Danielle Manchester picked up the phone off the kitchen counter and immediately knew who was calling from the ringtone. Her mother. The former Thea Manchester, now Thea Montgomery. “Hello, Mom. Before you ask, I’m doing fine.”
She could just imagine her mother, sitting at the kitchen table in her new home, looking out at the lake with that certain smile on her face. Danielle knew that because she was the youngest, and still unsettled, compared to her two married sisters, she was a constant source of worry for her mother. Then again, she couldn’t blame her. Look at the mess she was in with Steve? He was finally offering her what she’d always wanted--marriage. Only now, Danielle knew for certain that’s not what she wanted, especially with him.
Moving in with a person exposed hidden flaws. Like the fact that they could be a total jerk at times, or that they always seemed to ‘forget’ their share of the agreed-upon financial obligations. It angered her to think about how many times she’d ended up paying the apartment rent instead of Steve.And that was just the beginning. She thought back to all the times he’d expected her to pay for the groceries, or the times he’d get upset with her because she hadn’t cooked dinner, even though she’d worked that day as well. But the last straw was when he’d started gaming, to the point that it had begun to negatively impact their relationship, mentally, physically, and financially.
“I’m glad to hear that, Dani,” her mother said, interrupting her thoughts and calling her by the nickname her father had given her when she was born. It still bothered her that Eric Manchester, after having two daughters, had been desperate for their third child to be a son who would follow in his footsteps and have a career in the military. Instead of the Daniel he had wanted, unfortunately, he got a Danielle instead.
“I hate to say it, but now I understand why Libby loves it here. It’s so peaceful. Other than the cows moving around, and the sound of the ranch hands doing their work, it’s usually quiet,” Dani said.
Thea chuckled. “You know your sisters were taking bets as to how long it would be before you complained about being bored, don’t you?”
Dani laughed. “I wouldn’t put it past them. But I brought my laptop with me, so how can I be bored? I’m just finishing up work on a few marketing campaigns, and as long as I have internet, I’m good. According to Richard, he and a neighbor collaborated to install an internet tower. He said if it ever went down, I should call the man.” She glanced over at the Post-it note with Otis Filmore’s name and phone number on the fridge. According to Libby, Otis was a neighbor in his late sixties, and although he couldn’t repair anything related to the tower, he would know who to call.
“Have you heard from Steve?”
Dani slid onto a barstool and looked out the window at the open plains. What she’d told her mother was true. It was peaceful here, and the land was beautiful. “I haven’t talked to Steve in a while.” There was no need for her mother to know she had deliberately sent his calls to voicemail, and had no plans to listen to them later.
“That explains why he called me.”
Dani lifted a surprised brow. “Steve called you?”
“Yes, but I didn’t answer. I figured he must be trying to reach you. Did you not tell him where you were?”
Dani lifted her chin. “No, there was no need. I told you that Steve and I are over, Mom.”
“That’s another thing your sisters are taking bets on,” her mother said.
“Well, let them.”
“I understand he asked you to marry him.”
“Yes, and I’m sure you also heard that I turned him down.”
“Any particular reason why?”
Dani shrugged. “I’ve decided I want to stay single a little longer, that’s all.” That wasn’t all, but she refused to tell her mother and sisters just what she’d put up with for so long. Too long.
“Do you think Steve will just hang around, waiting for you to decide when you want something permanent?”
Dani knew her mother was intentionally playing devil’s advocate since Thea Manchester Montgomery had never really cared for Steve. “I don’t see why not. That’s what I’ve been doing for the last four years.”
Blowing out an exasperated breath, she said, “Look, Mom, I have a Zoom meeting with my bossin an hour, and I need to prepare for it. Give Jeremiah my love, and we’ll talk again later. Okay?”
“I just want you to be happy, Dani.”
She knew that was true. “I know, Mom. And I want to be happy. But I don’t see myself finding that happiness with Steve.” That was all she would tell her mother for now.
“Then you’ll find it with someone else. Don’t be surprised if it happens when you least expect it. Goodbye, baby.”
“Goodbye, Mom.” As usual, her mother made a few kissy sounds, which Dani returned.
After disconnecting the call, she placed the phone back on the counter and leaned back against the stool. Steve must be desperate if he called her mother. He’d always avoided talking to her. He’d said her mother’s expectations of him were too high and weren’t fair. Well, after living with Steve for almost a year, Danielle saw that her own expectations of him hadn’t been high enough.
An hour later, she was in the middle of her Zoom call with her boss when her internet went down. “What in the world...”
It had been working just fine, and then her computer screen went black. She picked up the phone to call the office, and her boss immediately answered. “Danielle?”
“Yes, Paula, sorry about that. I told you I’m house-sitting on my sister’s ranch in Dallas, and it seems I have an internet issue.”
