Page 25 of Rough Cowboy
Cruel? Ha! Cruel is having a baby and then being an absentee father.
I swirl the striped paper straw in my drink, resisting the urge to stab the mint leaf garnish, like Silver’s words pierced my heart.
“Silver doesn’t care.” I try to hide the anger in my voice. “He’s relieved. Happy. Celebrating inside with Lil’ Miss Cowgirl.” I can hear my failing tone. “I wouldn’t bother with Yelp. Besides, it’s not surprising that he’s not the father because he’s always bragging about some big accident where he damaged his nuts.” I sip the blackberry and lime flavor before I continue blabbering and spill all my secrets.
Lena chokes on her drink. “You’ll have to adjust your words once the baby is born.” She laughs, but she’s serious.
Apparently, I cuss too much, sing too loud, and play too hard. I like the person I am, but everyone keeps telling me what I’ll need to change once the baby is born.
I shrug. “That’s what you keep saying.”
My gaze finds Sammy. He’s sipping beer with his brothers under a big oak tree. They’re all loud and laughing and having a great time. All except Silver. He has long disappeared. I bet he’s with the brunette eye-fucking him during the entire reveal. Aka: Lil’ Miss Cowgirl.
I don’t care.
Silver can do whatever he pleases with whomever he pleases.
“Moving to Sammy’s ranch. Raising your kid together. Running a rodeo camp. This is all news to me.” Lena dunks a celery stick in the veggie dip.
“It’s going to be the adventure of a lifetime.” I managed to sound like my bubbly positive self, even if Sammy’s announcement had been news.
“I love ranch life.” Celery crunches when my sister takes a bite. “Living in the middle of nowhere. Waking up before the sun. Smelling like animals more than I smell like myself.”
“Don’t try to downplay your life. I know you love it.”
“You don’t have to move in with Sammy right away. There’s no rush.”
“There’s a four-month deadline.” I tear off the edges of an egg salad sandwich and eat the crusts first.
“Four months to tell the right father.”
I choke on the bread. My eyes skitter around us. There are townspeople listening everywhere, but thankfully no one is within our reach.
“You looked at the results?” I smile at Sammy, who continually peeks over at me occasionally. I wave at Lillian, who’s chatting with the Quylt sisters.
“Of course I did. You’re my sister, and no matter your age, I will always look out for you.”
I scoff. “Look out for me?” My head snaps in her direction. “You didn’t warn me who the father was. You didn’t let me figure out if I wanted it to be with him.” I drop the sandwich and push the plate away.
“Might I remind you, this whole baby-daddy reveal was your idea?”
“I can’t believe you went behind my back.”
“I can’t believe you roped Sammy into this scheme.”
I shake my head and fold my arms over my front, leaning further back into the chair. “I didn’t rope anyone into anything.”
“I think you’re moving too soon. Pretending he’s the dad, moving into his ranch—”
“You married Wheeler in like two weeks. Literally, you married the man. Promised vows in front of your family and friends, and you have the nerve to tell me I’m rushing.”
“It’s different.”
I stand up. “It always is.”
She catches my arm. “I’m in love with Wheeler, and he loves me. Are you in love with Sammy?”
“No, Lena. This is a friendship arrangement which we both equally want and agreed to.”
