she immediately jerked hers away. She tucked it firmly under her thigh.
“And?” he asked.
It took effort but she forced herself to unwind. Talking about Nicky always brought about the same knee-jerk reactions. “The next day he sent another dozen roses and a card asking me if he could call me. Ten minutes after the flowers arrived, the ER phone rang, and it was Nicky. That’s when he asked me out.”
“And you said no?”
“I said yes so fast that he probably wondered why he wasted his money on the second vase of roses. He was a smooth talker, and six weeks later we were living together. The third month after our first date, he gave me an engagement ring. On the fourth month, he gave me my first black eye.”
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“No need for apologies. After that first one, he was careful not to leave bruises where they could be seen. I made excuses for him until one morning I woke up and realized that the diamond ring on my finger had bought me a life of hell. That’s the day I started planning my escape. It took several weeks and a lot of patience before I could leave, but when I did, I never regretted my decision.”
“Therapy?” he asked.
She shook her head. “You?”
“Couldn’t do it. Mother thought I should, but how do you tell your darkest secrets to a stranger?” Mason asked.
“Exactly, and yet here I sit doing just that.”
“Hey!” He patted her on the knee and she didn’t tense up. “We have lived through goats and tomcats and cleaning two little girls’ rooms. I’d say that makes us pretty good friends.”
“It does, and friends can tell each other anything.”
“Almost. I’m not going to tell you about the first time I got drunk.” He laughed.
“Oh, honey, I’m not so sure we’ll ever be that good of friends that I’d discuss my first drunk with you,” she told him.
He stood and pulled her up with him. “I should make sure the honor system is working tonight.”
“Me, too.”
He took one step then stopped.” I like talking to you, Annie Rose.”
“Me, too,” she said again.
“Let’s go make sure the lights are out. Maybe we’ll run into each other again out here on the porch.”
“It’s my favorite part of the day. That swing and I are pretty good friends now,” she said.
Lights were out.
Mason disappeared into his room and closed the door softly.
Annie Rose padded down the stairs, went to her tiny little apartment, but she was too wound up to sleep. She folded the throw from the back of the sofa and put it over the recliner, picked up a leaf she’d tracked in from the porch, and put it in the trash. Then she saw the How to Remember book on the coffee table.
Frowning, she picked it up. She hadn’t moved it from her bedside table, so how did it get from there to the sitting room?
“Oh!” She smiled.
It wasn’t her How to Remember booklet but a brand-new one with stickers of horses, cows, and even goats and cats scattered among the words on the front: How to Be a Rancher .
She opened it up to find the steps outlined in Gabby’s handwriting.
Number 1: You got to love animals but you got to never let your kids bring goats into the house. Not even if they fight with you and use cuss words. Goats stink.
Number 2: You got to wear jeans and boots. Lily says that since you already do that you are doing good.
Number 3: You got to like living in the country. Ranchers don’t live in big towns with taxis and hotels like those places on television.
Number 4: You got to know that dirt sticks to boots and sometimes it comes in the house.
Lily says there’s other rules but we are tired and that’s all for tonight. We love you, Mama-Nanny.
She held the booklet to her heart. It started as a soft giggle but pretty soon it turned to sobs as the dam let go and she truly mourned her past. Now if only she could find closure and let it go.
Chapter 7
Annie Rose couldn’t believe that it had been six days since she’d been awakened by little
“And?” he asked.
It took effort but she forced herself to unwind. Talking about Nicky always brought about the same knee-jerk reactions. “The next day he sent another dozen roses and a card asking me if he could call me. Ten minutes after the flowers arrived, the ER phone rang, and it was Nicky. That’s when he asked me out.”
“And you said no?”
“I said yes so fast that he probably wondered why he wasted his money on the second vase of roses. He was a smooth talker, and six weeks later we were living together. The third month after our first date, he gave me an engagement ring. On the fourth month, he gave me my first black eye.”
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“No need for apologies. After that first one, he was careful not to leave bruises where they could be seen. I made excuses for him until one morning I woke up and realized that the diamond ring on my finger had bought me a life of hell. That’s the day I started planning my escape. It took several weeks and a lot of patience before I could leave, but when I did, I never regretted my decision.”
“Therapy?” he asked.
She shook her head. “You?”
“Couldn’t do it. Mother thought I should, but how do you tell your darkest secrets to a stranger?” Mason asked.
“Exactly, and yet here I sit doing just that.”
“Hey!” He patted her on the knee and she didn’t tense up. “We have lived through goats and tomcats and cleaning two little girls’ rooms. I’d say that makes us pretty good friends.”
“It does, and friends can tell each other anything.”
“Almost. I’m not going to tell you about the first time I got drunk.” He laughed.
“Oh, honey, I’m not so sure we’ll ever be that good of friends that I’d discuss my first drunk with you,” she told him.
He stood and pulled her up with him. “I should make sure the honor system is working tonight.”
“Me, too.”
He took one step then stopped.” I like talking to you, Annie Rose.”
“Me, too,” she said again.
“Let’s go make sure the lights are out. Maybe we’ll run into each other again out here on the porch.”
“It’s my favorite part of the day. That swing and I are pretty good friends now,” she said.
Lights were out.
Mason disappeared into his room and closed the door softly.
Annie Rose padded down the stairs, went to her tiny little apartment, but she was too wound up to sleep. She folded the throw from the back of the sofa and put it over the recliner, picked up a leaf she’d tracked in from the porch, and put it in the trash. Then she saw the How to Remember book on the coffee table.
Frowning, she picked it up. She hadn’t moved it from her bedside table, so how did it get from there to the sitting room?
“Oh!” She smiled.
It wasn’t her How to Remember booklet but a brand-new one with stickers of horses, cows, and even goats and cats scattered among the words on the front: How to Be a Rancher .
She opened it up to find the steps outlined in Gabby’s handwriting.
Number 1: You got to love animals but you got to never let your kids bring goats into the house. Not even if they fight with you and use cuss words. Goats stink.
Number 2: You got to wear jeans and boots. Lily says that since you already do that you are doing good.
Number 3: You got to like living in the country. Ranchers don’t live in big towns with taxis and hotels like those places on television.
Number 4: You got to know that dirt sticks to boots and sometimes it comes in the house.
Lily says there’s other rules but we are tired and that’s all for tonight. We love you, Mama-Nanny.
She held the booklet to her heart. It started as a soft giggle but pretty soon it turned to sobs as the dam let go and she truly mourned her past. Now if only she could find closure and let it go.
Chapter 7
Annie Rose couldn’t believe that it had been six days since she’d been awakened by little
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