Page 1 of Cinnamon Cider Whiskey
PROLOGUE
ONE YEAR AGO…
Austin Sawyer took off his cowboy hat and raked a hand across the top of his head. He sucked in a deep breath, holding it for a count of five. A dozen cuss words filled his brain and he desperately wanted to let them roll off his tongue. However, he’d been working on his anger issues and there was no point in using foul language to get his point across. “I’m not moving and that’s final.”
“You promised this was a trial. That we’d see if we liked it. Well, I hate it here and I’m not staying.” Charity stomped her high heel into the dirt and twisted her ankle.
He reached out, curling his fingers around her forearm. The last thing he wanted was to spend an afternoon in the emergency room listening to Charity berate nice nurses and doctors for doing their job while she behaved like an entitled brat.
“Let go of me.” She jerked free, stumbling backward into the fence. She steadied herself, brushing the hair from her face.
“I’ve told you a million times you’re going to break your neck wearing those things out here.” He shook his head. “You should wear the nice boots I bought you. They have a small heel and?—”
“No way. Not happening. And I’m not staying in this hellhole a second longer.” She planted her hands on her hips. “There is absolutely nothing for me to do here.”
He sighed. It was time to be honest. He’d avoided this conversation for a couple of weeks and it wasn’t fair to either of them for him to continue doing it. The worst part was she hadn’t seemed to care that he’d been sleeping in the guest room. Or at least she hadn’t questioned the fact he’d been coming home late. When he’d mentioned it, she shrugged and said she understood or was glad he hadn’t woken her because he stank like horse shit anyway. “You’re right. You don’t fit in at the ranch.”
“Finally, we see eye to eye. Now, when can we leave?”
“Wedon’t.” He adjusted his Stetson and leaned against the fence. “I think it’s best if you pack up your things and move back to Boise, alone. You and I are oil and water. Tom is a much better match.”
Her mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide. It wasn’t often that Charity could be rendered speechless and Austin had to rein in a smile. He shouldn’t enjoy this moment. However, a lightness filled his mind and soul. Coming back to Whiskey Ranch after being gone so long had been exactly what he needed, only he brought extra baggage that he should have left in Boise.
There had been so many signs that he chose to ignore. He’d wanted to put the pains of the past behind him and he thought he had. However, being back at the ranch had proven that while he could live his life, he had no room for romance in his heart.
She cleared her throat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Come on. Let’s be realistic and honest.” He tipped his hat back and lowered his chin. “You’ve been cheating on me for months with Tom. I honestly don’t know why you agreed to move out here with me when you’d rather be with him.” Hepointed to the ring on her finger. “I do want that back. It was my mother’s.”
She narrowed her stare and pursed her lips. Something she did while contemplating her next words.
This should be interesting. Charity could be as sweet as a peach. She had a soft side that not many people got to see, but he had. He did care for her more than any other woman he’d dated in the last fifteen years. However, when she didn’t get her way, she would stop at nothing to make it happen, and that was something he could no longer live with.
“You don’t know what it’s been like for me. We had a nice life in Boise, and then out of the blue you started talking about how you wanted to move back to Buhl and to this ranch.” She tilted her head. “I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe that Cinnamon girl had moved back or something. I know you still have feelings for her and don’t deny that fact.” She glared, casting daggers in his direction. “You’re the one calling for honesty here.”
“Cinnamon is married and lives in Idaho Falls.” If Charity hadn’t been cheating on him, he could understand why Charity would bring up Cinnamon. He’d been madly in love with her since he’d been a freshman in high school and she in seventh grade. He’d known her his entire life, but poor choices on both their parts had put an end to that relationship. “She’s not the reason I wanted to come back. As a matter of fact, and you know this, if she’d been here, I wouldn’t have entertained the job opportunity when JW offered it to me.” It was a lie, but Austin didn’t owe Charity an explanation. She’d been the one who destroyed any chance they had at a future. Not him and his sudden need to learn more about what had really happened to Cinnamon. “But let’s be clear about the truth. You’ve been cheating on me for at least six months before we moved here and I’m the fool who let it go on.” He took her left hand and wiggled the ring off her finger. He slipped it into his pocket.
She gasped. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I read the texts on your phone.”
“You had no right to go through my cell without my permission.”
He laughed. “That’s just it. You asked me to look something up and a message from him popped up on the screen. I have to say, I was a little shocked at the dirty talk. That’s not like you.” She always acted so prim and proper. At first, he thought it was sweet. Something different, but it had grated on his nerves in the last year. If he even said anything remotely sexual, she got all weird.
She lifted her hand as if to slap him, but dropped it to her side just as quickly. “I’ll be gone by morning. I’d appreciate it if you stayed somewhere else tonight.”
“Fair enough.” This had gone better than he’d expected. Part of him thought she might toss a shoe at his face or make a scene, but she didn’t do any of those things.
Truth be told, their relationship had died eight months ago when Cinnamon had randomly called at eleven in the evening. He couldn’t believe she had the same phone number. Curiosity had gotten the better of him and he answered. Part of him wished he hadn’t. She’d meant to call her cousin, JW. Through her sobs, she apologized profusely and then hung up. It prompted him to call JW the next morning. What he’d learned about Cinnamon’s marriage had nearly destroyed him, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. When he tried calling Cinnamon back, she sent him to voicemail. He didn’t dare leave a message. He understood what that might cause.
He did, however, text her a few times. It was under the pretense of Whiskey Ranch business. She was still a member of the Whiskey family and she had a stake in the ranch. The few texts he received didn’t make much sense. They either had nothing to do with his questions, like how was she? Did she needhelp? Could they talk? Instead, she said things like she’d gotten her nails done. Or she colored her hair. It was as if she were talking with a girlfriend.
That’s when he realized Cinnamon was in big trouble, but he couldn’t do anything about it, except talk to her cousins.
His heart had always belonged to Cinnamon. He’d tried to forget her, but he couldn’t. Being back at Whiskey Ranch only made him want to see her more. But that was never going to happen and he had to accept it, so he’d poured his soul into ignoring the fact his fiancée was cheating on him.
Big mistake.
