Chapter 29
TWENTY-NINE
Violet
Something is off. Something is wrong.
I roll over, staring at the empty space where Callum is supposed to be.
My hand instinctively reaches out, only to feel the cold, deserted sheets.
A sinking feeling churns in my stomach. This is the fifth night of not seeing him.
Five long, lonely nights. He’s gone by the time I’m in the barn, and he doesn’t come home until I’m already asleep.
We haven’t even passed each other in the hallway, let alone had an actual conversation.
I flop onto my back, staring up at the ceiling, trying to make sense of the distance that’s suddenly wedged itself between us. We haven’t had sex since that day in his office. The day we told each other “I love you.”
That moment was everything. It felt real, so pure, like time had stopped and all that mattered were those three words hanging in the air between us.
I saw the truth in his eyes, felt it in his touch.
But now... now, it feels like maybe I was wrong.
Maybe it scared him off. Because ever since then, it’s been like living with a ghost. It’s been radio silence, no laughter, no stolen glances… nothing.
I’ve even texted him, desperate for any kind of connection, but all I get are one-word replies. Each one chips away at the confidence I had in us, in what we were building.
Maybe what I was feeling was one-sided. Maybe when he told me he loved me, he did it out of some misplaced obligation.
A heat rises in my chest as doubt and insecurity twist together, making it hard to breathe.
Maybe he’s been avoiding me because he can’t face me.
Maybe he wants out of this marriage but doesn’t know how to say it.
Maybe.
Maybe.
Maybe.
Ugh, it’s killing me not knowing.
The thought makes my heart ache, and I press the heels of my hands against my eyes, trying to stop the tears before they fall. What if he’s changed his mind? What if he doesn’t love me the way I thought he did?
I can’t shake the feeling that the love we shared in that perfect moment has now become a weight pulling us apart, and I have no idea how to fix it—or if it’s even something that can be fixed.
“Cowgirls don’t cry.” My father’s voice echoes in my head, the familiar words I’ve heard a thousand times, but right now, it feels like a cruel joke.
I look out the window in my bedroom over the ranch, the place I’ve fought so hard to keep, the place I was willing to marry a man for, and I feel my chest tighten.
“Is this what you wanted, Dad?” My voice cracks, and I feel the weight of his absence like a stone in my chest. “You forced me to marry so I could keep this ranch, and just when I think maybe your crazy idea wasn’t so crazy after all, I feel like I’m losing him.
” I choke on the words, my throat burning with unshed tears.
“Was that the plan? Since you were gone, you decided to test me on every emotional level, push me to my limit?”
I shake my head, frustration bubbling up inside me.
“Why’d you do it? Why did you force me to marry someone to keep this place?
You always told me cowgirls are strong, confident, independent women.
” My voice rises with every word, the confusion and hurt spilling out.
“Yet, you sneakily put in your will that if I didn’t get married, I’d lose everything. Why, Dad? Please, make me understand.”
A tear slips down my cheek, and I swipe it away angrily.
“Cowgirls don’t cry, right?” I whisper, the irony of it settling over me like a dark cloud.
“Well, I call bullshit. Cowgirls do cry, Dad. They cry when they lose their father, the only man they trusted, the one who was their best friend.” My voice trembles, the pain in my chest deepening as I give in to the raw truth.
“They cry when they’re forced into a marriage they didn’t want, just to keep the only thing left in the world they love. ”
My vision blurs as more tears fall, and I don’t bother wiping them away this time.
“And dammit, they cry when they fall in love. They cry when they’re terrified that love isn’t going to last. When they don’t know if what they felt, what they shared, was real or just a fleeting moment.
They cry when they’re scared of losing the one person they didn’t expect to care so much about. ”
I lay there, the weight of my father’s absence, the uncertainty with Callum, the fear of losing it all—it crashes down on me. “I don’t know how to be strong right now, Dad. I don’t know how to be a cowgirl. Not like this. Not when I feel like I’m losing everything.”
I stare out at the ranch, waiting for some kind of answer, but all I hear is the wind, whispering through the trees.
Morning has come, and once again, Callum is gone before I even have a chance to see him. I pour myself a cup of coffee, trying to shake the growing pit of unease in my stomach. It's become a routine—waking up to his absence and wondering what it means.
The cool morning breeze brushes past me as I head toward the barn, the sound of horses neighing, chickens clucking, and the ranch hands working filling the air.
It’s all so familiar, so comforting, yet it does little to ease the confusion gnawing at me.
The ranch has always been my refuge, but today, it feels like a reminder of everything I might lose.
I set my coffee down on a nearby stool and stand in front of Holt, my new boarder. He’s a magnificent horse, strong and graceful, with a coat that gleams in the early morning light. I reach out to stroke his nose, trying to find some solace in the routine.
“Morning, big guy,” I whisper, my voice soft as I scratch under his chin. “You ready to head out to the pasture?”
“Violet?”
I turn toward the sound of Joey’s voice, crossing my arms over my chest instinctively. “Hey, what’s up?”
He looks uneasy, shifting from foot to foot and adjusting his hat, something he does when he’s nervous. It instantly makes my own anxiety spike. “Can we talk for a minute?”
A knot forms in my stomach, but I lean back against the stall, forcing myself to stay calm. “Of course. What’s wrong?”
Joey hesitates, searching my face as if weighing his next words carefully. After a moment, he nods, like he’s convincing himself to go through with it. “This might be none of my business, but with your father gone, I feel like I should say something.”
My heart skips a beat, my brows knitting together in confusion. “Go ahead.”
He sighs, scratching the back of his neck again before finally getting to the point. “Where’s Callum been?”
Of course. It was only a matter of time before someone noticed.
Callum used to be here all the time, helping out, getting involved with the day-to-day work, and becoming part of the ranch in his own way.
The ranch hands, Joey especially, had gotten used to seeing him around, and now that he’s practically a ghost, they’ve started asking questions.
The problem is, I don’t have an answer for Joey—because I don’t know myself.
So, I do what I do best: I put my defenses up. “You’re right, it’s none of your business,” I say, pushing off the stall and taking a step away. “Anything else?”
Joey doesn’t flinch at my cold tone. Instead, he adjusts his hat again, his face a mix of guilt and determination.
“Actually, yeah, there is something else.” He pauses, and for a second, I think he’s going to drop it, but then he looks me straight in the eye.
“You asked me once why your father would put that clause in his will, making you marry someone to keep the ranch. I told you I didn’t know, but that wasn’t exactly the truth. ”
My anger flares up instantly, boiling just beneath the surface. “What do you mean?” My voice is tight, barely above a whisper.
Joey swallows hard, but before I can lash out, he continues.
“Your father wasn’t just my boss, Violet.
He was my best friend. We talked about everything, and this…
this was one of the things he confided in me about.
He didn’t put that in his will to hurt you, or to make you feel like you’d lose everything. He did it because he was scared.”
“Scared?” I snap, incredulous. “Of what?”
“He was afraid you’d never find love off this ranch. He knew how much you loved this place—how much it meant to you—but he also knew that once he was gone, you’d throw yourself into the work and forget about the rest of your life. He didn’t want that for you.”
I blink back the tears that are threatening to fall, but I don’t say anything, letting Joey’s words sink in.
“He made that will after he found out he was sick,” Joey continues, his voice softening.
“He didn’t think he had long, and he figured it’d be enough time for you to fall in love naturally.
He didn’t plan to die right before your birthday, Violet.
He thought he’d have more time to explain it all to you. ”
The tears I’ve been holding back spill over, and I turn away, wiping my face furiously.
I feel like I’m being torn apart—grieving my father all over again, feeling the weight of Callum’s absence, and now, understanding why my dad did what he did.
I’d asked for answers, begged for them in the silence of my room, and now that I’m getting them, I don’t know what to do with the pain.
“I’m sorry I lied to you before,” Joey says, stepping closer.
“I didn’t want to break your father’s trust, but seeing you this way, seeing Callum not around…
I felt like maybe you deserved to know why he did it.
Your father loved you more than anything in this world, Violet.
He just wanted to make sure you’d find someone to love you the way you deserve. ”