Page 46 of Where She Belongs

Tate rolled his eyes. “None of that. What do you want? Fewer shifts?”

Jason winced. “No. It’s not that,” Jason insisted under his breath. “It’s⁠—”

“There you are. Sheesh, do you guys know how hard it is to get both of you in one place?” Faith’s sharp voice traveled to them and they both turned as one.

Then Jason shot Tate a pointed look.

“Shut up,” Tate muttered under his breath.

“She’s not wrong,” Jason volleyed back.

Faith came to the edge of the corral and folded her arms atop the bar. She rested her chin there and shot each of them a narrowed look. Jason’s was short-lived as she chose her target. “You need to do something about Rylee.”

Tate and his twin stiffened. Then they looked at each other. Mirrored confusion on each of their faces. Tate was the one to speak up, though. “What about Rylee?”

She huffed out an exasperated sigh. “She’s going to leave, you know that, right?”

The tightness in his chest worsened. “She’s said as much, yes,” he hedged.

Faith’s eyes widened. “And you’re not upset by that?”

“Why would he be upset?” Jason asked, glancing between them.

Their sister straightened then slapped her forehead with her hand. “Seriously, Jason? You notice everything, so you can’t tell me you haven’t noticed how much time Tate spends at her place.”

“He’s just being neighborly,” Jason murmured, though by the sound of it, he was making excuses for the sake of his brother.

“Is that what you’re telling him?” Faith barked at Tate. “Be honest with yourself. Be honest with him. For heaven’s sake. Everyone and their cat can tell that you’re into her. I’ve never seen anyone so interested in helping their neighbor as you have been.” She gave Tate a pointed look. “And I’ve heard more than enough grumbling from Jason about you not pulling your weight. Just admit that you like her and do something about it.”

Hands on his hips, Tate looked at the dirt. “I don’t see how that will help anything. She’s pretty set on leaving.”

This time Faith threw her hands into the air. “Why do I have to do everything?” Her hard stare went right through him. “Okay. Last week when I was at her place, she got a phone call from some guy named Alexander.”

Tate stiffened. Was that the guy he’d heard Rylee speaking to? Probably. And it sounded like he wasn’t about to give up.

“… And that’s when I heard her tell him that if she goes home, maybe they could reevaluate.”

Tate frowned. “Faith, I really don’t know what you want me to say. She’s allowed to date whoever she wants when she goes home.”

Faith’s mouth dropped open. Tate’s frown deepened and he glanced at his twin. Jason only shrugged. “Oh. My. Gosh! You can’t be serious! She said if. IF, Tate. That means you might already be changing her mind and not even realizing it.”

That’s when her words finally sank in. If she went home. She wasn’t insisting she’d be heading home—not in the same way she had been. She might want to stay.

For him?

No. Of course not. She was making connections. Rylee had roots here in Rocky Ridge. It didn’t have anything to do with him.

Wait a minute.

He locked eyes with his sister. “Why do you want her to stay so much?”

Faith straightened. “What? I don’t. Not like you.”

His eyes narrowed further and he wagged a finger in her direction. “No. That’s a lie. You want her to stay. What’s it to you?”

“Do I have to have a reason?” She shuffled her feet, and it wasn’t until Jason spoke that Tate remembered there was another one of his siblings witnessing this conversation.

“Because you’re friends, right?”