Page 30 of What the Cowboy Wants
*
Rose didn’t wantto open her eyes.For another second, she allowed herself the luxury of staying in that blissful moment between sleep and being awake.All too soon though, the sounds from the city penetrated her mind, pushing away the last clouds of her dreams about Cooper.
Groggily, she sat up and peered at her watch.It was eight o’clock.Tuesday.She’d been so tired last night, but her thoughts of Cooper had kept her awake until the early morning hours.
To her surprise, the realtor she’d seen the previous afternoon after she’d arrived in Seattle, already had a buyer interested in her apartment, he’d told her.He was bringing the person around the following day.
What had she done with her phone?Picking up the charger she’d only found as she’d unpack last night, she walked toward the living room.
The woman who’d taken her picture the day before had really freaked her out.She’d meant to check whether anything had been posted, but at first, she didn’t want to go back to being that person who continuously checked messages and then, after all the calls she’d made, the battery was dead and she couldn’t find the charger.
She’d been on her phone since she’d arrived in Seattle the day before, buying food, organizing the move, and trying to get rid of most of her stuff.
The phone was still lying on a table in the living room where she’d been sitting while using it.She quickly plugged it in while she glanced out of the window.The gorgeous view over the city had been one of the reasons why she’d bought the place in the first place.
Will she miss it?Probably, but Marietta had stolen her heart.The sound of her phone beeping made her look down.There were texts from all her friends in Marietta and a missed call from Cooper.
She opened Ellie’s text first.
“Have you seen the post?Are you okay?”
Frowning she opened the others.Everyone had the same question.Willow’s text was slightly different.
“Call us when you’ve seen the post.”
What post?
Her heart tumbled to the ground.Quickly, she opened the App store.She’d deleted her Instagram account from her phone on the day she’d left Seattle and hadn’t opened it again.Something had been posted about her, that much was clear.Something her friends had seen.Probably the picture of her taken in the airport in Bozeman.
Within minutes the app was back on her phone.With trepidation she went to her profile.And yep, there it was—the picture of her the woman had taken the day before.Below was just one sentence:She’s on her way back to Seattle!
There were nearly four thousand comments.Stunned, she sat down and before she could stop herself, she was reading them.Apart from a few nasty comments, most of them were welcoming her back, supporting her, saying absolutely dreadful things about Duncan and Charlotte, and urging her to please start posting again.
The horrible feeling of dread she’d experienced on the night Duncan and Charlotte had dropped their little bomb, was back, and tears were threatening to fall.After reading a few more comments, she closed the app before deleting it again.
She didn’thaveto read another comment.A lump the size of a golf ball formed in her throat, but determined not to give in to her despair, she kept swallowing until it settled.
Her phone rang.It was Cooper.Inhaling deeply, she ended the call and texted him.She couldn’t talk right now.If he didn’t know already, he’d picked up she was upset.
*
“Can’t talk now,will call back later.”
Frowning, Cooper stared at the message.He and Willow had been checking fences when he’d heard his phone.
Willow had just told him about the woman who had taken a photo of Rose and had posted it and before he could stop her, she showed the post to him.The expression on Rose’s face had broken his heart.She looked scared and lost—the same expression she’d had after she’d arrived in Marietta.
Closing his eyes, he connected with Rose.Minutes later, he knew what he had to do.
Willow just smiled.“Go, I’ll tell Hayden.And don’t worry, I’ll pick them up on my way home.And yes, I’ll check in on Scarlett.”
Of course, his sister would know he was worried about the animals while he was away.
*
By late afternoon,Rose had cleaned her flat and had packed everything she wanted to take to Marietta in boxes.She’d knocked on the neighbors’ doors to ask if they wanted anything from her flat.Before her life had spiraled out of control, they’d often come over for a glass of wine or a cup of tea or coffee.
Millie, one of her immediate neighbors, was getting married and was happy to take most of the furniture Rose didn’t want.Rose had also packed up stuff she was never going to wear and a charity she’d contacted was coming to pick up everything tomorrow.
