Page 8 of Tempting Promises
Seriously, my friends are all in need of help. I nudge her and stand. “Thanks for the invite and the break, but I need to get back to work.”
There are cows to feed, and I have two expecting that I need to check on again. Not to mention, I need to try to patch the roof area on the barn before it snows this weekend. Lord knows it’ll cave if I don’t figure something out.
She stands and grabs the shirt she found. “I’m serious about the mountain trip. It’ll be, like, six of us. Joey is inviting his friends, and it’ll be fun. Maybe you’ll even meet a guy. Who knows? I want you to come with us.”
“I really can’t, Faye.”
“Don’t say no. It’s in a month and a half, and who knows, by then you may have the cows or whatever in a place so you can go for aweekend. I repeat, a weekend. Not a week. Not ten days. Just three whole days of relaxing, drinking, and laughing. I’m sure the guys are going to hike because they always do, and we know you like that. It’s a win-win.”
She’s freaking relentless. It’s better if I placate her a little. “I’ll think about it.”
Her eyes brighten as she bounces. “That’s almost a yes!”
“It’s also almost a no.”
“You’re so pessimistic. Slap that frown upside down and smile a little, boys like that.”
“Yes, I’m so worried about the boys,” I say as we link arms, walking out of my room. “Go do whatever it is you do all day. I am going to tend to the cows.”
Her nose scrunches. “I don’t know how we are friends sometimes. You’re all . . . country, and I’m . . . not.”
That’s true. “It’s by design.”
“I guess so. All right, I’ll be sure to annoy you in the next few days, and seriously, dig out those boots or whatever it is you need because no matter what you say, you’re going. I love you, bye.”
“Love you back. Bye.”
She shakes her head and heads out to her car. Her very new, very ridiculous SUV that looks more like a tank, but with the way she drives, it’s the people around her who need the armored vehicle. Faye waves from the window, puts the car in gear, heads toward my house, which is not the way she should be going, slams on the brakes and then smiles.
Dear God.
“Reverse is the R, Faye!” I yell out the door.
Her window lowers. “Sorry! I’m glad I caught that.”
“Yeah, me too, otherwise I’d be homeless!”
Which is still a possibility if I don’t find a way through these bills.
three
ROWAN
“She’s perfect, Asher,” I say to my brother as I hold his newest daughter.
“She really is.”
“She’s already spoiled by her daddy,” Phoebe says as she smiles up at him.
God, these two are so grossly in love it’s nauseating. Honestly, both of my siblings are. Grady making his kissy faces at Addison. They both need an intervention.
“Well, of course she is because that’s my damn job.”
I scoff. “Your job is to fight off the assholes like us when they come sniffing around your girls.”
“That won’t be an issue,” Asher says with a half laugh. “No one is getting near my daughters.”
So he thinks. “Oh, Brynn reminded me that yesterday was also your birthday. So, happy belated birthday. I didn’t get you anything.”
