Page 73 of The Cowgirl's Forever Love
Conversation changed to a discussion of menu ideas for the following week. Finn promised to hit the grocery store and stock up, which left Josiah with one less thing on his to-do list.
Which was good, because the day exploded after that, with the office calling to tell him to kiss his afternoon and evening goodbye.
He headed out to the first farm to take care of a project, following the farmer in his tractor as he pushed the snow aside to make a route to the old barn where Josiah’s patient waited.
His phone rang with the distinctive tone he’d assigned his brother. Josiah answered it. Distracted driving rules didn’t apply when you were going five kilometres an hour and one of two vehicles headed across the field.
Also, calling Micah back was always hit and miss. If he could get him on the line the first time, it was a miracle. Same with his sisters, Kelsey and Lenora.
“Micah. How’s it going?”
“Great. Sold-out shows lined up until midsummer. I’m hoping my understudy can take a few weeks in August, though. Kelsey’s new London show opens August tenth. Wanted to touch base with you in case you can wrangle it.”
“I saw she mentioned the date in the last family post. I’ve got it on the calendar, but I’ll have to see. It’s a tough time to get away.” Although going to London could be amazing, Josiah wasn’t sure he would enjoy the big family event. His parents would be there, and inevitably them and his three siblings would do nothing but talk shop and reminisce about past performances.
He loved his family, he truly did, but there was a point where the world they lived in and the world he did simply didn’t mesh anymore.
Micah coughed. “If you need me to spot you plane fare, it’s no problem—”
“Stop it,” Josiah snapped. “You know damn well I’ve got the money.”
“Correction, youhadmoney. Just because all of us get a hefty annual dividend doesn’t mean you have any left. It’s got to be expensive running your own business. I don’t imagine veterinary equipment grows on trees.”
The longer his brother talked, the more lecture-y his tone became. Josiah glanced around and wondered if he could fake a reception problem to explain why he’d hung up.
“Just think about it. Kelsey would love to have you there,” Micah said.
Which was true. None of his siblings actively avoided him, and they all got along. They were just…different. “I’ll make sure I figure it out with enough time we don’t have to scramble.”
“That’s the spirit. Okay, so the other thing I needed to tell you was Mom and Dad are joining me for Easter. Kelsey is swamped and Lenora is busy shooting in L.A., so the folks said they’d come out to New York and take in some Broadway shows.”
Again, fine by Josiah. “Spring’s a busy season around here, Micah. It’s probably best I don’t have to head to Rosebud.”
“Always so busy,” Micah teased. “Miss Muffet really needs to find some time to sit on her tuffet and enjoy life.”
Annoyance shot through Josiah, hard and fast, and his temper flared. Only family knew all your secrets, like a fear of spiders, and felt no remorse in poking.
He clamped his lips together to stop from snapping something rude, instead counting to five so he could respond calmly. “I’m enjoying life plenty. But I have to get to work. I’ll talk to you later. Break a leg.”
“Thanks, let me know what you decide.” Micah hung up, seemingly unaware of exactly how pissed off Josiah was.
Again Josiah considered the stupidity of it all. His family didn’t consider him talented, but he was obviously a good enough actor to fake it during conversations. Micah had no idea how close he’d been to receiving a verbal lashing.
Josiah pulled to a stop outside the barn and reached for his work kit. He stomped through the snow in an effort to get his annoyance out of his system before the animals sensed it.
He took a deep breath and then another, before stepping into the sweet-scented barn.
It wasn’t the animals’ fault that his family was a half step out of sync with him. Or he with them. Either way, his wasn’t a horrible lot and they weren’t terrible people. They did learn and change—only a little at a time, though. Like at least Micah had finally got it through his thick skull that calling himJoewas off the table.
Unwelcome nicknames and offering financial aid when there was no damn reason for it were more like reflections of the problem than the problem itself.
They didn’t think he was enough and for too many years he’d wondered the same thing.
As he slipped forward to deal with the task, he wished that he could call up Lisa right then just to hear her sweet voice. That he could track her down and pull her against him and hear her laugh. Have her listen to him, watching closely with those bright eyes and quick wits that seemed to see right into him.
Into the true Josiah Ryder. The guy no one in his family seemed to know. And none of them seemed to care about getting to know.
The guy who was more than enough.
