Page 13 of What the Cowboy Wants
“Rose asked me to stop by this afternoon,” Laura said.“She says she’s fine now and I should take Molly back.You didn’t tell us she was hurt in the accident or that her car is in for repairs.”
“Is it serious?”Ellie called out.“Is she okay?”
“She’d bumped her head,” Laura said.“It was bleeding, but apparently Cooper did something and it was healed.”
Ignoring the conversation, Cooper got himself some food.Rose shouldn’t be alone yet.She was still hurting.
“Rumor has it you’ve been visiting Rose, Coop,” Becket grinned.“Anything you want to tell us?”
Cooper focused on the food in front of him.“As you know by now, she had an accident on the ranch yesterday.I took her home.I left after a few minutes.”
“Really?”Laura smiled.“That’s not what your mother says.”
“What the hell do you want to know?”Cooper asked as he shoved his plate away and got up.“That I kissed her?That I worry about her?That I have to walk away because I can’t carry anyone else’s emotions?”Sighing, he rubbed his face.“I’m tired.I’m going home.”
As he left, it was quiet enough behind him to hear a pin drop.Even the dogs had stopped playing.He shouldn’t have told them, but it was all he’d been thinking about, no wonder it had slipped out.
Prince and Charlie were right behind him as he opened the door of his truck.Charlie looked much better tonight.
As he climbed into his truck, Charlie got onto his lap and locked eyes with him.For long moments Charlie’s eyes relayed messages.
Finally, Charlie barked excitedly.
Cooper sighed.“I know she needs another dog, but she says she doesn’t want one.”
Charlie barked again and this time Prince also chimed in.
Smiling, Cooper started his truck.“I agree.Hopefully, we’ll find her someone she can’t say no to.”
But Charlie still wasn’t happy.
As Cooper drove away from the big house, he shook his head.“You’re right, I should go and see if she’s okay.”
Charlie was finally satisfied and settled in his usually place.
*
By nine Thursdayevening, Rose was in her pajamas.She’d untied her hair and spent long minutes combing it.Since she’d been a little girl, the rhythmic stroke of the brush calmed her.
It was probably time to find a hairdresser.For the past few years, her looks, the way she dressed, her hairstyle, the shoes she wore, even the perfume she’d used had been a daily priority.She’d spent lots of dollars and many hours making sure she was always camera ready.It had been exhausting, something she’d only recognized since arriving in Marietta.
She hadn’t slept much the previous night.Between thoughts of how she was going to tell her story to her friends and Cooper’s kiss, her mind kept racing around and around.
Since Ellie and Becket had gotten married in July, Rose had been working in Ellie’s yarn shop on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays.At the time, Ellie was looking for help, and Rose had desperately needed something to keep her busy.
The yarn shop had literally been her sanctuary when she’d stumbled into town all those months ago, and since she’d been working there, she’d met more and more of the local women in town.Hearing about other people’s lives and problems had forced her to take a good, hard look at the life she’d had.For so long, her only concern had been what to do next to gain more followers and to make sure she kept the ones she had.In the process, she’d forgotten all about the real world where people had real problems.
She’d enjoyed the respite the shop had given her, but it was time to move forward.If she wanted to reestablish herself as an interior decorator, she’d have to start doing it full-time.Everything could be done from home, she wouldn’t even have to find a place to do what she loved.Hopefully she could help Ellie to find a replacement who could help her in the yarn shop.
With a copy of Jane Austen’sEmmaunder her arm, she switched off the kitchen light.This was the book they’d been reading and discussing in their book club on Tuesday nights.
ReadingEmmahas opened her eyes to really understand how appallingly she’d behaved.Like Emma, the heroine in the story, she also needed a “diminishment of herself in the social sphere,” as one critic described Emma.She’d been so wrapped up in the adulation of her followers, bragging about her accomplishments, she’d seriously needed some sort of awakening to remember who she really was.Maybe it need not have been quite so brutal, but on the other hand, she probably wouldn’t have changed if what had happened, hadn’t happened.
She’d made a couple of quiches for tomorrow afternoon.It was a relief to see she could still bake; she hadn’t really cooked or baked since her arrival.
“Hopefully they’ll like it.”Only after she’d spoken out loud, did she realize Molly wasn’t there to answer with a bark.It was so strange and quiet without her constant companion.
Maybe she could look online and find a rescue dog she could adopt.Chuckling softly, she moved toward her room.Not something she’d ever even contemplated in her previous life.
