Page 17 of A Rainfall Promise

She stepped back as if I slapped her and maybe I verbally had. With a sigh, I ran a hand over my face before looking at her.

“I can’t do this, Vicky. I can’t be with you. You disrupted my life and I was happy the way it was before. We had fun, sure, but I can’t keep up with this. I can’t keep with you or the town gossip, or everyone having a say in my life all of a sudden.

“This, us, it isn’t working for me, and I think it’s best if we just call it what it was. A fling that came to an end.”

“A fling that came to an end,” she repeated, nodding once. I watched her fight her pain and her tears, but she didn’t let either show, because she was back on her horse before I could say anything else. “You are the biggest fool I know. For being older, you are not wiser. You wouldn’t know a good thing if it slapped you upside the face. Not to mention how scared you are. Grow a fucking pair, then come find me.”

I dropped my head as she tore off the down the path, knowing I had fucked that up. But it was the right thing to do. I couldn’t handle having her in my life. Soon enough, she’ll pick up on that as well and move on. And then I’ll be alone, just like how I wanted it to be.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” my father said, smacking my head three days later. I growled at him as he sat down, a brow raised.

“What do you want, old man?”

“I raised you better than that. What crawled up your ass and died? Why are you being such an asshole to everyone? You were doing better, you were smiling. Then the grouch came back. Why?”

“None of your business, Dad.”

“It is my business. You’re my son. I want you to be happy and this is not happiness. This is fucking living a sorrowful life and then dying.”

“Then let me die in peace,” I roared, standing up so quickly that my chair slammed back against the wall, making him raise a brow in question again.

“Ay, mijo, when are you going to learn?”

“Learn what, old man?”

“That being solo, being alone, isn’t the way life is meant to be lived.”

“Why the hell is everyone on my case about my love life? The town won’t shut up about it. Mom is gripping about me hurting someone, and now you, telling me I shouldn’t be alone. Why not let me worry about it, huh?”

I watched with weary eyes as my father stood. He was shorter than me, but he could still kick my ass, even if he had a harder time.

And even in my temper, I knew to respect who he was; my dad, who was worried about his only son being alone forever. I would be worried too if this was my son.

“You loved her.”

“No, that’s impossible.”

“No, mijo, it’s not. Everyone thinks we need years to fall in love, but we don’t. We just need a moment. And that woman, she’s loved you for a long time. Don’t be stupid, mijo. She’s the one person who made your life better. She’s the one person who loved this land, this town, and these people as deeply as you do. She’s the one person who will always be your other half, even if she’s younger.

“So, stop being stupid, mijo, and go after her. Go claim her. Let the promise hold true, especially with her talking to the group today about it.”

Chapter 12

Vicky

“Folks, you are in for one of my favorite times of the year,” I told the group, walking before them as they sat downon their blankets or chairs. We were at Red Ridge, the storms rolling in were just perfect timing. And from what the accounts were saying, it was going to be a beautiful lighting storm.

“Now, do remember, lighting is dangerous, if it gets too close, we will be leaving, but from this distance, you’ll get to see the majestic side of it.

“Remember that the area we are in is rooted deep in Native and Mexican lore and a lot of our legends out here stem from their beliefs.”

I swallowed hard, having to push past this story. A story of love, of finding each other, of being together forever, which is what I thought I was going to have. But then the jerk got in his head, got in his own way, and screwed up one of the best things for himself.

Believe me, I heard the talk around town. Heard how Jose was even grumpier than before and while I’d love to think that was because of me, it was also in part because he was once more alone. Not that he was building friendships, but a lot of people were staying clear of him now.

“What’s the rainfall promise?” a young lady called out, curling up to the man next to her. “Isn’t it a romance story?”

“It is. The princess of a native tribe was set to marry a man she didn’t love but a man that her father chose. He was supposed to be a man worthy of her hand, but her heart belonged to another. A Mexican settler who was trying to live in peace with the natives.