Page 31 of Where She Belongs

Tate ran his hands along the horse’s shoulder. “This here is Stone. He’s new. His background wasn’t nearly as nice. Jason worked with me to get him comfortable again with riding, and now he’s got his eye on a black rescue two counties over that’s meaner than Stone ever thought about being. He’s doing better—less skittish when he’s out solo, but he needs more practice going in a group.” He patted Stone reassuringly. “We’re going to see how well he can do with Freckles here. He seems to like her more than the other horses.” He held out a hand and once again, she stared at it before she placed her palm in his and allowed him to help her into the saddle.

Then he shoved his boot into one of Stone’s stirrups and swung onto his back.

The sun was partially covered by clouds. It made for a cooler day and her skin pebbled from the breeze that swirled around them. The first leg of their journey was completed in silence.

Rylee allowed her thoughts to drift to the last conversation she’d shared with Tate. His insistence that she could do something with the farm—something that would make her father proud. That conversation had struck her so deeply, she’d even brought it up with Roxy when she’d called to check on her.

Of course, that conversation had turned into Roxy asking Rylee if she was infatuated with “that boy from her childhood.” Rylee wasted a good part of the call assuring her aunt that there was nothing going on with Tate. He’d made no indication that he cared for her as anything more than a friend.

Just because he looked at her like he wanted to push her against the side of the barn and kiss her within an inch of her life didn’t mean that was their reality. If she was honest with herself, she’d admit that she was probably interpreting the way he looked at her all wrong.

“Tate?” His name tasted sweet on her tongue even though she was terrified about what she knew would follow.

So far, their ride was going famously. Stone was following the trail like a champ. He was also putting up with Tate’s firm hold on the reins while riding Freckles was more relaxed. Tate grunted.

“Do you really think I could do something with the farm?”

His head snapped in her direction. “Of course I do. I wouldn’t tell you otherwise.”

He didn’t look over when he said the rest of it. “You’re forgetting that I know you, Rylee. The girl who refused to be left behind when we were kids is still in there somewhere. She walked over here by herself this afternoon.”

She rolled her eyes. “You could be saying that to get me to stay so there’s no risk of losing the property to that developer.”

He grinned. “You got me.”

Why did that statement seem to slice right through her? Even though she could tell he was teasing her, she hated that it was rooted in truth. Everyone in town was on edge with the threat of their quiet lives being changed so irrevocably. “I went to college, you know.”

Tate really looked at her then. There was no way he knew where she was going with this, but he didn’t push her, and that helped. Alexander was the opposite. He hated the uncomfortable silences. He hated waiting. He wanted all the information right then and there so he could solve inevitable problems.

That wasn’t to say that Tate wasn’t capable of fixing problems. From how he’d taken charge with her barn, it was obvious taking care of others was his specialty. He had a talent for figuring out the next steps when all she felt was overwhelmed.

Perhaps that was why she wanted to talk to him about her next steps.

After the quiet went on too long, she sighed. “I went into finance. My uncle was the CEO of a fortune five hundred company. He insisted that he didn’t want me to be dependent on anyone and that an education would help prevent that. He was a firm believer that business and finance were fields that would serve me well.”

When she looked over at Tate, she didn’t know what she expected to see, but it wasn’t the hard look he was sending the horizon. He must have felt her attention on him because he turned to look at her then mumbled, “Sorry, I just don’t see you sitting behind a desk. I guess that kind of degree does come with some level of security, but…”

“Yeah,” she whispered, “you’re right. It’s not exactly what I wanted to do when I grew up.”

His lips twitched and she laughed despite herself. “So, what do you want to do when you grow up?” He lifted his brows and shot her a pointed look.

She blew out another breath. “Is it crazy that I can’t get what you said out of my head? About continuing my family legacy?” Rylee gestured with a sweeping motion to the land surrounding them. Tate’s property wasn’t as large as hers—just large enough to accommodate horses with some room to roam but that didn’t make it any less breathtaking. “I know my dad would have loved to see me follow in his footsteps. I just… don’t know where to start.”

A soft, reassuring smile spread over Tate’s face. “I think you should do what makes you happy. If that means starting a business, if that means becoming a CEO, or if that means farming—pick whichever one speaks to you most.”

“You make it sound so… simple.”

“It is simple, Ry-Ry. You don’t owe anyone anything. Not your uncle. Not your aunt. Not a single person from your past.” He said it with conviction. He was including himself in that statement but all she could think about was Alexander and the way he continued to demand her time.

She didn’t owe anyone anything.

Rylee lifted her focus to Tate and her heart stuttered. There it was again. That look that made her shiver. It started with a tingle but then that sensation overtook her whole body and she had to force herself to look away. She couldn’t say it out loud, but in the back of her head, she had to admit that Tate had made a good point.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Tate came up short when he caught sight of Jason staring at him slack-jawed. “What?” he demanded.

His brother blinked then shook his head. “You don’t want me to answer that question.”