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She was planning to talk to him about taking that next step in their relationship, and she didn’t think the cowboy would be so surly and cruel as to plan an amazing anniversary date only to break up with her.
She’d left the date open, because Lee had a busy schedule, and Rosalie didn’t pretend to understand all he did during work hours. He’d taken calls on several of their dates, as he claimed that the work on a dairy farm that grew a lot of hay and a lot of corn never really stopped.
Rosalie hadn’t minded, because he always kept the calls short and brought his attention right back to her. He was attentive and caring, sweet and smart and sexy.
No, she wasn’t going to ruin her chance at happily-ever-after with Handsome and a future on his farm for her selfish ex.
She took the towel out to Autumn, who happily babbled to her father about her first week of kindergarten. Rosalie had loved her stories too, and she was more than happy to co-parent with James. She wanted him to be involved in Autumn’s life forever.
Rosalie simply didn’t love him the same way she once had, and she wasn’t going to pack up her whole life and follow him again. Instead, she went back inside and started putting together the edible cookie dough that went on top of the brownies she’d just finished. She planned to cut them, freeze them, and ship them to Lee in the morning.
He’d get the treats the same day, and she warmed at the thought of him smiling when he opened the package and saw what it was and who it was from.
* * *
A couple of evenings later,Rosalie checked her phone for the umpteenth time. Lee had not called or texted, and he was now a half-hour late. She dialed him, because if she didn’t need to pace in front of her window in her heels, she wasn’t going to.
He didn’t answer, which only added fire to her frustration. She didn’t bother to leave a message, because he’d see she called.
Once, then twice ten minutes later, then three times ten minutes after that.
Her stomach roared at her for something to eat, and Rosalie kicked off her shoes. Her boyfriend was almost an hour late picking her up for their “special” anniversary date, and she honestly didn’t want to go anymore.
She went into the kitchen and pulled out a container of leftovers. She didn’t even know what was inside as she tossed it in the microwave and hit the minute button. Fuming, she ran through the reasons why Lee would be so late and not answer his phone.
His mama.
His daddy too, for that matter.
A family emergency.
Something had happened on the farm.
Perhaps he’d gotten dizzy and fallen again.
He’d lost his glasses. Or his phone. “Or his sanity,” Rosalie muttered, the anger inside her still simmering.
For any of the above reasons—besides the one where he didn’t have his device—he could’ve called her or answered her calls. He was so proud, always trying to handle everything himself. He did carry a lot of responsibility around Sweet Water Falls Farm, but some of that he chose to shoulder alone.
If he was having a family emergency, he should’ve called her specifically because then he wouldn’t have to go through that alone. He’dpromisedhe would.
While her dinner-for-one heated, she went down the hall and changed out of her carefully chosen clothes for the evening. Whatever Lee had planned was surely ruined. No one held a table at a fancy restaurant for over an hour. Events didn’t simply wait for the mighty Lee Cooper and his date to decide to show up before they started.
Rosalie wished her thoughts weren’t so poisoned, and as she pulled on a tie-dyed sweatshirt and a pair of loose, black pants, she released another breath, forcing all of the tension out of her muscles. She didn’t want to feel negative toward Lee. He was a busy man, and he did work hard. He tried, and he cared, and she knew that.
“He’s also very proud,” she whispered to herself as she sank onto her bed. She studied her hands, the next question in her head too dangerous to give voice to.
Do you think he’ll ever let you take care of him?
Why should he? Lee didn’t need anyone, least of all her. Helplessness lashed through Rosalie, bringing stinging tears to her eyes. Somewhere outside of her consciousness, the microwave beeped, and she got to her feet to go eat.
The container held a sausage-stuffed pepper with Tex-Mex rice, and Rosalie ate half of it before the doorbell rang. She got to her feet, her pulse pounding, especially when a fist joined the party, and Lee said, “Rose, it’s me.”
She flew toward the door then, fueled by adrenaline and a bit of cayenne pepper. She yanked open the door to find the handsome cowboy standing there with an anxious look on his face. “Howdy.”
Rosalie scoffed, spun on her heel, and marched away from him.
“Rose,” he said after her.
