Flirting with Rowan might be a death wish from Riley, but damn, she’s more than worth the risk.
Chapter Two
ROWAN
Graduating from college was a dream come true, and I learned a lot that’ll help with the family bar and ranch. It’s been a week since I moved home, and I’m still trying to get used to it. It’s been weird living back with my parents and staying in the bedroom I had growing up. The walls are the bright purple we painted them when I was thirteen, and all my old posters are still hung, just a tad faded by the sun. I’m temporarily brought back to being a kid without a care in the world.
While I’ve come home during my breaks to visit and help out, I wasn’t here long enough to want to redecorate. Now that I’m staying with my parents until I get my own place, I might change it up a bit, make it more stylish. It’d be for no reason, though, because I won’t be bringing a man home with me. My dad would murder him, and not to mention, I’m more single than a dollar bill.
My parents haven’t enforced a curfew yet because I’m helping at the bar, which closes at two a.m. on the weekends, but it doesn’t mean they haven’t been in my business. While they mean well, I’m ready to have some privacy outside this house.
Mom knows Nick and I broke up, but I didn’t give her the details about how dirty he did me. Cheating bastard. Just the thought of him has me raging all over again. I suck in a deep breath and exhale slowly, trying to calm down.
Nick never liked a woman who didn’t know her place. I was always too much sass and dominance for him to handle, so he found a replacement—a woman who’d do whatever he said. The moment I caught them in bed together, it took everything I had not to murder them both. All I remember was walking across the room and pulling the bimbo by her hair before Nick hopped out of bed and rushed toward me. With all my strength, I pushed him, nearly knocking him down on his bare, cheating ass before leaving.
He immediately apologized, making up some stupid excuse for his mistake, but I told him to go fuck himself. I hate liars. A man who can’t be truthful, especially one I loved and trusted with my whole being, has no business being in my life. I don’t do second chances when it comes to cheating. After graduation, I was more than ready to come home even though I knew Nick was moving back to San Angelo, which is only an hour away. I’m grateful Dad made Riley and Diesel help me because I would’ve had to hire a company. It wouldn’t have been cheap, but I would’ve paid any amount to get the hell away. Over the past four years of being in Houston, I’ve accumulated way too much stuff.
I look around my bedroom and see boxes stacked against the wall. Each one is marked with what’s inside, but I’m not feeling motivated to unpack. I’ve put up all my clothes and attempted to go through my things, but I can’t bring myself to do it. My heart still hurts from what Nick did a month ago and many pieces of our life together are packed in those boxes. I’d almost rather the memories of him stay there for eternity. While I’d love to forget about him, he’s moving back to San Angelo to help with his family’s business. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to erase his dumbass from my life soon enough because he’s literally forty-five minutes away from me. Running into him is still an unfortunate possibility.
A knock rings out on my door, and I roll over and check the time on my phone. It’s nearly nine in the morning, and I’ve been up for a while, just thinking about how strange life is at the moment.
Another knock taps out. “Rowan?” my mother says from the other side.
“I’m awake.”
The door cracks open, and I sit up.
“I made breakfast. Come eat before I put everything up.” She gives me a smile, and I nod, twisting my hair into a high bun.
“You don’t have to tell me twice.” I put my feet on the floor and follow her into the kitchen. Mom doesn’t disappoint and has a whole spread of food on the table. I know she probably got up early and had breakfast with Dad, then made this for me. After I fill my plate with bacon, eggs, and a biscuit with a huge scoop of gravy, I smile.
“You’ve outdone yourself, Ma,” I tell her around a mouthful.
She shrugs. “I’m off work today, so I thought I’d spoil you a bit.” She works as a nurse at the hospital in San Angelo, and her shifts are typically long.