Page 10 of What the Cowboy Wants (The Westons of Montana #3)

“While this was going on, a cousin of mine, Charlotte, introduced me to Duncan Young. He’s a lawyer, good looking, and he had a huge following on social media and wanted to collaborate with me.

He asked me out a couple of times and soon we were more than friends.

We did videos for our platforms together, talking about our jobs and our relationship which attracted even more followers, more attention.

Soon there wasn’t time for my actual job.

I was online all the time. I was at the point where I was going for fifty thousand followers and I relentlessly opened my app several times a day to comment, to engage with my followers and advertisers.

I couldn’t help myself. During that time, my parents retired and moved to San Diego.

I never visited them once; I was too busy to answer phone calls and texts.

I also ignored calls and texts from my few close friends, and soon they stopped contacting me. ”

Rubbing her forehead, Rose sighed. “It was at this point that the algorithm lost interest in what I was doing—as it apparently does. Horrified, I saw the pace at which I was getting new followers slowed down, the likes and comments stalled.”

His heart aching for her, Cooper wanted to get up and take Rose in his arms. Gripping the side of the chair, he willed himself to sit still. The women in the room were silent, all eyes were on Rose.

“Over the past few months while staying in Laura’s house, I’ve done what I should’ve done before I even started—read a lot about how social media has morphed into this whole bizarre phenomenon.

A journalist, Clarissa-Ian Lim, has coined the word panopticontent to describe the era we are living in.

I’ve done a lot of reading about the subject as you can gather.

Phones are everywhere, and since people are tempted by the internet, everything and everyone is ‘content’.

Panopticontent comes from the term panopticon , a circular prison designed in the eighteenth century that constantly surveilled prisoners, controlling their behavior.

My life, I’ve come to realize, became content that I packaged, into posts, stories, reels, and captions for people to look at, comment on, criticize. ”

Cooper’s hands fisted. Her pain was becoming his and it was unbearable.

“That was when Charlotte came up with the plan ,” Rose continued.

“Duncan and I should announce our engagement online, she suggested. That would create a lot of buzz, get our followers interested again. In hindsight, it is so obvious that Duncan wasn’t really that into me and honestly, he wasn’t even the type of guy I usually dated, but there I was, so desperate to attract more followers, I just went with the flow.

Duncan and Charlotte had a completely different plan in mind of course, I was just too blinded by my need for more followers to see it. ”

Cooper was on the brink of walking over to Rose and telling her she could stop, that she didn’t have to tell them everything, when his mother leaned forward and put her hand on Rose’s arm.

“It’s okay, sweetie, you can stop any time.”

Smiling wanly, Rose looked at her. “Let me get this out, please.”

His mother gave her another hug.

“Both Duncan and I created a buzz on online. I actually told all my followers my boyfriend was popping the question online, everyone should watch.” Shaking her head, she inhaled audibly.

“I honestly don’t know what had gotten into me.

I’m an introvert, I had a few close friends, and I seldom shared anything personal with anyone.

Anyway, on the night in question I put on a new, ridiculously expensive dress and waited for Duncan to arrive.

He texted he wasn’t coming over; he’ll share my screen with me from home.

That should’ve been my first clue, but I was too excited about getting new followers to listen to my gut.

I won’t bore you with all the details, but what happened was instead of asking me to marry him, Duncan used the opportunity to dump me, telling the thousands of people who was online listening and watching—while he was smiling—I wasn’t the girl he thought I was, I was way too focused on making money.

He realized, he told everyone, he was actually in love with Charlotte.

As Charlotte told me afterward, I shouldn’t take it personally, it was only business.

They’d been planning the whole thing from the start to increase his dwindling number of followers.

If I’d checked, I would’ve seen it, but I didn’t even bother. ”

Cooper couldn’t listen to another word. He got up without saying anything and left. If he’d had to sit and listen another moment how someone she’d trusted deliberately hurt her, he would’ve punched something.

*

Stunned, Rose stared after Cooper’s retreating back.

Willow leaned forward. “Cooper’s pet hate is people on phones while they are having a conversation with other people, so yeah, I think your story has upset him, but the main reason he’s left is because he’s hurting for you, Rose.

His feelings are deeper than other people’s.

Give him time to process. We’ll all need time to process what happened to you.

I’m so sorry you had to go through that. ”

Rubbing her temple where a steady headache was throbbing, Rose sighed.

She’d been one of those people who had constantly been on her phone, she couldn’t blame Cooper for walking out.

“I can’t blame anyone else but myself. Anyway, that was the night I got into my car and left Seattle.

I didn’t have a clue where I was going. I wasn’t even consciously planning to leave Seattle.

I just didn’t want to go back home. I had nowhere else to go, so I kept driving.

Somewhere along the way I saw a billboard with Montana written on it, and I kept going until I was blinded by oncoming lights and nearly left the road.

That was when Cooper stopped me and scolded me, telling me how irresponsible I was. As if I needed anyone to tell me that.”

“He probably had a huge fright,” his mother smiled. “He has such a big heart.”

“Oh, my goodness Rose,” Ellie said, her eyes wet with tears. “I’m so sorry that happened to you. It must’ve been devastating. Have you thought about what you want to do now?”

Rose nodded and told them about her plan to expand her interior decorating business. “Thanks to all of you, I’m finally over my self-pity trip. I’m getting a steady stream of clients, also because of all your recommendations. Ellie, about the yarn shop, I’m sorry, but…”

Ellie laughed. “Of course, you don’t want to work in the yarn shop any more, I completely understand. After you started working there, a few other women have contacted me, asking if I need someone else to fill in, they’d be happy to help.”

“Are you sure? Because you’ve all been so good to me, so patient while I was trying to sort out my life. I will never forget your kindness, your help, your unconditional support to a complete stranger.”

“You were so wet and bedraggled, we had no choice,” Laura teased.

Everyone smiled.

“As for your house, Laura,” Rose said dabbing her eyes with a tissue.

Laura smiled. “Soon it will be yours.”

Rose shook her head. “I still can’t believe I’m buying your house in Marietta, Montana. I’ll be working from home, I’ve decided. This house has been my safe and happy place all these months.”

“What about all your stuff in Seattle?” Riley asked.

“And your apartment? Or did you have a house?” Vivian asked.

“An apartment,” Rose said. “That’s the other thing. I’ll need to return to Seattle to sort out everything and get a moving company to bring what I want to keep to Marietta. Which reminds me, Laura, please take everything of yours left in the house. What you don’t want or need, I’ll buy from you.”

“I’ll give you the name of the moving company I used,” Ellie said. “I was very happy with the way they handled everything.”

“Thanks,” Rose smiled. “There are a few pieces in my apartment I’d like to keep, but I think most of it I’ll sell or give away.”

Arlene blinked away tears. “I’m so happy you’ve decided to stay in Marietta. And now that you and Cooper are kissing…”

Rose caught her breath. She shouldn’t be surprised. As she’d learned over past few months, nothing stays private in this group of women.

“Why didn’t I know that?” Janice called out before Rose could say anything. “I’m so happy for you, Rose. Cooper’s one of the good guys.”

“When did this happen?” Annie asked, her eyes wide.

“I didn’t even know you’d talked to one another,” Vivian chuckled. “Now you’re kissing.”

“It’s news to me too,” Riley said. “But I’m so happy for you, Rose.”

Rose held up her hand. “There is nothing between us. Cooper was just being nice. Anyway, it wasn’t really a kiss, it was merely a friendly peck.

He was just sorry for me and was quick to tell me he wasn’t in the market for a relationship of any kind.

I don’t have time at the moment for relationships, either.

Maybe someday. For now, I’m concentrating on getting back on my feet, on focusing on my career. ”

Ellie leaned forward. “You know, while you were telling us what happened to you, something Mr. Knightly, the hero in Emma says, came to mind. I don’t remember every word, but like he says, everything that has happened to you also proves the beauty of what is true and sincere in our dealings with each other. ”

Rose nodded. “Thank you for that, Ellie. Understanding Emma’s flaws also showed me how ridiculous I was, thinking I was so important.”

Arlene shook her head. “You’re way too hard on yourself, Rose. You’re a very brave woman and don’t let anyone else tell you any differently. I for one, am very glad you’ve decided to stay here in Marietta. I like my new neighbor. And please, my living room needs an upgrade.”

Everyone laughed.