Page 56 of Some Cowboys Brave the Flames

She’d never gone out and chased after a dream besides going with Caleb to Emma’s concert. In all her twenty-two years of life,she’d only done one thing that could be construed as brave, and most everyone she knew wouldn’t even call it that.

Falling in love hadn’t been scary. It was what had come after. She’d loved Ash so deeply that she got physically sick when she thought she might not see him again. How was that healthy? It wasn’t.

That’s why she’d made this decision.

“Charlie?” Mason’s voice shattered into the thoughts swirling and swirling in her mind.

Her head snapped up and she stared at her brother with surprise. “What?”

“Were you listening?”

Those worry lines between Daniel’s brows deepened.

Mason pointed to her hand. She glanced down to see her skin had turned white with the pressure. “You don’t look like you’re doing okay. Do you want to sit down?”

She released the counter and rubbed her fingertips over her leg. “I’m fine,” she insisted.

He didn’t argue. Neither one of them had the poor sense to do such a thing since she’d broken things off. She knew why, of course. They didn’t want her dating Ash from the very beginning.

They should be thrilled rather than concerned. The source of their contention was officially gone. She didn’t need to worry about either one of them making a snide comment about Ash or giving her a look whenever she said she was going to spend time with him.

Happiness could reign in the Keagan household once again.

Carter entered the kitchen and then froze when his eyes took in everyone. He didn’t say anything either. He’d been the type to prefer staying far away from this drama.

Charlie let out an exasperated sigh. “I’m not as fragile as you think I am. I’m fine. I’ve made my choice, and as an adult,I’m going to live with it.” She returned to the counter where she could reach the rolling pin and start working on the cookies again.

Five minutes went by, then five more and none of her brothers moved from where they stood. She wanted to issue each of them a glare and a warning to get on with their lives, but she couldn’t bring herself to do even that.

There was a hole in her heart—one she had known would appear. The second she’d walked out of that hospital room, she’d felt it get drilled into her.

It was like she’d told Ash. He was her first kiss and her first love. A person who fulfills that role in anyone’s life will end up leaving a mark. Eventually, it might go away.

And if it didn’t?

She let out another sigh, but it didn’t ease the ache in her chest. Her lungs were fine, she reminded herself. The pain in her chest came from something else entirely.

Charlie peeredthrough narrowed eyes toward the house as the sun started its descent. Her hand shadowed her vision but only slightly. She’d gone out for a ride right after lunch, and it had turned into something a great deal longer than expected.

She’d known she needed to head back home about an hour ago if she wanted to get dinner started and put it on the table for those who still lived in the house.

And yet she couldn’t get the energy to do it.

Her horse had been content to keep walking, and she’d let her.

Right about now, everyone would be showing up in the kitchen. They’d see that there was nothing on the stove or in theoven. They might look in the fridge for something they were to reheat. But there’d be nothing.

She didn’t even have the energy for guilt at this moment. All she could feel was the intense need to get away from everything that reminded her of Ash. And memories of him ran rampant at the house. In the barn. Outside.

She shut her eyes as the memories of their first kiss came to the forefront of her mind. Her throat tightened, and her hands shook.

Depression wasn’t something she’d ever experienced, and at this point, she wasn’t sure if that was what she was dealing with. Getting a good night’s sleep was still hard to accomplish. Food had lost its allure. Her stomach still growled, reminding her that she hadn’t put anything of substance in it for over a week.

For the most part, her family was leaving her alone. She couldn’t tell if they were giving her space because they thought she needed it or if they simply didn’t want to deal with her.

She couldn’t blame them for the latter. She’d brought this on herself, after all.

What did she expect when she’d started dating someone her family didn’t approve of?

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