Page 5 of Where She Belongs

“Who?”

“Rylee.”

And just like that, Tate was swarmed with a memory.

“I’m going to marry you one day, Tater.”

Tate scrunched up his nose. “No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I am. Dad says I have to marry my best friend.”

“You’re not my best friend. Jason’s my best friend.”

“Then I’ll marry you both.”

“You can’t do that,” Jason said. “You only get to marry one person. That’s the rules.”

Tate hadn’t thought about the little girl from his childhood in ages. At one point in his life, the daughter of the farmer next door had been a daily nuisance. She’d followed him and Jason around everywhere. She’d even figured out how to climb the tree to get into their treehouse without the ladder.

He’d hated it.

Until he didn’t.

It turned out she was nothing like his sisters or the other girls in town. She wasn’t scared of getting dirty or touching bugs. She was a fast runner and she didn’t cry when she fell down and scraped her knee.

And the day the class bully leaned on Jason over a snack, it was Rylee who punched him in the nose. Tate got there in time to see to it the boy didn’t try again. Rylee and Tate were suspended for a day. The bully got a week.

“Tate?”

He jolted and glanced back to his brother. “What?”

His twin was looking at him with an idea of what he’d been thinking about. Or who. They hadn’t talked about Rylee much after she left. She’d been a friend and then she’d been gone, and they’d both got on with it.

Now, he wondered what happened with her.

“Do you think it’s hers?” Jason finally broke the silence.

Tate considered it for a moment. “Doubtful. Why would she come back after all these years. Besides, her father passed away. That’s why she moved. Would you want to come back to those kinds of memories?” He knew he shouldn’t have asked. Before he’d let the whole question free, he already knew the answer.

“Yes.” Jason didn’t have to think about it. “I like the connection I have to my family.”

Figured. “Regardless, it’s been fifteen years. Whoever is moving in⁠—”

“Whoever is moving in, where?” Lydia came into the kitchen and went straight for the refrigerator. She was the sister nearest Jason in age and near enough as level-headed as Faith, except about men. She fell fast and she fell hard.

Tate cut his brother a look while Lydia’s head was in the refrigerator. Jason missed it.

“The old Black farm. There were a few people out there cleaning it up.”

“Wasn’t there a kid you guys used to play with over there?”

“Yeah. But Tate doesn’t think it’s her. Could be someone new.”

Tate dragged a hand down his face. Lydia didn’t need to know any of this. Technically, it shouldn’t matter but if some new bachelor moved in, she would be the first to head over there and stake her claim.

As expected, Lydia perked up. “We should take them something. A housewarming gift. I can make cookies.”

Tate shot his brother a dark look. Jason shrugged. “I’ve got work to do, and so do you.” He held Jason’s eye until it landed. “We’ve got new clients coming for a lesson and we need to check in with Brent. He’s had enough time off since the wedding.”