Chapter 17
Rosie
I walk away from Alex with long strides, feeling tears threatening to fall. I won't give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry. Not for him. Not for an arrogant cowboy I've known for just a few days.
Yet, his words have hurt me more deeply than I'd like to admit.
Better to tell stories to the cattle than live an empty life in a big city.
Empty? My life isn't empty. It can't be. I have a successful job, friends, a rising career. How dare he judge me like that?
But an annoying little voice in my head whispers: What if he's right?
I shake my head, trying to banish that thought.
No, he can't be right. He doesn't even know me, he knows nothing about me or my life in Los Angeles.
I stop near the orchard, leaning against a tree and taking a deep breath. The air fragrant with ripe apples helps calm me a bit, but the whirlwind of emotions inside me doesn't subside.
I think back to the words I said to him.
I prefer my 'golden cage' to a life wasted playing tough guy with cows!
I grimace at the memory. I was cruel, I know. I didn't really mean what I said. But he had hurt me and I... I wanted to hurt him back.
But why? Why did his words hit me so hard? Why do I care so much about what a stubborn cowboy, whom I've known for barely a few weeks, thinks?
The truth is that Alex has occupied my thoughts since I first saw him.
"Stop it, Rosie," I scold myself out loud. "He's just a cowboy. An irritating, arrogant cowboy and... and..."
And one who makes me feel alive like I haven't felt in years. Who makes me question everything I thought I knew about myself and my life.
The memory of our dance under the stars, of the night swim in the lake, makes my heart race. There was something in those moments, a connection that went beyond our differences and our bickering. A spontaneity that I've never had. A feeling of freedom...
Bare feet on the grass. Wet, messy hair in the lake. The way you felt in his arms...
But then I think of his words today, the venom in his voice, and I feel a pang of pain in my chest. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I saw something that wasn't there. Maybe Alex is really just an arrogant cowboy who can't wait to get rid of the city princess.
Yet, I can't shake off the feeling that there's more to it. That behind that tough facade lies something deeper, something that irresistibly attracts me.
I run a hand over my face, frustrated.
What’s happening to me? I came here to help my father, not to lose my mind over a cowboy.
This isn’t me. I don’t lose control. I always have my day planned. I’ve got a five-year plan to stick to. And I sure as hell can’t lose my mind over Alex.
No matter what I think… you already did it. Have I mentioned how much I hate that little voice in my head? It makes assumptions about me, but it doesn’t know a thing. I cannot lose my mind over Alex fucking cowboy!
Okay, fine, he's sexy. But there are a lot of sexy people.
And did I mention how much he irritates me? He’s always so careless, so damn annoying, living in the moment, not caring about his appearance...
Not that he needs to.
Damn inner voice!
I have a life in Los Angeles, a career, a future...
But as I look around this ranch, I find myself wondering if those plans are really what I want. If the life I’ve built in LA is truly as fulfilling as I’ve always believed.
I sigh deeply. I don’t have any answers, just a pile of confused questions and conflicting feelings. The only thing I’m sure of is that Alex, in some way, has managed to shake me to the core, making me question everything.
And I don’t know if I should hate him or thank him for it.I continue to walk aimlessly around the ranch, trying to sort out my thoughts. The sun is setting, casting long shadows on the ground and tinting everything with a warm golden glow. It's beautiful, I have to admit. So different from the Los Angeles sunsets, obscured by smog and skyscrapers.
I stop near the horse corral, watching them graze peacefully. There's a peace here that I've never experienced in the city. A simplicity that, I must admit, has its charm.
"Damn it, Alex," I mutter to myself. "Why do you have to make everything so complicated?"
Because that's what he's done.
He's complicated everything.
Before meeting him, my life was orderly, predictable.
I knew exactly who I was and what I wanted. Or at least, I thought I did.
But now? Now I'm not so sure anymore.
I lean against the fence, letting the rough wood slightly scratch my hands. It's a real, tangible sensation, so different from my aseptic life in Los Angeles.
"What are you doing here, Rosie?" I ask myself out loud. "What are you really looking for?"
Fucking cowboy!
Irritating, frustrating, charming Alex. With his sarcastic comments and his smile that makes my knees weak. With his passion for this land and this lifestyle that I can't fully understand, but that intrigues me more and more.
I realize that, despite our arguments, despite the harsh words we've exchanged, a part of me can't wait to see him again. To exchange more banter, to feel that spark of electricity again when our eyes meet.
"You're crazy," I tell myself, shaking my head. "Completely crazy."
But maybe a little madness is exactly what I need. Maybe it's time to stop being the perfect and controlled Rosie that everyone expects me to be. Maybe it's time to let go a little, to see where this strange adventure takes me.
As I walk towards the house, my phone vibrates frantically. I pull it out and see a flurry of notifications from the "Cowgirl Bootcamp ????" group chat. I roll my eyes, but I can't hold back a smile.
Val has renamed the group
Lexy: ?? RED ALERT GIRLS! ??
Val: What? Did you break a nail feeding the horses? ??
Aurora: Or worse... did you run out of self-tanner? ??
Lexy: ?? Ha-ha, you're hilarious. No, BOMBSHELL news! The guys have organized an evening!
Me: An evening? Like... with people and things?
Val: No, Rosie, with cows and hay ?? Of course with people! Aurora: Wait... WHICH guys exactly? ??
Lexy: Our favorite cowboys, of course! ??
Me: Define "favorite" ??
Val: Oh, don't be difficult, Rosie! We all know you can't wait to dance with a CERTAIN cowboy ??
Me: That "certain cowboy" can go take a hike ??
Aurora: Uh oh... trouble in paradise? Spill the beans, Rosie!
Me: Let's just say Mr. Shiny Boots decided to be a jerk today
Lexy: Oh no! What did he do?
Me: Nothing important. Just the usual arrogant and unbearable Alex
Val: Wait a minute... I have an idea! ??
Aurora: Uh oh, Val has an idea. Should we be worried?
Val: Let's make those cowboys eat dust! Tomorrow night we'll be so sexy they won't know what hit them!
Lexy: I like how you think, sister! Operation "Cowgirl Revenge" is officially underway! ??
Aurora: I'm in! Rosie?
Me: ...I don't know, girls. I don't think that...
Val: Come on, Rosie! Don't you want to see Alex's face when he sees you?
Lexy: Think about how jaw-dropped he'll be! ??
Aurora: And maybe he'll realize how much of an idiot he's been!
Me: ...Ok, I'm in. Let's show these cowboys what city girls are capable of!
Val: YEEHAW! ?? Prepare your sexiest outfits, girls!
Lexy: Shiny boots and short skirts, here we come! ????
Aurora: Let the Cowgirl Revenge begin! ??
I put the phone back in my pocket, a mix of nervousness and excitement growing inside me. Maybe this evening will be the perfect opportunity to put Alex in his place. And if I happen to have a little fun in the process... well, all the better!
As I approach the house, I feel the girls' energy infecting me. The sadness and confusion I felt after the spat with Alex are fading, replaced by a new determination.
Enough with the games, enough with the childish bickering. It's time to change the game.
A mischievous smile forms on my lips as I think about tomorrow night. Alex won't know what hit him. I intend to flirt seriously, to show him exactly what I'm made of. No more helpless city princess, it's time he sees the real Rosie.
And all those worries about who I am, what I'm doing here, about my future? I push them into a corner of my mind. Now is not the time to think about it. Now is the time to have fun, to let go, to be bold.
I enter my room with a determined step, feeling charged and ready for action. I open the closet enthusiastically, but... my smile falters. In front of me, I see only my usual office clothes, elegant suits and silk blouses. Nothing suitable for an evening at the ranch, let alone for seducing a stubborn cowboy.
"Damn it," I mutter, running a hand through my hair. How can I transform into a sexy cowgirl with a Wall Street wardrobe?
I grab the phone, an idea forming in my mind. If there's anyone who can help me in this mission, it's my new friends.
Me: SOS girls! ?? I need a sexy cowgirl outfit ASAP! My wardrobe is a disaster ??
The response is immediate and enthusiastic.
Lexy: Fear not, Rosie! Operation "Cowgirl Transformation" is underway! ??
Val: I already have the perfect outfit in mind! ??
Aurora: And I have the perfect boots to complete the look! ??
I smile, feeling a new wave of excitement. With the girls' help, I'll be ready to conquer the ranch - and a certain cowboy - in no time.
Me: Girls, you're the best! ?? Operation "Ranch Conquest" can begin!
I close the phone, feeling more confident than ever. Tomorrow night will be a night to remember, and I can't wait to see Alex's face when he sees me.
Let him prepare, because Rosie the cowgirl is about to make her debut!
I lie down on the bed, a satisfied smile on my lips as I imagine tomorrow evening. Excitement runs through my veins, mixing with a determination I haven't felt in a long time.
My phone vibrates again. It's Val.
Val: Hey Rosie, tomorrow at my place; pre-evening preparation with all of us. We'll make you a true rodeo queen! ????
I smile even more. The idea of getting ready with the girls fills me with joy. It's something I haven't done in... well, too long.
Me: I'll be there! Can't wait! ?? But... how about we also go shopping? I need to upgrade my wardrobe.
I close my eyes, letting the anticipation for tomorrow envelop me. For the first time since I arrived at the ranch, I feel truly excited about something. It's no longer just a matter of work or duty to my father. It's something just for me.
For a moment, I think about my life in the city. My job, my friends, the routine I left behind. It all seems so far away now, almost as if it belonged to another person.
I shake my head, chasing away those thoughts. It's not the time to think about the past or the future. Now I just want to focus on the present, on this new Rosie that's emerging here at the ranch.
I pick up my phone. I open the gallery and scroll through the photos until I find the one I was looking for: a selfie I took with the girls today, all smiling and a bit dirty after a day of work at the ranch.
I look at my face in that photo and see something different. My eyes shine with a light I haven't seen in a long time. My cheeks are flushed, but not from makeup.
I look... happy. Truly happy.
With a smile, I set that photo as my phone background.
It's a reminder of who I'm becoming here, of this new Rosie that's emerging.
Tomorrow night will be just the beginning, I tell myself.
The beginning of what, I don't know yet. But I can't wait to find out.
And if along the way I happen to make a certain stubborn cowboy lose his mind... well, all the better.