Page 43 of Cowboy

Her grandmother would be disappointed in her. She’d tell her that she needed to get her head out of the clouds and put her feet firmly on the ground. Get with reality, girl! She reached the end of the drive and turned to walk back. The sight in front of her was spectacular.

On all sides were gorgeous Acadian cottages with their full wrap-around porches. People were starting to put up their fall decorations, complete with corn stalks and hay bales. The maze and gardens were blooming with their fall colors and scents, and the fresh rain made everything smell alive.

But what really made the view amazing were the three dozen women walking toward her. Five of them had bottles of wine in their hands, six had plates of sweets, and two had new books from Charlie.

“Are you okay, honey?” asked Suze. Autumn smiled at the women, then laughed, nodding her head. The more she laughed, the more the emotions rolled over her body, and she began to cry.

“Oh, sweetie, don’t cry,” said Celeste.

“I feel so stupid!” she said, crying harder against Suze’s shoulder.

“Autumn, honey, there is nothing to feel stupid about,” said Viv. “Sweetie, you’ve heard us talking, and you know some of our stories. I was stupid enough to believe a bunch of bullshit from my own father. Who, by the way, was willing to force me to marry someone that was probably going to beat me to death or force me into prostitution.”

“Oh, God,” whispered Autumn.

“She’s not alone, Autumn. My sister was sleeping with a psychotic biker and white supremacist. He was helping to steal art for the Nazis. She was killed, but he certainly came after me as well.”

“I’m so sorry,” she sniffed, pulling back from Suze.

“We all have our stories,” said Harper. “Had it not been for Ben, my own brother would have forced me into a wet t-shirt contest and probably something more.” Juliette nodded.

“If I hadn’t convinced Callan to go on my law school’s cruise, I would have been raped and murdered,” said Juliette. “God, how I love that man and all those gorgeous tattoos.” The women all smirked at her, nodding.

“Bogey came back to our little town and helped me to save the ranch my family owned. He also helped me to find my sister’s killer. If he hadn’t been there, I probably would have been stupid enough to try and do it all myself,” said Alice.

“See,” smirked Stormy, “we all have our stories. And the best part of it is we don’t judge one another. In hindsight, we could all say that we were naïve or blind, but the reality is, you can’t always see evil even when it’s right in front of you.”

“Jalen saved you?” asked Autumn.

“I like to think we saved one another,” she smiled, “but he damn sure loved me like no other man. I melt when I’m around him, Autumn. Simply melt.”

“I still melt for Nine,” smiled Erin.

“You know I wither into nothing around Trak,” grinned Lauren.

Big cracks of lightning and thunder sounded overhead, and the women took off running toward the cafeteria. Dylan came out with glasses for the wine and extra plates for the sweet treats.

“So, is it the same for all of you that have been married for a long time? Do you all still love your husbands like the day you were married?” she asked.

“No,” said Sara, smiling at the younger woman. “I love Wilson more. He’s my entire world. He taught me to not be afraid to ask for what I want, in and out of the bedroom.” The women all laughed, nodding.

“Wow,” giggled Autumn.

“Honey, you have no idea. He is wiser, stronger, and more handsome than the day I met him.”

“Holy cow,” said Autumn. “He’s incredibly handsome, so that seems hard to imagine. What about you, Suze? Did you and Blade always love one another?”

“Oh, honey, I always loved him, but he dated my sister in high school. I loved her, but she wasn’t a good person back then. When Benjamin joined the military, Samantha just couldn’t stand to be alone and not have someone showering attention on her.

“He showed up at the house, and I knew exactly where she was. With another man. Her fiancé.”

“Ouch,” whispered Autumn.

“It crushed me to see his face when he walked in on the two of them pawing one another. He walked away, and I never thought I’d see him again. Sam, she married and had a good life. Then their daughter got sick and died. Sam, she wouldn’t let it go, and the people responsible made sure she was gone as well.

“I was with the FBI, and I knew something was going on. I just couldn’t prove it. I went to Benjamin hoping for help.”

“And he helped you,” smiled Autumn. Suze laughed, the other women laughing as well.

---