AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It is,” Lucy agreed. “But they have the best beauty products. We can do facemasks and gossip about boys.”
“That sounds like fun. I’d love to join.” I didn’t tell her that I would feel slightly left out as I had no man to gossip about.
“Yay!” She grinned as she jumped up onto the fence next to me. “It really is beautiful here, isn’t it?”
“I could sit here all day and just watch the animals,” I said. “It’s so quiet and peaceful.”
“So different from where I used to live,” Lucy agreed. “I can’t believe I’m pretty much a cowgirl now!”
“Do you miss New York?” I cocked my head to the side and gazed at her curiously. “You lived there your whole life, right?”
“Yeah.” Her face was thoughtful as she looked around. “Sometimes I miss it. Not much. I miss the memories more…” She paused and took a deep breath. “When I think about my mom and the things that we did, well, most of my memories of her are in New York.” She sighed. “I miss not being around those places because I feel like I would feel her spirit there, you know.”
“I get it.” I reached over and squeezed her hand. “You must miss her a lot.”
“I do.” She smiled gratefully and quickly wiped a tear away. “Sometimes, I feel so happy and grateful to be alive and then other days, I wake up and I just want to call her and say hello.” She looked down. “I want to tell her about Austin and how in love I am and how great he is. I want her to meet him.” She took a deep breath. “Sorry, I don’t want to depress you.”
“You’re not depressing me. I totally get it.”
“Your parents are in Montana as well?”
My insides curled up with dread. ”We’re not close.”
I didn’t tell her that my dad was an alcoholic, and my mother encouraged his drinking because she liked him being dependent on her. I didn’t tell her that both of them had a meth problem. A part of me was too sad to talk about it and the other part of me was too embarrassed. I was ashamed of my parents. I hated them for choosing the drugs over their kids. And that was I couldn’t really hate my sister. She’d escaped that life the only way she’d known how. She was a shit mother, but I was still proud that neither one of us had succumbed to drug use. We were just a statistic to the rest of the world. In school, the kids had whispered words like “trailer trash” behind our backs. My sister had gotten by on her back and I gotten by burying my nose in books.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry,” Lucy said softly, wincing as if she regretted asking me about my parents.
“It’s okay.” I shrugged. “We don’t all get great parents. Maybe that’s why I like being around the Hamiltons so much. They remind me that it is possible to have a family that’s not totally screwed up.”
“Yes and amen to that,” Lucy agreed. “They’re wonderful.”
“I know.” I jumped down off the fence, feeling slightly morose. “Shall we go inside? I don’t want Amelia to think that I’m treating her like some sort of unpaid babysitter.”
“You know she doesn’t mind. Eloise is a sweetheart.” Lucy jumped down as well and we headed back towards the house. “They’re baking some sort of apple cake right now, and the kitchen smells absolutely divine.”
“Yummy! I think I will definitely be snatching a slice or two when it comes out of the oven.”
“If the boys don’t eat it all first.” We both burst out laughing. “By the way, I think Chet is back tomorrow,” Lucy added.
“Oh yeah?” I asked innocently as my ears perked up and my heart started racing.
Chet Hamilton was the third oldest son, and when I’d first laid eyes on him, I’d thought my heart might beat right out of my chest. He was absolutely the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen in my life. And his blue eyes were the most devious delicious peepers I’d ever looked into. He constantly walked around in tight jeans, a Stetson hat, and an air of confidence that made you want to kiss and smack him at the same time.
“Yes,” Lucy gave me a sideways glance. “Just thought you might want to know.”
“Makes no difference to me.” I shrugged, but all of a sudden, I couldn’t wait for the next day to arrive. Chet Hamilton was the sort of cowboy that dreams were made of.
Chapter Ninety-One
Chet
“Oh boy, get out of the kitchen fast.” My brother Flint grabbed an apple as he headed to the French doors at the back of the house, a pep in his step I hadn’t seen since the last time we’d gone to a rodeo.
“Huh? What’s going on?” I looked up from my bowl of cereal. I’d just gotten back to the ranch about thirty minutes ago and I was hungry.
“Mom has a stack of wedding magazines that she’s going over with the girls.” Flint rolled his eyes. “And you know what that means.”
“What?”
