Page 21 of Where She Belongs

“It was my dad’s. He had it in the barn.”

It was how nonchalant she was after everything that threw him off guard. He shook his head as he followed her outside. He couldn’t stay a second longer in her presence or he might go insane. “Right, well, now that everything seems sorted, I’m going to head out.” Tate ignored the look of surprise on her face. This was for the best. He needed to ground himself. At the rate his heart was pumping and the thoughts that swirled in his head, he could tell he was losing his sense of control.

Rylee had gone from snarky and hard-headed to Rambo and then to a fairytale princess and back again.

Just like she’d been as a kid.

He’d never admitted it to anyone, but back then? He’d liked it.

He’d liked her.

A lot.

“Tate?”

He stopped walking and turned toward her. “Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

A curt nod was all he had in him to offer then he turned on his heel and headed home.

Tate avoided Rylee and her place. She didn’t stop by, which meant the guy he sent her way must have figured out the electrical problem.

Avoiding her didn’t mean that he was any good at stopping his thoughts from turning to her, though. He’d never been interested in a serious relationship. Not really. His first priority had always been his family. The business needed the both of them pulling in the same direction. His sisters needed him to take care of them while they figured out what they wanted to do with their lives. His parents needed him to hold down the fort as they went on their travels as a retired couple.

Everyone needed him for something, and he was more than happy to oblige.

But then everyone in his social circles paired off. His friends out at Sagebrush Ranch. His friends in the rodeo circuit. Heck, even his sister had found someone who treated her like the queen she was.

Maybe that was the cause of his confusion.

Was it possible he’d come around to the benefit of finding someone who could love him and care for him?

Boy, that sounded selfish.

He had enough on his plate already. What did he have to offer anyone?

Especially someone like Rylee.

She had everything she could want. She’d mentioned how well off her aunt was when she’d caught up with Jason. It wasn’t something she was hiding. And that explained how they’d kept the property all these years. It also explained why she carried herself like she could rule the world one day.

Gone was the raggedy tomboy he’d been fascinated with as a child. She’d morphed into something different altogether.

And he was already a goner for her.

He cursed as the hammer came down and skimmed the side of his thumb. He was repairing a piece of equipment they used to train the younger boys proper seating in the saddle. A part had come loose and he should have known better than to fix it when his head wasn’t clear. He wasn’t like Jason. His brother could clear his mind when he had a task at hand while Tate’s head stayed jumbled, especially when everything was changing at once.

“You go over to see her?”

He startled and glanced over his shoulder at Jason, who stood with his hands in his pockets and gave nothing away. “Who?”

“Rylee. You go see her since that night?”

Tate scoffed. “Why would I? We barely know each other anymore.” He turned back to his thumb and shook out his hand. At least he wasn’t bleeding.

“You’ve been distracted,” Jason said.

Tate made a face at the wall, where his brother couldn’t see it. “I’m busy.”