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“Is everything okay?” Blue’s voice echoes around the room and Aspen pushes out of my grasp just as Blue’s head pops round the door.
“Fine,” she coughs, turning and fixing her already perfect hair.
“Okay,” Blue’s eyes move between me and her daughter before she walks out of the room and I don’t stick around for a moment more before I follow her out.
That was too close.
Far too close.
After tonight, I needed to distance myself from Aspen Warren for my own sake, and hers.
CHAPTERELEVEN
ASPEN
MARCH
Ashort trip turned into months, Christmas came and went, and we brought in the new year with a quiet drink down the Old Dusty Boot. January and February flew by in a blink of an eye and now we’re in March, spring threatening but it’s still a little too cold. Honestly, I can’t ever see myself leaving Lovelock Bay again. Everything felt so relaxed and miniscule here.
Looking down at my ringless finger, I felt as if a weight had been lifted by just removing it. After my close call with Riggs, he has kept his distance. It meant nothing anyway, I was in a bad place and he was the one who came to find me. I had no idea what was happening with Luke and I loved that he couldn’t just reach out to me when his world inevitably gets ripped to shreds when Tammy takes him for everything he has. One of the small joys of not having a phone.
Pulling my hair into a messy, high ponytail, I am dressed in a light sweatshirt and jeans. Dad wanted to show me the mares that were being put into foal. I felt accustomed to this life and now I didn’t want tonotbe part of it. Like I’d truly come home.
Rushing down the stairs and into the kitchen, I smile when I see the fresh pot of brewed coffee. Placing a mug underneath it, I wait as it trickles through. Reaching for some cereal, I fill my bowl and cover the crispy flakes with cold milk. Placing the bowl on the breakfast bar, I grab my coffee and perch myself on the stool, but I’m not alone long when my mom comes in with fresh eggs from the hens.
“Morning sunshine,” she smiles as she pulls her woolly hat off. There is still a chill in the air but it’s warmer than Christmas was. We got hit with a bad snowstorm just after so all hands were on deck to try and get the animals safe and well whilst we rode it out.
“Morning,” I smile, spooning a mouthful of cereal into my mouth, her cheeks rosy as she stacks the eggs into the little egg house that sat just inside the pantry.
I still hadn’t admitted what was going on with me and Luke but after three months of no visits, and the removal of my ring, I am sure they had all connected the dots. They knew something was up, but I just hadn’t confirmed or denied it. And truthfully, I didn’t think I needed to.
“You ready to help your dad? He is super excited to have you out on the ranch with him.”
“Mmhmm,” my lips part and rest on the lip of the bowl, sipping my milk from the bottom, and I hear my mom’s soft giggle bubble from her.
“You have always done that,” she bares her teeth with a grin as she puts her basket under the kitchen sink.
“Best part of the cereal,” I wink. Pushing from the breakfast bar, I hop down and walk over to the sink to wash my bowl and spoon up.
Walking back and grabbing my mug I take a sip and groan in appreciation. The cold mornings have me needing this coffee like my life depended on it.
I hear the sound of my dad’s heavy boots hit the floor.
“Hey pops,” I smile as he closes the gap between us and gives me a kiss on the forehead.
“Morning darling,” his voice is soft as he strolls across to my mom and gives her a morning kiss then takes a cup of coffee. “Hens okay?” he asks as he perches himself on the edge of the stool.
“Yeah, Peggy has lost some feathers and I’m not sure if the foxes are back.”
“If I find them I’ll shoot them,” my dad groans and I roll my lips.
“You can’t shoot them,” I turn to face him as I lean against the countertop, my eyes bouncing back and forth. Surely, he is joking.
“I can if they’re going after my girls,” his face is thunderous, a scowl etched deeply into his face.
“Can we do anything to stop them?” I ask with inquisitiveness.
“We’ve done everything we can, I’ll just have to put some more chicken wire up,” he grunts and rubs his face. His hands are dry and rough, his tired eyes surrounded with wrinkles and suddenly I feel guilty for ever leaving. I was so selfish, young and innocent. But I was mainly selfish for wanting to get away from everything after my accident, wanting to get away from Riggs and Pacey and in doing so, I left everything on my dad and Austin’s shoulders. The ones I have always loved, the ones that have always loved me no matter the circumstances.
