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Tyler squinted. “Well, most of that argument happened away from here,” he said. “In hindsight, it wasn’t actually any of Mom’s business, and you could’ve spoken to Lily privately instead of in public.”
“Thanks for the analysis,” Ashton said wryly. “I realize that now, of course. I didn’t think things would go downhill so quickly and irreversibly.”
“Well, you were a good warning to me,” Tyler grinned. “I sure won’t be repeating your experience if I can help it.”
“At least it was beneficial to someone.”
“You didn’t tell me. Why was Lily at your barn?”
“She’s doing the catering for the party,” Ashton said. “I had no idea it was her business. Jesse just said he’d hired a caterer.”
Tyler gasped. “So, Lily is going to be around all day tomorrow?”
Ashton nodded. “She is. I’m sure she’ll be busy and we’ll just stay out of each other’s way. Her friend will be helping. Bec, I think her name is. Bec liked the piglets when I showed her around today.”
Tyler’s eyes lit up. “How old is Bec?”
“I have no idea,” Ashton replied. “I also have no idea if she’s even single.”
Tyler remained optimistic. “I hope I get to meet her.”
“I’m sure you will. But don’t go making a nuisance of yourself with every available female who turns up.”
Tyler looked wounded. “Of course, I won’t! What do you think I am, some kind of stalker?”
“Well, you do seem awfully keen to meet girls.”
“Wouldn’t you like to meet a nice girl and settle down?” Tyler countered. “How will you handle having Lily around all day, anyway?”
Ashton sighed. “To be honest, I don’t like the way things were left between us. I’d like to at least be friends. But it’s pretty awkward now when we’ve been avoiding each other for so long. We both said some things in the heat of the moment that should never have been said.”
“Hurled insults at one another, from my understanding,” Tyler said with a grin. “You’re both a bit fiery when you’re angry.”
Ashton felt his face going red. Tyler was right, and it wasn’t a good thought. True, he’d realized that losing his temper was detrimental to him and everyone around him, and since he’d broken up with Lily, he’d been making a conscious effort to handle difficult situations differently. He had some go-to strategies for when the heat started to build, and so far, he’d done a pretty good job of staying calm under pressure.
“I’m working on that,” he told Tyler.
“Yeah, I can see that,” Tyler agreed. “I haven’t seen you get angry lately.”
“I wasn’t angry all the time before,” Ashton defended himself. “But I realized that losing my temper means I might say or do something I regret. So I try to handle things differently now.”
“It’s a pity Lily isn’t around to see it,” Tyler said. “She might have you back.”
Ashton rolled his eyes. “I think the damage is permanent,” he said. “I wanted to apologize to her, but somehow, it never happened.”
“There’s no time like the present,” Tyler said. He looked curiously at Ashton. “Would you have her back if the two of you made up?”
Ashton felt the tension in the pit of his stomach. “I’d certainly think about it,” he replied.
In truth, seeing Lily earlier in the day had shaken him far more than he’d let on. She was still so beautiful, so desirable. And now, so impossibly distant. He’d be lucky if she ever said more than a few words to him in the future. Pain had filled his heart at the thought of what he’d lost, and the memories and feelings came rushing back, mixed with the remnants of the stubborn pride that had kept them from making up in the first place. He sighed. Whatever the future held, it was unlikely to include Lily.
“The food is ready,” their mom announced, popping her head through the door. “I heard you’re helping with Jesse’s party tomorrow, Tyler. You get to go after all.”
“Sure do, Mom,” Tyler said with a grin. “I can’t wait.”
The following morning, Ashton headed over to the barn early to do the chores. He wanted everything out of the way before the party started and he was sure the animals wouldn’t mind.
But as he neared the barn, he was surprised to see Lily’s van already there. She’d been up even earlier, it seemed.
