Page 74 of Where She Belongs

“I still think he should have never said those things to you.”

“Yeah, well, it was the heat of the moment.”

“Not a good enough excuse.”

“What if I told you he’s been dealing with a lot. Like with his job and his brother… not to mention the whole thing with the developer trying to take over the town.”

Hallie scrunched her nose in disgust. “Right. I heard about that. I can’t believe there are some folks around here who think it would be a good idea for them to completely take over that property. Don’t they understand the long-term ramifications? That’s how cities get overrun. It will start edging out the ranchers and the farmers. Just one more town that adds to destroying the agriculture our state is known for. I wouldn’t be surprised if in a decade or so, there are no more fields to grow crops here. Farmers would have to move farther out to get land they can work.”

Rylee nodded. “That’s what Tate is afraid of. It’s like he’s trying to take on this new threat all on his own. You should have seen him when he heard about that meeting that’s going to happen.” The anger coming off him was like nothing she’d ever seen. Tate was losing his grip, and all she’d wanted to do was help him take a break from all of it even if it was for just a day.

She sighed. “I’m sure after that’s figured out, things will settle down with him.”

“But will that be soon enough?” Hallie asked. The pointed way in which she stared at Rylee made her squirm.

“What do you mean?”

“Faith said you plan on leaving.”

Rylee sighed. “That was always the plan.”

“But Tate could have changed that.”

Her words gave Rylee pause. There was something in the way she said it that made Rylee wonder just how much these new friends of hers wanted her to stay. That warm, fuzzy feeling erupted in her chest but before she could answer, there was a knock on her door. A persistent, hard knock that had all heads turning toward the door.

Hallie grinned. “You don’t suppose that’s your suitor come to call?”

Rylee rolled her eyes. “If Tate thinks he can just show up out of nowhere and have it out, he can think again. I’m not going to let him get away with that. He’ll have to accept that I’m busy and we can talk after you all leave.”

Hallie pouted. “But that’s no fun.”

“Are you going to get that, dear, or shall I?” Roxy called from where she sat in the living room.

Rylee wiped her hands on a nearby hand towel. “I’m on it.” She swept through the room, fully prepared to send Tate packing after he’d chosen to keep to himself after their argument. But when she opened the door, she stopped short. Surprise morphed into irritation. “Alexander, what can I do for you?”

“I heard you sent my flowers away with a farm girl.”

It wasn’t the greeting she’d braced for. There was no charm laid over the top of it at all. Alexander had stopped performing for the first time since he came to Montana.

“I did.”

“Do you have any idea what those cost?”

“I know exactly what they would have cost me,” Rylee said. “That was rather the point of not keeping them.”

Anger moved across his face, but he quickly regained his composure.

When he spoke next the polish was back on, which was somehow worse. “Have you considered what I’ve said?”

Rylee was fully aware of the audience at her back and the last thing she wanted was for any of them to get more opportunity to jump to conclusions and butt into her business. She pulled the door shut and stepped out onto the porch. “I’m not ready to discuss this with you.” She meant for it to come out sharp and steady, and it came out very much the opposite. Her voice wavered and she was just exhausted. So tired of having to deal with the unknowns her life continued to throw in her direction. “Alex, I need you to⁠—”

“What is he doing here?” Tate’s sharp tone startled her, and she glanced around Alexander to find Tate storming toward them, face red with fury. Worse than that, her reaction to his surprise visit probably made her look guiltier than anything.

And why should she feel guilty? She hadn’t done anything wrong. She’d been patient. She’d waited for Tate to be ready to talk. And she definitely hadn’t gone out to coffee or dinner with Alex.

Rylee folded her arms tightly across her chest and scowled at Tate. “I could ask the same of you.”

He stopped on the grass, his brows pulling together. “What?”