by Lucy Darling
If my cowgirl needs me to prove I’m the man for her, that I’m the one that will always fight for us she better hold tight, because I’m not taking pieces of her anymore. I want it all. She’s always been my cowgirl, and I plan on holding her to the promise she made me all those years ago.
Prologue
Daisy
“What do you think of this?” I do a slow turn for Noelle so she can see my outfit.
“It’s pretty.”
“Pretty?” I huff. “I don’t want it to be pretty, I want to be hot. I’m going more for sexy.”
“Your brother won’t let you out of the house if you’re dressed hot or sexy. So you might as well forget about it.” I smile at her because I’ve already planned for that. I’ve made sure that Josh will be too busy to notice until it’s too late.
“The party is in the backyard. Besides, I’ve made sure that he’ll be busy getting it all ready. He won’t notice me until after the fact.” I run my hands down my dress that is a little on the short side. It hits me mid-thigh. The top of the dress is tighter with the bottom flaring out. It has pretty pink flowers all over it. It’s perfect for an outdoor party.
“Wear the dress. I like it.” Noelle plops down on my bed waiting for me to get ready. She could care less what she wears. I don’t blame her. Her mom has had her in beauty pageants her whole life. She spends every other weekend getting all dolled up. When she doesn’t have to she usually wears shorts, a shirt, and a cowboy hat paired with some boots.
I walk over, snagging my boots out of my closet before pulling them on. “I’m going to talk to him tonight.” I peek out the window to see my parents outside directing the finishing touches on the graduation party.
Well, my mom is giving directions while she sits on my dad's lap. Those two are never far from one another. I can’t believe Eric and Josh are graduating. It’s going to be so weird not seeing them at school anymore. I swallow the lump that is forming in my throat thinking about it.
They both will be leaving soon. They are going to the city together to go to college. I’m not only losing my brother, but the boy I’ve been in love with my whole life. Even though I knew this day would eventually come, this is turning out to be harder than I thought it would be. I hate the idea of Eric being so far from me.
“Are you nervous?” Noelle comes to stand next to me to peer out the window. My brother Josh glances our way, pulling his hat off and running his fingers through his short dark hair. He gives us a smile. Noelle steps back, falling on to the bed.
“I know he feels the same way I do.” I turn around to face her.
“Yeah but you're fifteen and he’s seventeen.”
“He’s about to be seventeen,” I point out. Not that that information helps in any way.
“And you’re still fifteen. He probably still sees you as a kid sister.” I run my tongue along my braces.
“But the other night—”
“Of course he held you when you didn't feel well. The Davis boys all love you. You might have been born with one brother but in reality you have four.” Isn’t that the truth. My mom’s best friend lives on the next farm over. My mom only had Joshua and me, where her best friend PJ went on to have three boys.
Our families grew up together. Being the only girl in the bunch stinks sometimes. I do not look at Eric as a brother, though. I never have. I made that quite clear when I was younger, telling anyone that would listen that I planned on him being my first kiss. I still feel that way, but now I keep it mostly to myself.
“Why are you raining on my parade?” I plop down on the bed next to her. She grabs my hand, linking our fingers together.
“It’s not that I don’t want you to have this. I just don’t want you to get hurt is all. I don’t want you to get your hopes up.” I want to tell her that it’s too late for that. I’ve had my heart set on Eric for too long already to not get hurt if it doesn’t work out. In teenage years, anyway, and those seem as though they last forever. “If you get hurt, I’ll have to punch Eric in his handsome face. Maybe even break his nose so he’s not so handsome anymore.” That makes me smile knowing damn well that she’d do it.
“I told him I loved him.”
“What?” Noelle flies up to a sitting position next to me. Three days ago my mom had been out with Aunt PJ and I’d gotten a terrible case of the cramps. I’d gone over to the Davis house and snuck into Eric’s room. He’d held me to comfort me. Before I passed out I’d told him I loved him. Asked if he’d wait for me. He said he'd do anything for me. Which I know is true.
“Come on. I think everyone knows I’m in love with him.” I haven't been as vocal about it as I’ve gotten older, but it’s still obvious. I’m not the best at hiding it. Wherever Eric is, I’m never far away if we are in the same vicinity.
“What are you going to say to him then?”
I stand up, going over to my dresser and pulling out the present I got him. He’s going off to school, and I want him to have something to remember me by. I hope he doesn't think it’s silly.
“That I’m his and he’s mine.”
Noelle snorts a laugh. “That actually might work. You’re the only one who can boss the Davis boys around.”
I smile because it’s mostly true.
“Let’s go.” I give myself one last look in the mirror, fluffing out my dark hair. Noelle straightens her glasses, not caring what she looks like. It always blows my mind when she goes from geek to chic.
We head out toward the backyard. People have already started arriving. I look around for Eric but don’t see him anywhere. I know he’s got to be close. His parents are both here and so are his brothers. This is his graduation party too.
Both Eric and my brother powered through high school, skipping their senior year. They both pretty much have their lives planned out. I’m just hoping that Eric’s plan includes me. Sometimes I think both of them are forty-year-olds trapped inside teenage bodies.
It probably has something to do with the fact that we all know that they’ll take over for our parents one day. Both Eric and Josh are cowboys through and through, but most of the family wealth comes from the oil that runs on both my parents’ lands and Eric’s parents’. It has always made our families close.
We do everything together. We may not be family by blood, but I still call PJ my aunt and Davis my uncle. Even though Davis is his last name that’s what everyone calls him besides PJ. Truth be told, they are more like a second set of parents to me.
“I don’t see him,” Noelle says from beside me, pushing her glasses up her nose.
“I’ll go ask Josh.” He’ll know where he is.
“I’m gonna get a drink. Good luck.” She winks at me, heading over to where the drinks are being set out. I watch as she talks to the other two Davis brothers, Bryson and Cooper
“Why is Noelle talking to them?” I turn my head to see my brother standing right in front of me now. He’s in his normal shirt and jeans with boots on. He looks so much like our dad. I think he might even end up bigger than him. He’s got his arms crossed glaring toward Noelle. He’s always so protective.
“She’s getting something to drink.” I roll my eyes. Josh can be protective over Noelle. I get it. She’s been around since I started kindergarten and we became best friends. He’s always watched out for her as though she was another little sister to him. “Where is Eric?”
“Why?”
My face warms under my brother's stare. He knows exactly why I’m looking for Eric. Josh and I have been doing this same song and dance since I was a little girl about Eric. One of these days he’ll get it through his thick skull that eventually Eric and I are going to be together.
“I need to talk to him.” I wet my lips.
“You gotta let this crush go. I heard you snuck into his room the other night.”
My mouth falls open. “He told you that?” I hiss.
“No, I overheard Mom and Dad talking.” Oh. I felt betrayed for a second. I should have known Eric w
ould never do that to me.
“Where is he?”
Josh pulls his hat off, running his fingers through his short hair, something he does when he’s skirting around an answer. Or when he has a secret that he doesn’t want me to know. I bet he doesn’t even realize he has a tell. But I’ve been on to him since we were younger.
“Josh.” I poke him in the chest with my finger.
“He’s in the barn.”
“Thank you.” I turn to walk away, but Josh grabs me by the arm, pulling me back to him.
“He’s in the barn with Missy Phillips.”
I purse my lips at her name. “No he’s not.” Missy Phillips has had a crush on both my brother and Eric for years. She has practically dated everyone in their class. Josh nods toward the barn, causing my eyes to stray there.
I watch as Eric comes out with Missy right behind him. She seems to be fixing her dress. My stomach turns. Everything I thought I knew comes crashing down around me. Tears begin to form in my eyes at Eric’s betrayal. “No.”
“Daisy. You have to let this go. He’s going to college. You're going to enjoy the rest of your high school years. I don’t want you to miss this time in your life.”
“I would wait for him.” My eyes burn with tears. Eric’s eyes lock with mine, and he stops walking. Missy runs into him. She falls on her ass. Ha. Karma at work. I’ve still seen enough. I turn, pushing past my brother and dropping the stupid gift as I run toward the house. I’m so dumb.
“Daisy!” Noelle calls after me. But I can’t stop. I’m almost to the back door when I run into my mom.
“Daisy. Will you take the pasta salad out for me, honey?”
“Need a second, Mom.” I’m about to lose it, so I don’t stop. I continue through the house and out the front door, knowing that if I go to my room they’ll all come track me down. I keep running until I get to the old oak tree.
I grab the low branch, pulling myself up. I sit and look out onto the land as the tears stream down my face. A few minutes later Noelle is next to me. I rest my head on her shoulder and cry. Neither of us says a word.
“Boys are dicks. I’ve been telling you.” I snort a laugh. She has been saying that for years. “He’s not even cute either. Bet he smells like pig shit too. All that time working out in the fields. I think you dodged a bullet.” I smile. She’s full of it, but she’s trying.
“Love you.”
“I love you too.” She wraps an arm around me. I may not be getting the man of my dreams, but I am lucky enough to have a best friend like Noelle.
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Copyright © 2020 by Lucy Darling
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