Page 39 of Home Is Where You Are

“Oh, since you’re going too, Gentry, you should just ride with us,” Aspen insisted, and damn if I didn’t want to kick her under the table.

She looked at me with a smirk and had the audacity to wink. I inwardly laughed at how she thought she was sneaky. Only I knew her too well.

Gentry nodded in agreement and looked over at me, and I gave him a genuine smile. Maybe after tonight we’d break some of the tension between us, and I’d have the courage to talk to him.

We finished our dinner just making small talk about ranch life and how many horses we had. All the while all I could think about was the fact that Gentry would be with us tonight, and I didn’t know if my heart could take it.

fifteen

GENTRY

Itried my best throughout dinner to not let what I thought about how she looked show. It took all my willpower to keep everything in check.

She was so beautiful.

She was walking perfection.

And her hair. I loved it curly. She usually straightened it because of the humidity, but tonight she wore it just the way I liked, and part of me wondered, the part that I kept bottled up and restrained, if she’d done it just for me.

Who was I kidding? She didn’t have me in mind when she did something as mundane as fixing her hair, but I loved the wildness of it, and just for a moment, I wondered if it was as soft as I remembered.

Stop it, Gentry.

I had to berate myself because thoughts of Ainsleigh would lead to more heartache.

“Are y’all ready to go and get a drink?” Aspen asked as she finished putting the dishes into the dishwasher.

Everyone agreed, and the girls grabbed their phones and purses.

Ainsleigh and Aspen climbed into the front seats leaving Dylan and me to get into the back. I looked over at him, and he kept his eyes trained on Aspen. Interesting. Maybe he didn’t love Ainsleigh as more than a friend after all, because the soft way he gazed at Aspen reminded me of a time when I looked at Ainsleigh the same way. He didn’t love Ainsleigh in the romantic sense. From that look alone, I’d bet my last dollar those feelings were reserved for Aspen and Aspen alone.

Fifteen minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot of Whiskey On The Rocks. It was a rustic barn style building. Whiskey On The Rocks was a new establishment only being here for about two years or so. They built the three thousand square foot barn on a six-acre lot on the outskirts of town. Only about two acres were paved, and the rest was a field that would often hold bonfires when the weather permitted. Since it was summer, the stage was set up outside, and they had a DJ. The field had trucks parked in a line safely away from the stage, and people were sitting on their tailgates listening to the music. They didn’t allow for alcohol to be brought onto the premises. They had tents set up with makeshift bars so they could serve patrons.

The sound of music filled the night sky as we parked and exited the Jeep. Ainsleigh grabbed her friends, one on each side of her, and didn’t wait for me to follow. I tried not to let that sting as I followed them in the direction they were going.

Aspen and Dylan followed her as she walked over to the table where they were selling Jello shots, grabbed two for her friends and a beer for herself, handing the bartender the money to pay. She hadn't been a big drinker before she left, only trying it out once and deciding that she didn’t like the way she felt afterward.

People were scattered throughout the field. Some I knew. Most I didn’t.

The ones that I did know noticed Ainsleigh the moment she walked in. They all flocked to her, giving her hugs to welcome her home.

My eyes roamed the crowd looking for her brothers who said they’d meet us here. I spotted Brooks’s truck, which was easy to spot due to the lift he had, and headed in that direction.

“Where’s Ainsleigh and her friends?” Leo asked from his spot on the tailgate, as he reached in his cooler and tossed me a water. I caught it one handed.

“Over at one of the bars getting Jello shots,” I replied as I hopped up and settled in beside Leo. I had a perfect view over the crowd of where Ainsleigh and her friends were at the bar.

“How are you doing with her back in town? What’s your motive with her back?” Holden asked from where he leaned against the truck.

“I love that she’s back home. We need to talk, but she’s not ready. We need to have that conversation sooner rather than later.” I kept my answer brief on purpose. Because in truth, I didn’t know how I felt now that she was back, and I didn’t know what I’d do when she ultimately left again.

“Good luck with that. She’s as stubborn as an ox.” Brooks laughed.

I knew that. But I wasn’t going to let that stop me. She was going to talk to me eventually.

“That woman is gorgeous,” Leo said beside me, hopping down from the truck.

“You didn’t waste any time tonight,” I joked and uncapped my water, chugging it half down.