Page 35 of Where She Belongs

She laughed. “I’m pretty sure you know better than to lie to your friends, Tate.”

He smiled back but didn’t correct himself. Instead, he steered the conversation away from her father. “Did you name those chicks?”

This time Rylee gave him a hard look. “I don’t know why you got me chicks. I told you that I wasn’t staying past this summer⁠—”

“And if you don’t, I’m sure we can find someone to take them. My sister married Brent over at Sagebrush. I’m sure she could put in a good word for us. They’re just a couple chickens.”

She pointed her fork at him accusingly. “Something tells me that you’re not going to be happy with just chicks. Please promise me that you’re not going to get me anymore animals. I don’t think I could take the heartbreak of leaving them.”

He stared at her, keeping his face blank. There was absolutely no way he would do that. He already had plans for a few other critters to join her family. It was step one of getting her to stay.

When he didn’t do as she asked, she propped her elbow on the table and held out her hand before him. Her fingers curled into a fist, leaving her pinky free. One brow lifted and her lips curled, knowing.

“Pinky promise me, Tate.”

He bit back a laugh. She did remember. Then he shook his head. Once. Deliberately. “I’m going to do no such thing, sweetheart.”

Her hand dropped but she appeared less disappointed than he expected. With an almost amused and yet exasperated sigh, she picked up her fork again. “Figures. I knew this was just the beginning.”

“And yet you’re not throwing a fit and demanding that I take them back.”

“Can you do that?” she asked, eyes growing wider.

Tate laughed. “No. It’s a no returns sort of thing. Besides, I’ve already built them the Taj Mahal of chicken coops. They’re going to be so happy in that monstrosity.”

She giggled. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

This. This right here felt righter than anything he’d ever experienced with anyone. It felt natural, being here with her making pinky promises—or rather not making them. He could almost envision a future for the two of them.

Heart hammering, he turned his attention to his pie. He couldn’t bring himself to look at her then out of fear that she’d read everything he’d just realized all over his face.

Did he actually want a future with Rylee Black?

Yes.

Absolutely, he did.

And he’d do anything he could to get her to stay because he knew she’d be happiest here—with him.

No matter the cost.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Rylee’s hands curled around the metal trough as she peered inside at the adorable peeping chicks. Tate’s “surprise” was a little out there, but it was so sweet she didn’t have the heart to get upset over it.

At this point, she would happily foster some chicks then send them on their way to a better home when she had to leave.

If she chose to leave.

Her palms had two blisters apiece and a third coming in under her thumb, and she’d earned every one of them herself. She’d paid a man forty dollars and a plate of cookies to get her father’s tractor turning over. Then she’d spent two days in the west field from sunup to sundown, cutting down eleven years of whatever had wanted to grow there.

Nobody had asked her to. Nobody had brought it over on a trailer. She’d gotten up in the dark and done it because she couldn’t stand looking at it anymore, and the fact of it sat there like something she wasn’t ready to say out loud.

She sighed, rising to her full height as she headed for the side of the barn Tate and Jason were still working on. It was framed and the siding was on now. Next, they’d be installing some insulation—something Jason had insisted wasn’t necessary but Tate wouldn’t budge on.

He continued to go overboard when it came to fixing things around her property. And more often than not, he was at her place for dinner after the fact. Last night she’d pointed out as much and all he’d done was wink at her before telling her that was all part of his master plan.

Laughing to herself, she paused with hands on her hips as she took in the repairs. The stalls were also being built, for what, she didn’t know. It wasn’t like she’d be taking on a horse while she was here. That would be silly.