A Forgotten Promise

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

ON SATURDAY MORNING Logan dismounted, bone-deep exhausted from working hard enough for three men in an attempt to fall into his cot in one of the line shacks out on the range and sleep peacefully. Didn't happen.

This morning he'd woken up to discover his anger with Anne had diminished, waning to the point of bitter acceptance. Anne and Hunter were been friends since their diaper's day, and he couldn't do anything about that.

Mason's truck was parked outside the house when Logan approached and he noticed his father's old truck nearby. Anne's car was gone. He remember a week after Anne's came back, one morning, a flashy red car appeared in front of his house. And Anne said, "I couldn't live peacefully without my Cherry."

Good. Maybe he could get in, have his weekly meeting with Mason to go over the books and expenses for the ranch and get out before Anne returned for wherever she was. "Mason?"

"Hey, didn't think you were coming today. Where you been?" Mason called from the den where they held their weekly meeting.

Logan headed toward the stairs and ignored his foreman's question. "Give me five minutes to shower."

He took the steps two at a time and was back downstairs in seven. Mason had coffee waiting for him.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Figured you might need it."

Logan sipped the too-hot coffee, appreciative that it was fresh and strong and black. "How have things been this week? Picking up?"

"That's it? How have things been?"

He didn't want to get into it. "I needed to get away. Have Anne been giving you a hard time when I was away?"

Mason stared at him in confusion. "Look around, Logan. See anything missing?"

For the first time he realized all of Anne's stuff was gone. The negligees, the lotion. Everything.

"She's gone. Her staff came by the same day you left and help Anne to packed up all her things and pulled the day after."

Logan couldn't think straight. "She's gone?"

"If you'd taken the radio with you, you might knew this things.

All he knew was that it was good thing to sitting down. "I notice her car was gone but I thought-- I thought she was in town or something."

The screen door opened then banged closed.

"Anybody home?" his cousin. Douglas called on his way down the hall.

"Logan didn't know Anne was gone." Mason called out.

The silence in the room was broken only by steady ticking of the old mantle clock.

Logan didn't acknowledge his counsin's presence. "I don't get it. I was just took a little breathing space, then she left just like that?"

Douglas swung his foot to the floor and sat forward on the couch. "Anne stopped by on her way out of town. And she left the message for you, since she could't contact you."

"I don't wanna hear the reason why she to left. Its already clear to me that she doesn't want to do anything about me.

To be honest Logan didn't want to heard the truth.

"Well, if you don't want to, but still I need to relay it to you." Douglas sat up straight and stared at him. "She told me, that she needs to go back to the city but she--"

He stopped Douglas. "It doesn't matter to me anymore."

"Strange, are you sure that you don't wanna hear the whole story why Anne needs to left the Circle F?" Douglas rubbed his hand over his mouth and stared at Logan with a concern expression.

Logan took a deep breath and shook his head. "What's the other reason, other than she choose Hunter over me!

Douglas snapped his two fingers. "You got it wrong! But, she needs to marry Hunter!"

All a while seems his ears has been attacked by the bunch of bees. He suddenly felt numb.

"But, not of what you think!" Douglas continued

"What!" he shouted and hurriedly stalked in front of his cousin.

Logan's stomach twisted into a hard knot.

Douglas nodded. "The reason why she was with Hunter the day you left was to talk to their parents. Anne opposed the wedding as well as Hunter, but seems there's a big thing why they need to push the marriage."

"No way, I thought it was only a lover's quarrel." Mason murmured.

Logan face hardened while waiting for his cousin to finish the whole story. "Continue, don't leave any single details."

Douglas stood and stalked toward the nearby coffee maker. "I heard that the Ford Group of Companies are in trouble right now. And merging with Evans multi million company will stop the investors from pulling their stocks. The Evans won't just merging without a catch! They wanted to be the head of the Ford company. So they set Hunter as the head of the Ford company after.

Logan slowly walked toward the window and stared his whole property. The greener pasture and some of his horse running around at the huge pen. These past few weeks he saw Circle F as a lovely happy place again. After Anne left him for the first time he considered to sale this land.

And for the second time she left him again. Now he was thinking to finally give up this farm. There were so many memories of Anne here. And he doesn't want to linger the pain every time he look around.

The more he stays here the more pain he needs to endure. Possibly he will migrate to another country for the start.

"I get it now. She already decided whats for the best for her family. And I understand that, excuse me." he turned to his foreman. "Lets do the meeting next time." he coldly said and left them instantly.

Logan took a double steps toward the stairs and furiously went inside his room. He looked around, and the image of Anne smiling at him made him flinched. He can still smell her lavander scent.

Honestly, he wanted to punch the wall the moment his cousin relied to him the main reason why Anne should need to leave.

He wanted to fight for their relationship but its not worth it if Anne already gave up on him. He had so many dreams for them but all that things vanished in a blink of his eyes.

He dreamed to have a son that he can teach him how to ride the horse and a daughter who is spliting image of Anne. And those dreams will now remain as dream.

He picked his mobile phone and rang Leendon Pierre.

"Bud! Can I camp to your house?"

Leendon didn't answer his question, hence he thrown another questions for him. "What happen? Are you okay?"

Even he have this heaviness in his heart, a warm concern voice of his friend ease a little bit of his pain.

"Just had a bad day Buddy." he simply replied.

He heard Leendon took a deep sighed. "Alright, ring me so I can pick you up at the airport"

"Thanks Bud! Don't worry I can manage. I know you're busy."

"No problem." Leendon paused. "Take it easy man! See you."

After the short talk with Leendon he immediately grabbed his travelling bag and put enough clothes for this indefinite vacation.

For now, all he needs to do is to get away of this place. If the question is when he will gonna come the back? The answer is he didn't know!

Apart from leaving there's no other way to keep himself in sane. He looked big and broad and strong but he has this emotional weakness.

It was glorious that he met Anne but she turned to be his downfall. Now, they were worlds apart. And he needs to pick the pieces of himself in order to keep going.

Leaving Montana was only the solution.

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--Hanna Luna