Page 9 of Tempting Promises
Apparently, he went out to dinner with Phoebe and Olivia to celebrate, and her water broke before they even ordered. She had a pretty easy labor, and Sienna Whitlock is now here to be adored and doted on.
“I got the best gift from Phoebe.” Asher’s eyes are all mushy as he looks at his daughter.
“You know, you’ve become someone else since you fell in love. You’re all...I don’t know, weird.”
He shrugs. “Love does that.”
Whatever.
“How are you going to handle this much estrogen in this house?” I joke. My brother went from basically living alone, except for when Olivia came to visit, to having a fiancée and now another daughter. Yeah, that sounds like the eighth circle of hell if you ask me.
“That, I’m not sure of.”
Phoebe giggles. “A lot of patience.”
He laughs, and I hand him back Sienna. She wiggles a little and then settles in his arms. “You did good, Ash. You got a wonderful woman and two amazing daughters. As much as I joke about your home full of girls, I’m happy for you.”
“This could be you, Rowan, you just have to put the past where it belongs and realize we’re not Mom when it comes to relationships.”
Asher and I are similar in how we view—or I should say heviewed—relationships. I’m the only one who hasn’t abandoned the belief that love is a weakness. How many times do people do the dumbest shit in the name of love? All the fucking time. They convince themselves that it’s okay someone did a horrible thing because they love you. No thank you. I’m perfectly fine being single and only worrying about my damn self. I watched my mother fall for it time after time. I fell for it once, in high school, and decided that was a road I was never going down again.
“The past is where it belongs, thank you very much. Anyway, I’m happy for you, and maybe someday you’ll get your balls back.” I shrug.
“I like his balls right where they are,” Phoebe jokes.
I bet she does.
“Speaking of balls, I heard you got yours handed to you recently.” Asher grins, and I have no idea what he’s talking about.
“When?”
“When Charlotte got you to,once again, pay more for something you thought she wanted at the auction. The auction you tried to keep Olivia from telling me about, I might add.”
I shake my head, hating my brother and my traitorous niece. “I didn’t tell her to lie, just to omit our location, and I didn’t pay too much. Micah is happy with the purchase, he said it was a great move.”
“How are you funding all this?”
By dying a little inside each day.
“Don’t worry about it,” I tell him. “You didn’t want the family farm, if I remember correctly.”
Asher raises his hands. “I’m sure you’ve got it figured out.”
Yeah, I don’t, but it’s fine. I have a possible contract that will give the farm more than enough funding.
Maybe.
If I don’t keep spending like it’s my damn life’s mission.
However, my farm is now producing a steady income, which is keeping us from falling into any kind of debt.
There’s a knock on the door, and Brynn tiptoes inside. Her face looks as if it’s ready to crack from her smile as she walks over to Asher and Phoebe. “Sienna, you beautiful thing. I am your auntie, and I will spoil you rotten for the rest of your life and love you the most.”
“You were here after me, so I think you lost that one.”
Brynn glares at me for a second before fussing over the baby. “Oh you’re so tiny and so perfect.”
Asher walks over, pulling Sienna closer and kissing her forehead before handing her to Brynn.
