Page 107 of Tempting Promises
twenty-five
CHARLOTTE
“Happy birthday to me, Bessy.” I pet my oldest and most favorite cow. She was the first calf I got to help be born. My grandfather warned me not to get attached, that they don’t live long and we often move them off the farm after their production is done.
But Bessy, she stays.
She’s mine and I love her.
Of course the cow doesn’t respond because . . . she’s a cow.
“I’m another year older, another year alone, and this might be the last one on this farm.”
Just saying the words aloud makes me want to sob.
In the next three days we find out.
Carson informed us a decision will be made by the end of the week, so there’s that.
My phone rings, and it’s a video call from Aurora.
Might as well get this over with.
“Hey,” I say, answering.
“Happy birthday, little sister!”
“Thank you.”
“Are you doing anything fun?”
I shake my head. “No, Faye is away with her parents and I have a lot of work to do on the farm.”
She scoffs. “You’re young and single, go do something fun.”
So easy for someone without the responsibilities I have, but sure. “Who knows, maybe I will.”
“I wish I could be there.”
Is it wrong I don’t have the same sentiment? Probably, but it is what it is. “You’re busy in New York.”
Aurora sighs dramatically. “I have a dinner meeting and then I have a date with a new guy.”
“What happened to Ryan?”
“He’s still around.”
I stare at her, my eyes narrowing. “I’m confused.”
“Well, I’m just not willing to get my heart trampled on again. I’m being careful and keeping my options open. It works forothers. So, I figure I might as well try it. Unlike when Rowan did it to me, I’m honest about it.”
I can’t today. “Can we have one conversation where you don’t talk about Rowan? Just one. Today?”
Aurora huffs out her response. “Fine.”
I don’t want to think about Rowan. I don’t want to remember how we stood together on top of the world and I still couldn’t have what I wanted. I refuse to dream one more damn night about the way he kisses or smells or makes me feel like I’m beautiful and special. All of that I’m avoiding today, because I don’t want to feel that damn ache that won’t go away.
We made a choice to stop being stupid.
