Page 19 of Broken Boundaries

Harper and I both say “no” in unison, and I scoot over to make room for Aspen. She hesitates for a moment before she sets her bag down on the floor and scoots in.

She’s in the same white T-shirt and black jeans she wore at work, but she’s taken her hair down, letting her curls go wild. I like them like this. And being this close, I can smell the vanilla scent of her shampoo.

Whoa. Why the fuck am I noticing what her hair smells like?

My back goes rigid, and I quickly try to find something—anything—to focus on besides that little blip in my brain.

“So, what were you shopping for?” I ask quickly and hope I don’t sound as uncomfortable as I feel.

“Well, Jazz insisted that I needed boots in order to ride a horse.”

“It’s a fact,” Jasmine adds. “Also got her a matching belt. You’ll feel more confident if you look the part.” She winks at Aspen, and I can’t help but chuckle. Jasmine is something else. She has no filter and says and does whatever she wants. But she’s a good person with a big heart, which I assume is why she appears to have taken Aspen under her wing.

“Are y’all ready to order?” A server finally stops at our table.

Aspen looks around, a little panicked. “Oh, I haven’t looked at a menu yet.”

“Do you like burgers or chicken?” I ask.

“Burgers.”

“You’ll like the burger then. Fries or onion rings?”

“Fries.”

“Alright, we’ll have two Blue’s burgers, both with fries.” Aspen smiles at me, and for some reason, it makes me feel all warm inside, like I’ve done something right. I barely manage to smile back at her before I have to look away.

Harper orders her chicken tenders, and Jasmine gets a chicken sandwich.

“Are you girls excited about the Fourth of July celebration?” Harper asks, making conversation with the table. She’s good at that. That’s why she’s the one who deals with most of the guests at the ranch. She’s a people person.

“Should I be excited?” Aspen asks tentatively.

“Oh yes. Blue Haven goes all out for the holidays. Didn’t Zach tell you?” Harper asks. I’m glad she’s the one who asked and not me.

Aspen shakes her head. “No, Zach didn’t tell me much of anything about Blue Haven, actually.”

That’s disappointing. Zach was always eager to get out of this small town. I thought going to college in a big city would help him scratch that itch. I thought it worked. But then he came back here right after graduation. Figured he missed it. Maybe I was wrong. Wouldn’t be the first time when it comes to him.

“So you moved here without knowing much about it?” Jasmine asks. Her question could be construed as rude, but I think everyone at the table can tell she’s just curious.

Aspen shrugs. “Yeah, I mean, he asked me to move here with him. I didn’t really have anything tying me to Atlanta. I thought it would be a fun change. In hindsight, I probably should’ve done a bit more research. I don’t know if I would’ve been able to find a job if there hadn’t been this opening at the ranch.”

“Well, maybe that means you were meant to be at the ranch,” Harper suggests with a soft smile.

“Yeah, maybe it does,” Aspen agrees.

I agree with them. It does feel like Aspen is supposed to be here with us at the ranch. She fits in wonderfully with the team, and I’m glad Zach suggested her for the job. I’d tell him that if he would ever text me back.

“So, what happens at the Fourth of July celebration?” Aspen asks.

Jasmine and Harper go off, telling her all of the things. I was worried Aspen would think it was kind of cheesy, but she smiles through all of it, from the pie-eating competition to the sack races and the parade. I think she’s going to fit in just perfectly here.

“Where’s Zach tonight?” I ask carefully once our food is delivered.

“He’s at his mom’s house for dinner.”

“You didn’t want to go?”