Page 34 of Hometown Cowboy
His voice increased in volume with every word. Darby winced at the desperation in it. She hated doing this, particularly when she knew his own father had been absent his entire life, so it would have to be a sore point, but she had to. She couldn’t marry for less than love.
Not him. Never him.
She’d loved him most of her life, in one form or another. She couldn’t give up that part of herself that wished there was a better way.
Oh no. I love him. Actually love him.
This was a disaster.
“No.”
“Darby, please!”
Her throat tightened. Stinging tears blurred her eyes. “I think you should leave. We have nothing more to say.”
She turned and managed to walk to her back door, proud that she hadn’t lost it and bolted like the scared, lonely rabbit she felt like. She let herself in and flipped the latch, locking the door, her back against the solid, reassuring wood.
Her knees lost all their strength and a sob burst past her clenched teeth. She dropped her face to her hands and slid down the cool wood to the floor, tears wetting her hands.
She loved him and she’d just pushed him away for good.
Chapter Fifteen
Ican’t putit off. The whole damned town knows anyway.
Darby let herself into her parents’ house through the kitchen door and placed her phone and purse on the island bench. She could hear what sounded like her entire family in the living room.
Good. They’re all here.
She rubbed at her eyes, having had to resort to using eyedrops to clear them up. Red crazy-eyes wasn’t the image she wanted to present to her family when she told them her news.
She breathed deep and held it, holding on to the last few moments when all was still well in her world.
Well, as much as possible, considering.
“Move it, Jameson. Putting off the inevitable is plain stupid.”
It’s not like she could hide it, even if she’d wanted to. A few months down the road and they’d all know anyway.
She stepped through the doorway into the large living room and couldn’t help the smile at seeing all the people most important to her.
Almost all of them, anyway.
One by one they noticed her and the raucous noise settled until all that could be heard was the low ticking of the old grandfather clock on the other side of the room.
She gulped a breath and dug deep for courage. She wiped suddenly damp palms on the seat of her pants and tried to contain the rampant butterflies trying to leave her stomach.
Her mother’s warm smile comforted her and settled the sudden need to puke. Mary stood from her position on the lounge chair and held out her hand to her only daughter.
“Darby.”
Just her name. A simple five letters said in a gentle voice like warm honey.
She blinked rapidly at the prickling of her eyes and stepped toward her. She took her mum’s hand, a rock in the middle of the tumultuous battle inside her ofshould sheorshouldn’t she.
“Thank you all for coming. I really appreciate it. I know you’re all busy, so I’ll keep it short. I have some news.”
Max paled suddenly and sank slowly to the edge of the armchair, looking decidedly shaken.