Jessie Belle: The Women of Merryton - Book One by Jennifer Peel

are you going to meet this girl?” Cheyenne asked.
    “I
don’t know. Blake hasn’t said much since he found out yesterday. I think he’s
afraid I may jump ship if he says too much or pushes it.”
    “Are
you heading overboard?” Cheyenne asked, skipping pretenses.
    I
thought for a moment while my best friends looked between each other. They were
talking about me with their eyes. “Right now I’m trying to fix me, but that
doesn’t mean I don’t want to work on my marriage. I’m just lost,” I sighed
pathetically.
    Cheyenne
reached up and patted my head and Abby touched my shoulder.
    “You
didn’t go anywhere. The fact that you’re not curled up in the fetal position is
amazing after everything you’ve been through. Give yourself some credit, huh?”
Cheyenne declared.
    Abby
rubbed my arm some more. “You’re awesome.”
    “Thanks,
ladies,” I sniffled. “I don’t know what I would ever do without you.”
    “Good
thing we’re sticking around,” Cheyenne said. Then she went back to being her
real self. “Enough of this sappy crap, let’s get to the mall and see if Jessie
still has a body under all the clothing she’s been hiding under. No wonder your
marriage is having issues. Blake would probably like to see a little skin from
time to time.”
    We
all laughed, but it was probably true. In my defense, I had been pregnant
several times on and off over the last ten years. My body had been through the
ringer. The fact it had any shape at all was a miracle.
    We
hit the mall with a vengeance. I got a complete new wardrobe, from bras and
panties all the way to casual and dress outfits. And, of course, an array of
shoes. My debit card was on fire.
    At
the last store of the day I came out of the dressing room in a peachy-pink
strapless dress that was summery and flirty, definitely different from what I
normally wore lately, which was a good thing. I needed a new look. I looked in
the three-way mirror, and for the first time in a long time, I felt pretty.
    “Well,
dang, girl! You do have a body, and it’s kind of hot!” Cheyenne exclaimed.
    I
rolled my eyes at her.
    “It’s
true,” Abby said.
    “You
ladies are such good liars.”
    Cheyenne
stood behind me and looked at me through the mirror. “Look at yourself. You’re
gorgeous. I wish you could see that. You used to know that, Miss Prom and
Homecoming Queen.”
    I
sighed. “That was a long time ago.” Back when I thought my life would be
perfect forever.
    “Yeah,
it was, but you’re even more beautiful now,” Cheyenne responded.
    I
wiped at my watery eyes. “You guys are the best.”
    “Yes,
we are,” they said in unison.
    We
walked out, loaded down with an assortment of bags and boxes.
    “Will
Blake care that you spent all this money?” Abby asked worriedly.
    “No.
Blake has his money and I have mine.”
    “Wow.
That’s nice. Shane counts every penny and keeps us on a tight budget. I thought
marrying a doctor would have more financial perks, but he’s a freak about
saving money.”
    “You
should tell Shane where to go,” Cheyenne counseled. “You stay at home and raise
his kids. You should get to spend as much money as you want.”
    Abby
and I both rolled our eyes at her. Cheyenne didn’t share well and she didn’t
have a clue about budgeting or running a household, or being married, for that
matter. I was surprised she had kept her salon afloat. I think she had a
manager that she listened to and that took care of the money end of the
business.
    I
thought about what Abby said about Shane. I guess there were some perks about
keeping our finances separate, but I did wish we shared more, or at least had a
joint account. I know it sounds dumb, but when we were first married I wanted
checks that had Blake and Jessica Summers printed on them.
    “Let’s
go to dinner, my treat,” I offered.
    They
didn’t hesitate to take me up on my offer.
    We
stuffed ourselves with bacon cheeseburgers and curly fries, both things I never
ate at