AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She turned to the cake and grimaced. It was shaped like a horse head, but the frosting on the nose was mostly missing. There were sprinkles in the mane that wouldn’t be salvageable.
“Do you have sprinkles?” she asked.
Katrina glanced to her mother, who nodded. “In the pantry above the sugar.”
During the next five minutes, the hand mixer was started, the frosting was mixed, and Katrina stood on the sidelines cheering better than any NFL cheerleader.
Rose smiled despite herself. With her hands, she molded the nose into a better shape, then used the frosting to add white spots all over the brown horse to make the problems on the nose less noticeable.
“It’s perfect!” Katrina threw her arms around Rose. “I knew you’d come to the rescue.”
Her tight embrace made it hard to get a deep breath and when Katrina let go, Rose was finally able to breathe.
“Oh, Rose, it’s lovely.” Aunt Jennifer draped an arm around Rose’s shoulders. “You really have a talent for this sort of thing. Have you ever considered going into cake decorating? I’m sure Sweet Everything would love to have you.”
“I already have a job,” Rose murmured through gritted teeth.
Her job was the sore spot that she hadn’t been able to get over. To go from owning her own gallery to working as a waitress at the Steer House.
“We know that, but you’re just a waitress there. Think about it. You’re an artist. You should be doing something with that talent of yours. I would guess you’d bring in a lot of business if you put that skill to use.”
Rose’s jaw tightened further. She was sure they meant well, but if they really knew how upset she was about losing out on her dream, they wouldn’t be pushing the subject.
Katrina turned to her. “Seriously, though, I’m sure we could put in a good word for you with the owners. Even if you chose to decorate cakes at the grocery store bakery, it’s better than serving?—”
“Thanks for the offer,” Rose interrupted, “I’m simply not interested. I’ll see you over at the party, okay?”
Before either of them could respond, she slipped out the back door. She took several steps toward the barn and slowed. The music had started inside—it was a children’s song. On top of the loud and obnoxious music, there were several people wandering into the barn.
Rose stopped where she stood and contemplated the consequences if she didn’t go to the party. Would anyone really miss her? She was just a cousin, after all. Her mother hadn’t been able to make it, and Ethan and Becca were helping.
She’d saved the cake. What more could they expect from her?
A sigh escaped her chest. She wasn’t usually this grumpy. For some reason, she couldn’t shake the disappointment today. Perhaps it was seeing everyone so happy that got to her. Even Ethan seemed to be happy.
The guilt settled in her stomach, twisting and churning with her lunch. Nausea swirled until she couldn’t take it anymore. She needed oxygen. Her heart had sped up too fast and her pulse felt like it was fluttering out of control. This wasn’t normal.
Rose grew hot and cold all at once. Her palms sweated and she saw stars. Doubling over, she focused on taking deep breaths. What was happening? It couldn’t be a panic attack. She’d been in Rocky Ridge for months. Why would she suddenly be experiencing these feelings?
She gulped in several deep breaths, and as soon as the haze in her eyes lifted, she pivoted to the left and headed for a hill that overlooked the property. There were several large trees up there. Once upon a time, there had been a tree house as well.
One foot in front of the other. Step after step. She was going to make it.
Rose got to the top of the hill, huffing and puffing. She stopped as soon as she made it to the shade and was able to let her breathing even out.
She collapsed onto the ground, drawing her legs to her chest. Up here, away from the party, she could grasp a sliver of clarity. Everyone around her had found exactly what they’d been looking for. From what she could tell, they’d all managed to find love and the future they wanted most.
Except Ethan.
That thought continued to weigh on her heavier than she liked to admit. The worst part was that there was nothing she could do about it. He said he was happy, and even if she came into some money, he wouldn’t accept it.
Rose let out a growl, but it did nothing to relieve her guilt. That sickening feeling shifted into fury, and she grasped two handfuls of grass, tearing the blades from the ground and throwing them aside.
Once upon a time, she’d felt in control of her life. She’d had a plan and she had executed it. Every time she looked in the mirror, her reflection laughed at her for her failures. Every time Ethan glanced in her direction, she could feel the darts of disappointment. Not even her mother knew about what had happened.
Thankfully, she’d taken Rose’s explanation at face value. They were going to be one big happy family in Rocky Ridge. Together again.
The heat from Rose’s face faded along with the fire that burned in her belly. She let out a sigh as she stared at the scene below. It was quiet moments like this that she wondered if it would be better for her to just move back to Utah and stop being a burden on her brother.
