Page 74 of Honey Bee Hearts

“What if I want you to be?” I ask, reaching for his hand. He surprisingly lets me. “What if I want you to be an option?”

He looks at our hands where I hold his, his eyes sad. “I’m not used to being loved, Fable. I wouldn’t know what to do with something like that.” He lifts my hand and places a kiss against the back of it. “It’s best not to worry about me, little iron worker.”

He grabs the piece of metal from the anvil, the ugly one, and presses it into my palm. “Add that to your next armor,” he orders. “To show you can weather the storm.”

“It’ll only make me think of you,” I tell him.

He pauses and steps back. “It’s only fair,” he whispers. “I never stop thinking of you.”

He leaves me there, the piece of ruined metal in my hand, tears welling in my eyes.

There are three more apples on my cabin steps, waiting for me.

Chapter 41

Fable

Two days later, I wake up feeling lonelier than ever. I’m twenty-seven today. I wasn’t supposed to be here alone. Jinx and I would have woken up excited. There would have been a cake and flowers because we always gave each other flowers for our birthdays. The weirdest bouquet I could find for Jinx. Sunflowers for me. Then we would have gotten drunk and had the time of our lives in town. Instead, I’m on Circle Bee alone. The guys have mostly avoided me the last two days, and if I’m being honest, I haven’t searched them out either. I’m still angry, but it’s muted now.

Gunnar was right. It’s not really any of my business. I’m not dating any of them and I’m leaving in less than a week.

I look around the cabin. I have stuff strewn across the room, outfits hanging on every available hook. I’ve run out of room. Over by the sewing table, a pile of outfits and items I’ve been working on sit there, including some leather armor for Jethro with a matching hand tooled collar. I want him to have something from me when I leave.

The dog in question lays over on the other bed, his eyes watching me as I study the room. I’ve started letting him inside.Otherwise, he sits on my porch. Colt said he refuses to sleep back in the kennels while I’m here, and I can’t stand the thought of him being outside alone, so here he is.

“Some birthday this is,” I tell him sadly.

“Start the day with a drink. End it with a cock,” Jinx announces from the corner. Her plan for every birthday since we were nineteen. “That’s the only way to do it.”

When I look over at her, she’s not quite there, and then she fades completely, leaving me to stare at the urn sitting on the mantel.

“I miss you,” I tell the urn. “I miss you so fucking much, Jinxie.”

She doesn’t answer, and that only serves to remind me of just how lonely I actually am. This will be the first birthday I’ll spend alone since I was a kid. Jinx was always there, was always with me. Now, she’s not. She’ll never be with me again.

I drag myself over to my outfits, studying them, but none of them speak to me today. I could be a cosmic cowgirl again, a wild west sharpshooter, a variety of different western outfits, but ultimately I decide to go simple. I pull on a pair of jeans, my boots, a t-shirt, and my regular cowgirl hat. I add a large belt buckle and look in the mirror. Simple, but still me, still in theme. Nodding in satisfaction, I hesitate before I go out the door.

What will breakfast be like? I hadn’t told anyone when my birthday was, so no one will know. I don’t know if I prefer it that way or not, but I’m about to find out how I feel about it.

I tap my thigh for Jethro, and he comes running off the bed with a happy bark. The moment I open the door, he shoots out of it to chase the little black birds sitting in the yard to catch the early morning bugs. I smile at the sight before going over to the big house, walking slowly, my chest aching with every step.

Twenty-seven.

I’m twenty-seven and no better off for it.

Sighing, I stop at the screen door, my hand on the handle, before I take a deep breath and pull it open. The house is quiet when I enter, and I frown. It’s never quiet.

“Hello?” I call. No one answers. I step into the dining room and?—

“Happy birthday!” everyone screams, surprising me so bad I stumble and nearly trip over my own feet.

I stare with wide eyes at the entirety of Circle Bee Ranch cramped into one room. Rhett claps and whistles. Gunnar stands beside him with Callie, both grinning. Colt watches me carefully, a smile on his face, and even Trent stands with his arms crossed against the wall. Everyone I’ve spent the last three weeks with is in this room, their eyes bright, their smiles wide.

“There’ll be a cake for later,” Mel announces. “But for now, enjoy this stack of birthday pancakes.” He brings over a plate of sprinkle pancakes, birthday candles shoved into the top of them. “We couldn’t let you think we forgot your birthday,” he adds fondly when I stare at the lit candles.

The surprise wears off and I stand there, tears starting to well in my eyes. They knew. They all knew the whole time.

Rhett seems to be the first one to realize my reaction isn’t tears of happiness. His eyes widen in panic as the first tears fall, but he doesn’t reach for me. He’s been avoiding me since we slept together. Instead, he elbows Gunnar who immediately leaps forward to wrap me in his arms.

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