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“I’ll see you soon then,” she smiles, her eyes dancing under the moonlight as she walks back away from me, but not turning her body away from me.
“I’ll see you soon then,” I tip my cowboy hat towards her and fight the urge to take it off my head and give it to her.
She turns and begins to run back towards the farm, my heart swelling in my chest at the lights that run alongside and down the fields to light her path home.
Her own little nightlights.
I am so focused on her, I don’t hear my father’s footsteps behind me. It’s only when I feel his harsh grasp on my shoulder that I flinch.
“You don’t want to go there son,” he says quietly as we both watch the farmhouse lights come on and I know she’s home.
“Go where?” I mutter, my tone flat as I fixate on the empty fields where she once was, my lips still burning from our kiss and I am left wanting so much more.
“With Aspen. She’s a wild spirit, she won’t stay here. She is always going to want more than this,” he lets go of my shoulder but not without another punishing squeeze.
“I think you’re wrong, she’s happy here,” I shrug away from him. He’s instantly spoiled my good mood.
“You think you can give her what she wants, Riggs? You’ll make her a ranch wife and make her throw out a few kids? She wants to see the world, be a professional show jumper. You know as well as I do that her father runs in all the right circles. One call and she is in that world. You really going to keep her locked and chained here? In Lovelock Bay? Her heart might be yours Riggs, but her spirit and soul want so much more than you. She’s like a mustang, she needs to be wild and free and she won’t get that here with you.” He doesn’t lie. I know it’s the truth but it’s not a truth I am willing to accept. I know I can make Aspen happy here, with me.
He gives me a hard pat on the back causing me to fall forward slightly and cough. Anger bubbles deep inside of me, my lips rolled tight and my molars grinding.
“I’m saying this for your own sake. Do what you want with your life kid, I just have an off feeling when it comes to little Aspen Warren,” he tsks before turning and walking back towards the house.
I take a moment to mull over his words and sigh deeply.
I can give her more than this if that’s what she wants.
The truth was, I didn’t want to stay here and be a cowboy. I wanted to see the world too. And if she leaves for the city, so will I.
Dressed in my tux,my mom slips a carnation into my suit pocket, then gives it a gentle pat.
“You look very handsome,” she cups my cheek with her soft hand and smiles, her thumb brushing across my cheek bone.
I have always been a momma’s boy. My dad was hard faced and cruel. He could never show any affection towards us for some reason. As if he was too much of a man to show an ounce of emotion towards us.
I step around my mom and begin walking towards the door when I hear my dad call my name. I turn, his glare thunderous as he curls his finger for me to go to him. I let out a heavy sigh as I drag my feet across the wood floor. One thing I learned from a young age was that you never ignored Jorge Rivera. I did it once and I have never done it again.
“Yup,” I say quietly. My dad turns and walks up the stairs and I know it’s going to be a shit conversation because he has taken me away from my mom. I follow like a lost puppy dog and wait for my command.
Walking onto the landing area, I tug at my white shirt cuffs and pull them out of my suit jacket sleeve. The excitement that once filled me was now fizzling out by the second.
“What the fuck are you doing?” his voice is low but I can hear the angry tone. His eyes narrow on me, his hand pushes through his thick, dark hair and I don’t miss the way his tongue darts out and runs along his bottom lip.
“Taking Aspen to prom, you know that.” Confusion crosses my face, my eyes bouncing back and forth and I mirror his moves, a habit I seemed to have picked up from him as I run my hand through my curly brown hair.
“No, you’re not,” he shakes his head from side to side, his tone clipped and harsh and I internally wince. “You will not be the reason for a broken-hearted Aspen. You could ruin everything. I finally have an amazing business relationship with Buck and you will not fuck this up for me or this family, do you understand me? So get the fuck out of your tux, Pacey can take her.”
I ball my fist. My temper simmering but I know that I’m not going to win this argument.
“Riggs, please. I’m asking you nicely, please don’t do this. This summer romance won’t last. Don’t be the reason for her unhappiness, don’t be the reason that she stays back here instead of letting her follow her dream…” he pauses and I ignore the burning lump in my throat as my lungs scream for air but I refuse to even let out a slither of breath. My jaw is locked tight, the unbearable pressure throbs behind my eyes. “Don’t be the reason for our downfall,” his voice falls even quieter, and I don’t even have the words to respond. My brain is ticking over at a hundred miles a minute, my heart crushing in my chest and all I can see is her disappointed face. Standing in her pretty fucking dress, her heart shattering fully, splintering into a thousand shards. She will think I changed my mind, she’ll think I lied.
My dad walks past me and as soon as his boots are off the bottom step I can hear my mom.
“What did you do, Jorge?”
I bite the inside of my cheek until my mouth fills with a copper taste. Tears brim in my eyes, my throat aches and burns as I pull my bottom lip between my teeth. I scoff in disbelief, but instead of doing what my heart is screaming at me to do, I listen to my dad like I always do. Giving my head a gentle shake, disappointment strangles me. Turning my face to the left, my eyes fixate on the attic and my heart thumps in my chest, angry hot tears roll down my cheeks and I am so fucking mad. Sucking in a breath, I storm towards my room, unfix my bowtie and let it unravel as I tug it out of my collar and as soon as I step into my room, I slam the door behind me.
* * *
