming the terms and conditions before booking a room in the middle of nowhere Montana?"All access," I explained, deciding to be the bigger person. "Grandma's a people person. Always has been. Loves playing hostess, even more than bakin
Jules Pov:The world spun as Adam's words echoed in my head.He never loved meTears welled, blurring my vision as my body trembled in denial. This couldn't be real."You don't mean that, Adam," I pleaded, my voice cracking. "We can fix this. We just need to talk."A cold fury replaced the warmth that used to be in his eyes. "There's nothing to fix, Jules. I never loved you. You were a game, a way to escape my own life." His grip tightened on my shoulders, his anger a physical thing pushing against me."No," I gasped,"We have so many memories, so many moments , laughs... We can't throw it all away." My voice rose in desperation, clinging to the wreckage of our love.Memories flickered through my mind – stolen kisses under fireworks, whispered promises on starlit nights, the way his hand fit perfectly in mine.How could none of it have meant anything to him?"Memories?" He spat the word, his face contorted. "All I remember is your constant need. You suffocate me, Jules. You pretend to
Adam's PovI sighed, looking out the window at the rain splashing down on the city. Autumn leaves swirled outside, their vibrant colors reminding me of Jules, my beautiful wife. We'd only been married a month, and she was my everything. I missed her. But I had to tie up a few loose ends in the city before I could make it back to her. It's been two days and I feel like a addict needing his fix.You're in everything I see Jules"Impatient, aren't we?" A smirk played on Henry's lips, and I clenched my fists to control my anger. Henry Shepherd wasn't a friend; he was a farmhand on the run from the law. The nerve of him trying to steal Jules from me! Thankfully, she saw him for what he was, and I won her heart.I fiddled with my gold wedding band, trying to calm my racing heart. I didn't want to strangle Henry right then and there."Get to the point, Henry," I growled. "Spill it, or I'll have to tell the police about your little… sideline hustles." I couldn't resist a smirk as I saw him fl
Jules PovThe red clock on the car dashboard blinked angrily, almost midnight. I pulled the car over on the side of the road, a few miles away from my grandma's farm. Tears welled up in my eyes, making the headlights blurry. I couldn't handle Nana's questions – they would just poke and prod at the fresh wound in my heart.Instead, my body moved on its own, like a machine. I got out of the car and walked towards the big open field in the middle of the farm. It felt like it was calling me, this place where Adam and I first kissed. Back then, everything felt happy and perfect.Now, the silence was deafening, like a heavy blanket wrapped around me. I plopped down on the cool grass, staring at the angry red marks on my arm, leftover from a fight I barely remembered. My stomach, even though it wasn't round yet, felt heavy with a different kind of weight. I was pregnant. There was a baby growing inside me.A laugh, humorless and sad, escaped my lips. "Oh my gosh," I whispered, the words lost