Page 38 of Don't Trust the Cowboy

As I get inside the house, I can hear Billy walk up to me. “Hey.” He says softly.

“Hey.” I say back, feeling my body tremble with unshed tears.

“You okay?”

I nod, keeping my back turned, so he can’t see my face. I draw in a deep breath and hold it, not trusting myself. My phone beeps, and I know who it is and what it’s about, but I ignore it. It’s the same reason as the ignored email I received earlier. “I’m fine. Long day.” I look at my phone and see that there are several text messages and emails that I’ve ignored, and that I ignore, every year on this day.

“Not buying it.” He says, pulling me to him. I hear the toot of a horn, and I assume that it’s his brothers leaving. “Something’s wrong.”

I look up at him, willing the tears away, like I always do. “Fine. I got fired today.” I close my eyes and avert my gaze, not wishing to see the pitiful expression, the look of remorse. I’d rather see hate than that. All my life, I could never stand anyone giving me those goddamn puppy dog eyes. It seems that it’s all I ever saw from people for a spell.

“Look, I'm sorry that y’all got fired, and I don’t mean to come out sounding like a selfish asshole, but Piper, I wanted to hire you on here full time from the getgo. I was actually going to ask you if you wanted to quit that other job and just come work for me.”

A glimmer of hope rises in me. “Really?” My eyes meet his. There’s no remorse, no pity, just...happiness.

“Absolutely. I mean, look at this place.” He says, gesturing to the old farmhouse, which has always been perfect in my eyes. My phone beeps again. I feel it tug at my heartstrings. I’ve told nobody about my encounter with Hank and Tina today. No. This is all about that other thing that I hate.

“Just...what in hell is going on over there, darlin’?” He asks with a slight chuckle.

That’s when I lose it. It’s the first time in a while that I feel my guard coming down. This is the first time without my folks’ ignorance. The first time not having to feel that certain pain I get every year. And I don’t know how to deal with it yet. It was easy when they were alive to ignore it, but now that they’re gone, everyone I love is trying like hell to not let me forget it. My answer comes out as my voice cracks. “It’s my birthday.”

His eyes widen. “Well, dang, Piper! Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because I...I hate my birthday.”

He grabs hold of my shoulders, looking directly into my eyes with such conviction, it nearly undoes me. “Now, look, I don’t know why, and I don’t want to know why, but you deserve to celebrate your birthday, darlin’, just like everyone else. Forget about your job. Fuck him and everyone he loves, man. Move on. You’re going to be way happier here once this ranch gets moving the way I dream it will. I don’t want to see anything other than a smile on that beautiful face of yours, and there’s no excuses.” He kisses me on the mouth. “Happy Birthday, darlin’. Let’s celebrate.”

I never knew it, but, after tonight, my life will never be the same...

Chapter 13

Billy

“Cassidy.”Isay,whenmy brother answers on the first ring.

“What’s up?”

“You and Blair turn your asses back here, now.” I say, with a lightness to my voice I haven’t heard in a long time. Too long. “It’s Piper’s birthday.”

“What?” He chuckles in disbelief. “How come she never said anything while we were there before?”

“Never mind that. Just get over here. And bring a cake.” I hang up and call the Paxton boys, while I hear Piper on the phone with Crystal and Jade, and then with her aunt. Within a half hour, the house is buzzing with people. Blair and Cassidy grabbed a cake and a pizza, while Nash and Levi Paxton managed to scrounge up a case of beer.

Piper’s smile is infectious as Jade pulls a birthday hat on her head. “Just where did you get this? Gosh, nothing’s opened here, not since six o’clock.”

“I didn’t get it in Copper Cove.” Jade replies, adjusting it around her ears. “I picked it up in Dallas.”

“And where’d y’all get your hands on the beer, boys?” Cassidy asks, pulling one out of the case.

Nash shrugs. “It was hanging around since daddy gave up the sauce. I figure he ain’t drinking it anymore, so there’s no sense it going to waste.”

Cassidy hands Piper the beer, and then we all have one in hand, clinking our bottles to toast Piper’s day. “Here here!” I say as I touch the mouth of my bottle to hers.

“Thanks.” She smiles at me, and I wink at her.

“You know your aunt nearly begged me to bring her, Piper.” Jade states.

“I know. I’ll go see her tomorrow. I’m not quite ready for her to know everything yet.”

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