Page 63 of Broken Boundaries

I sigh. I have seen how much food he makes, but still, he shouldn’t have to cook for me after he also gave me a free place to live. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“You don’t have to eat with me if that’s your hesitation. I can package it up for you and bring it over if that makes you more comfortable.”

I love that he’s concerned for me. “I’m not uncomfortable around you, Brooks. It’s just the opposite, actually.”

We stand in the middle of aisle five staring at each other. I watch his Adam’s apple bob as he swallows, and I realize that maybe our situation is just as hard on him as it is for me. “We can be friends, can’t we, Aspen?”

“Friends,” I repeat in a raspy voice. “Yeah, we can be friends.”

“Good. Then we’ll have dinner together. As friends.”

I nod slowly. “Alright. I’ll let you cook me dinner if it’ll make you happy.”

He smiles, and I swear he’s trying to kill me. Happy Brooks is adorable. And I know grown men shouldn’t be adorable, but he’s always so serious. Or in work mode. So when he smiles, I feel like he’s letting some of his true self shine through.

“It makes me very happy,” he says as he moves his attention from me and focuses on grabbing a few more items from the shelves. I follow him around with an empty basket. I feel kinda silly that he’s going to be cooking for me, but I’m also excited because that means I get to spend more time with him. I am so down bad for this man.

After the grocery store, we make one more quick stop at the post office next door so Brooks can drop off a few letters, and then we’re on our way back to the ranch.

Brooks parks his truck in front of his house and then grabs the groceries from the backseat.

“Should I bring you dinner tonight, or do you want to eat at my house?” he asks, and I suddenly feel awkward because I had forgotten earlier that I already have dinner plans for tonight.

“Oh, I don’t need dinner tonight.”

He stops what he’s doing to look at me. “You going out?”

“Yes.”

“With Dawson?”

I nod. “Yes.”

“Ok.”

He finishes grabbing his things, but before he gets to his front door, I stop him.

“Tell me not to go,” I blurt out. If he told me right here and now not to go out with Dawson, I’d cancel with no hesitation. It’s probably a sign that I shouldn’t be going out with him, but if Brooks really doesn’t want to see where we could go, then I have to at least try to move on with my life.

“Dawson is a good guy,” he says.

“He is,” I agreed. But he’s not you, is what I wish I could say.

“You should go, Aspen. Have fun.”

I nod and swallow back my tears. At least I tried. “Alright.”

He nods, and I turn to walk away. I don’t look back at him, but I don’t hear his front door open, so I know he’s watching me. And when I leave for my date, he’s sitting on his front porch.

When I get home after a night of food, drinks, and dancing with Dawson, Brooks is still sitting there. Almost as if he was waiting for me to get home. I suppose I should be grateful he didn’t show up at the restaurant again this time.

I don’t walk over to him, and he doesn’t call out to me.

I simply pretend he’s not there, which I’m sure is what he wants. But once I’m inside my cabin, I let out a long exhale. I’m never going to get over him if I have to see him like this every damn day.

CHAPTER 24

Brooks