Page 1 of Tempting Promises
one
ROWAN
“Do not tell your parents I brought you here,” I sign to my niece, Olivia. She may be ten, but her father doesn’t think she needs to frequent the livestock auctions or anything that might get him into hot water with Liv’s mother. It’s better for everyone if we keep this our little secret.
Olivia grins as we’re looking for seats.“Brought me where? You would never take me somewhere I am not allowed, Uncle Rowan.”
I love this kid. And much to my brother’s dismay, she likes me best. I wink at her and point to two open seats.
Olivia is seriously the best kid in the world. She’s so much like me at her age in a lot of ways. We fish together at least once a month, and she enjoys working on the farm with me. What I love most is that she lets nothing stand in her way. She never lets being deaf define her—it’s just a part of who she is, and we don’t treat her any different than other kids her age.
“Can I hold the paddle?”she asks with bright eyes.
“No.”
Her brows furrow. “Why?”
“Because you will cost me a fortune.”
Olivia shakes her head and then opens the auction booklet.
I seriously hope Asher or Olivia’s overprotective mother doesn’thave some tracking device on her phone because he really will kick my ass—well, try to—if he finds out we’re here. While the auction isn’t a bad place necessarily, there have been a few fights when things got heated, and since he’s a cop, he’s had to break them up.
Plus, some of the ranch hands who attend drink too much and the rancher’s daughters...well, they like ranch hands and dress for that—if you know what I mean. It can get rowdy.
Speaking of one of those daughters, there’s one across the way who’s smiling rather alluringly at me.
She waves.
I wave back, aware that I have my niece with me because I would definitely like to take her home tonight.
Olivia nudges me to get my attention.“Are you bidding on anything?”
“Maybe.”
Honestly, I only came to the auction because my ranch manager, Micah, said the last two auctions had great steer options and I needed to see what the competition was buying. With the capital I just put up to buy a couple of extra pastures, I’m a little tight on cash. However, opportunity is priceless and my goal is to grow my farm and replenish my coffers, so to speak.
“You need a better steer,”she signs.
“There is nothing wrong with the steer I have now.”
Olivia shakes her head. “He is old, and Micah said he is not as good as he was.”
“Are you a cow expert now?”I ask her with a smirk.
She shrugs and then goes back to reading the list of animals to be auctioned off. Then she taps my leg and points to one that’ll be coming up.
It could be a good one, but it also could end up as a dud, but that’s part of owning a farm, I guess.
Olivia glances down at her phone for the hundredth time, and I nudge her. “Your dad and Phoebe are fine.”
Asher and Phoebe had to go to the doctor and needed someone to stay with Olivia. Normally, my sister would have the honor, sincethe two of them are “besties” or whatever crap they say. If not her, then the next logical choice is Grady, but since he’s flying today, that went out the window, which leaves me. I’m always the last choice, but I’m Liv’s favorite.
“I know.”
She doesn’t, but it’s okay.
“If you say so,” I sign back to her.
