Page 64 of Where She Belongs

“You can’t say something like that and not explain.”

“But I just did. And I’m not.”

Tate groaned, a gloved hand to his face. “Jason, you know I’m smarter than that. I can tell you’re hiding something and it’s not going to fly.”

“I’m not hiding anything. I said that I was thinking about going into business doing something else then I changed my mind.” Jason wasn’t looking him in the eye, and he only avoided a man’s eye when he’d already decided not to answer him. He wouldn’t even flick a glance in Tate’s direction.

Tate took him by the shoulders to get him to stop walking away. “It’s okay, Jason. I’m not going to tell you that it’s a dumb idea. I want to hear more. Maybe I can help.”

This time his twin cut him a quick look. And in that split second, Tate could almost believe that Jason would confide in him. But there was more in that second that Tate noticed. He couldn’t put his finger on what it was, exactly, but Jason had been carrying this idea a lot longer than he was letting on.

Tate’s eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to ask, but then the sound of a car door shutting caught his attention and he swiveled to find Rylee heading for them. She waved, her face bright. The familiar warmth and happiness he got just from seeing her replaced the knot in his chest.

Jason slipped away from him, mumbling something about needing to clean out the horse stalls. Tate glanced in his direction, knowing without a doubt his chance to get any information had been lost.

The frustration that would have normally come with that realization was short-lived as Rylee’s arms wrapped around his waist and she pulled him close. “Hey, stud,” she murmured. Her hand lifted and her fingers feathered through the hair at his temple. He’d tossed his hat aside earlier and hadn’t retrieved it, but now he was glad he hadn’t.

Rylee’s touch invigorated him. She made him feel as though everything would work out. She was the missing piece his life had needed all this time.

He couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face as everything narrowed in on the woman in his arms. “This is a nice surprise.”

“I thought after everything you were dealing with…” Her eyes darted in the direction Jason had slipped off to. “Perhaps you’d want to head to town. If you’re done with work, we should do something fun. I know I need to get out of my head sometimes. And by the looks of it, you could use the break, too.”

“You have no idea how nice that sounds, but⁠—”

She pressed two fingers to his lips and whispered, “No buts. You work too hard. You’re always worrying about everyone else. Sometimes you need to take time to worry about yourself. The thing with Jason will still be there this evening, right?” Rylee withdrew her hand.

He nodded slowly. “I suppose so.”

“Then let’s go get dinner. Maybe see if there is anything fun going on in the town square. I heard that farmers’ market is supposed to go on for most of the summer. But there’s also a community yard sale that’s going on this weekend. We could see what that’s all about. And then I wanted to stop by Horseshoe Antiques. Wendy said there’s a gorgeous console table that would be perfect in my entry way.”

He arched a brow. “Painting? Buying furniture?” He dropped his voice, husky and low. “Why does it sound like you might be considering staying longer than you originally thought?”

Rylee lifted one shoulder, her grin both teasing and flirtatious. “Maybe I realized there’s more to Rocky Ridge than I was expecting.”

“More? In what way?”

She laughed and tapped him on the nose. “Stick around and maybe you’ll find out.” With that, she slipped her hand into his. “Now, where’s your hat? I need my big strong cowboy to help me with retrieving that table.”

Tate chuckled. Rylee had a way of helping him to remember it was okay to enjoy life. To have fun. To take care of his own needs. He hadn’t realized how important that was until now.

Strange that it had taken so long for that realization to finally take root. Or maybe it wasn’t strange at all, and this had everything to do with the person who was insisting rather than the act itself.

They drove to town, and just as Rylee had anticipated, they were able to wander through the tail end of the farmers’ market.

There were a few different booths set up along with all the regulars. And the one that drew Rylee’s attention was the chocolatier who sold handmade truffles. Her eyes widened comically and if gravity wasn’t an issue, Tate wouldn’t doubt Rylee would be floating right now.

Her vivaciousness was intoxicating. He couldn’t drag his own eyes off her. And when she turned toward him with a sample in hand, all he could do was open his mouth to share in her joy.

This was what he’d been missing from his life. All this time and he hadn’t realized it. The moment Rylee had returned to his life the color started to seep back into his soul. Tate allowed the chocolate to melt in his mouth, its mild sweet flavor with just a hint of salt tickling his taste buds.

“It’s good, isn’t it?” Rylee cooed.

He nodded. “It’s delicious.”

She whirled around until she reached the edge of the booth again. “We’ll take half a dozen.”

Tate bit back a chuckle as he waited for Rylee to make her purchase. Then they were off again. This time, they wandered slower. He couldn’t tell if it was his doing or hers but at this point, he didn’t care. Rylee had been right. He’d needed a break from everything that was pressing in on him.