Page 33 of Home Is Where You Are

I could hear Ainsleigh and Sawyer having a discussion the closer I got to the door.

I could lie and say I wasn’t eavesdropping, but part of me wanted to know what she had to talk to him about that couldn’t be said in front of the whole family.

“I can’t keep working that closely with him, Dad. It hurts too much,” I heard Ainsleigh confess, causing my steps to falter.

Pain filled my chest as the words sunk in. I knew how true those words were from my standpoint, but hearing them come from her caused the pain to amplify. As much as I hated how she'd hurt me, I couldn’t be the cause of her pain.

“I understand that, baby girl. And I’ll try in the future to remember that. But I make no promises,” I heard Sawyer reply.

“Thank you. But I came here to discuss something else with you. I need you to hear what I’m about to say, Dad.”

“I’m listening.”

“I know that you know the only reason I came home was to appease Mom, and because finding a job didn’t pan out, but I don’t plan on staying.”

“Why not? This ranch is your home. You belong here, Ainsleigh,” her dad questioned. I could hear the pain in his voice as he replied. He wanted his baby girl back home just as much as the rest of her family, if not even more.

“You know why, Daddy. Being here hurts. And being home shouldn’t hurt. I’m waiting for one more response from an application I put in. I have high hopes I’m going to get this position.”

I shouldn’t be out here listening to this conversation, but I couldn’t make myself move. Especially after hearing her admission of leaving. Hearing those words cemented my decision to steer clear of her and keep my heart guarded. I couldn’t allow myself to get close to her again. Especially if I wanted my heart to remain unscathed.

“I’ll make a deal with you,” Sawyer said, but my phone vibrating in my pocket kept me from hearing the rest. If I didn’t want to be caught, I couldn’t keep standing out here.

I turned and walked away without hearing the rest of their conversation.

Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I saw that there were texts in the group chat with me and her brothers.

Leo: Looks like we’re going to Whiskey On The Rocks tonight.

Brooks: I shouldn’t even ask, but why do you say that?

Brooks claims he didn’t have a thing for the bartender there named Callie, but we all knew different. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her anytime we went there for a night out. And Leo loved giving him shit about it, even more so than the rest of us.

Holden: I’m down, but why the urgency?

Leo: Because our baby sister wants to take Dylan and Aspen out for the night, and you know we can’t let her go alone.

A night out at Whiskey On The Rocks was usually a good time. But if Ainsleigh was going, I shouldn’t tag along. For both our sakes.

Me: I’m staying in.

Leo: No you're not. You’re going even if I have to drag you there myself.

I didn’t bother responding. I put my phone back into my pocket, and walked out of the office, quietly shutting the door behind me, and leaned up against the door. I took my hat off and raked my hand though my hair, pulling it to let out some frustration. Tonight, would likely be the death of me. I needed to make myself scarce so Leo didn’t make good on his threat. Come hell or high water, there was no way I was going out tonight. But first, I had to get through meeting Dylan and Aspen, and hope like hell there was nothing going on between Dylan and Ainsleigh. I could get through just about anything, but seeing the girl my heart still longed for in love with another man would surely break me.

I kept myself busy checking fencing for the rest of the afternoon. Mindless busy work on the back of a horse kept my thoughts from returning to Ainsleigh.

Dylan and Aspen should arrive soon. I was sure Ainsleigh would’ve preferred to be there when they arrived, even if her reasoning was to get away from me, but Sawyer made sure that her mom had it covered. Besides, based on the radio chatter, her brothers had roped her into helping with their last guided tour so she couldn’t have met them anyway. Just when I was washing up for the afternoon, I’d heard her laughter come around the corner of the barn.

“Whoa there, pretty girl,” Ainsleigh said to the horse as she pulled on her reins to get her to slow down.

Once the horse came to a halt, she patted her on the side and hopped off her.

Damn if she didn’t look amazing in the tight jeans and boots she wore. The tank top that she had on did little to hide the cleavage beneath.

Calm down, Gentry.

I repeated that mantra before I embarrassed myself.