“It’s Brooks, Leo, and Holden, right?” Dylan asked.

  “Yes, and in the correct order too.” I laughed.

  “Are you going to the bar tonight, Gentry?” Aspen asked.

  I pursed my lips at her question. I thought we’d agreed with our head shakes.

  “Nah, I’m stayin’ in tonight.”

  I let out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

  “Come on. Don’t be a party pooper. It’ll be fun,” Aspen said as she took another bite of her sub.

  I took a chance and glanced over at Gentry.

  Sure enough he was looking at me for confirmation.

  I couldn’t deny him going now without Aspen and Dylan asking why.

  “You should come,” I replied. While being around him was hard, he was an important part of my life, my best friend, and I missed him.

  “You drinking tonight?” Gentry asked, but I didn’t know who he was questioning.

  “I’m the designated driver tonight. I’ll have one beer when we first arrive, but that’s it,” I responded, even though I just wanted to down a few shots after finding out he was going.

  “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.

  “You know me. I never do.” He laughed as he walked away, heading straight for the woman who’d caught his eye.

  I scanned the crowd, but had no idea who he was referring to. There were tons of beautiful women here, but I barely noticed. My sights were stuck on Ainsleigh who was currently walking away from the bar with a Solo cup in hand and her friends close behind.

  Ainsleigh and her friends walked through the crowd, and I noticed how several men turned as she walked by them.

  My teeth clenched with the amount of men who had noticed her, but I kept my facial expressions neutral as she neared.

  “Hey there, squirt,” Brooks said as she stood before him. I hopped down from the truck and offered her a spot to sit.

  “Don’t call me that. I’m not five anymore,” Ainsleigh replied as her and Aspen hopped on the tailgate.

  Dylan stood to Aspen’s right with a beer in his hand.

  “Brooks, Holden, these are my friends from college, Aspen and Dylan. Holden is the one leaning against the truck, and Brooks is the taller one standing beside him,” Ainsleigh said as she introduced her friends to her brothers.

  “Nice to meet ya,” Aspen yelled and waved.

  “Nice to meet you,” Dylan said as he walked over and shook Brooks's hand then Holden’s.

  “How are y’all liking Texas so far?” Brooks asked.

  “It’s hotter than Virginia, that's for sure.” Dylan laughed.

  “This is nothing. How long are y’all planning on staying?” Holden asked before taking a swig of his beer.

  “We’ll be here until Sunday morning, and then Dylan and I are heading to see my cousins in Sunset River,” Aspen replied.

  “You know people in Sunset River? I know the Davenports from there,” Holden replied.

  “It’s such a small world. The Davenports are my family.” Aspen laughed, her expression one of shock.

  “Yeah, I know Rhett. We’ve hung out a few times. Tell him I said hi when you see him,” Holden said, and Aspen agreed.

  I tried to keep my eyes focused on anything but Ainsleigh. She looked beautiful tonight. The moonlight danced across her pale skin. Before I could get too lost in thought, I shook my head and focused on the conversation between her friends and brothers.

  They talked about their time in college, and how they had met, but I didn’t really hear any of it.

  “Let’s go dance,” Ainsleigh said as she chugged down the rest of her drink and sat the cup on the tailgate.

  Aspen hopped down, and she and Dylan followed behind Ainsleigh.

  We weren’t far from where everyone danced, so I walked over and stood in the crowd, keeping a watchful eye.

  At first, they all danced together, swaying to the beat of each song. They were laughing and jumping around, appearing to have the time of their lives.

  Five songs later, a man about our age leaned over and I assumed asked Aspen to dance.

  She turned and started dancing with him. I noticed Dylan turn and watch for a second before pulling Aspen into him.

  Ainsleigh turned and leaned her back toward the man’s front.

  Grinding my teeth, I watched the scene unfold before me. Soon after, they were dancing in a way that should have been illegal for the public eye.

  Every part of me wanted to go over there and pummel that man into the ground, but I couldn’t. She wasn’t doing anything wrong. I hated seeing her in the arms of another man, though. Seeing him touching her when it should have been me. Was supposed to be only me. I didn’t have a right to feel this way. Shouldn’t even let the feelings of possessiveness begin, because if I let them out just a smidge, they’d take over, and I’d do something stupid. Like want her to be mine and try to make that want a reality.

  One of the girls we went to school with walked up to me and started talking, but I didn’t hear a word. My eyes remained fixated on Ainsleigh and the way she danced with him. She was so carefree in this moment. Her head went from side to side as the beat picked up, and she had her arms in the air. This was what I wanted for her. For her to move on and be happy. Or that was what I told myself time and time again to convince my head what my heart wouldn’t give up. That she was meant to be mine.

  I noticed the moment the dancing went from carefree to serious.

  The man she was dancing with held her a little tighter, and she tried and failed to get out of his grasp.

  Every part of me wanted to rush over there and save her, but I waited. She could handle her own, and if she couldn’t, then I’d intervene.

  That lasted all of two seconds. The moment she broke free of his hold on her waist and went to walk away, the man had the audacity to grab her by her arm to pull her back.

  I moved faster than I thought possible and let out a loud whistle that her brothers and I used on the ranch, hoping they could hear me during the break in the music.

  I was at her side in seconds. She pushed him way, and he pulled her right back.

  Not on my watch.

  “Hey, man, let the lady go,” I demanded as I put my hand around Ainsleigh’s hip to try to get her free from his grasp.

  She screamed as he pulled her arm harder.

  I saw red.

  I didn’t think.

  I just reacted.

  I let her go and punched him in his nose.

  His hand let go of her arm to grab his nose, and blood spewed everywhere as he stumbled back and away from Ainsleigh.

  I pulled Ainsleigh into my side and rubbed my hand up and down her arm. She tensed for a moment in my embrace and then turned her head, resting against my chest.

  Just as the man stumbled away, her brothers surrounded us.

  “What happened? I thought I heard you whistle, but I couldn’t find you until I saw a break in the crowd just as you punched some guy,” Brooks said.

  “The guy manhandled Ainsleigh. I saw it from the crowd and rushed over here.”

  “I’m going to tell the owner so he can blacklist him. Did you get a good look at him?”

  “Wasn’t really paying attention to what he looked like. Your sister was more important,” I told them as Ainsleigh shivered in my arms.

  “You want to head out, butterfly?” I leaned down and whispered in her ear so she could hear me over the music.

  She nodded against my chest.

  “We’ll come back with you. I’m not really in the mood to stay out anymore. Are you okay, Ainsleigh?” Aspen asked.

  She pulled away from me, and I wanted to pull her back. She fit just as perfectly now in my arms as she did back then.

  “Yeah, let’s go,” Ainsleigh said as she rubbed the arm the man had grabbed.

  “Dylan, you mind driving? I don’t think Ainsleigh should drive since she’s still shaken up,” I asked.

  I fully expected her to argue or tell me to mind my own business, but instead, she grabbed her keys from her bag and tossed them toward Dylan.

  He caught them, and we said our goodbyes to Ainsleigh’s brothers, each of them hugging her goodbye and whispering words that I was sure were questioning if she was okay based on how she nodded to each of them before finishing off at Holden.

  Holden and I did our handshake and as we pulled each other in for a hug, he told me to make sure I texted him when they got home and to let him know how Ainsleigh was doing. I agreed, and we headed off toward the Jeep.

  Ainsleigh shocked me when she fell back to walk beside me.

  She shocked me even more when she wrapped her arm around my waist and nudged my arm. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, and she nestled her head against my chest just the same way she’d done moments before.

  I wasn’t going to read too much into it.

  She just needed comfort, and I was here.

  The embrace meant nothing.

  But it meant everything.

  She felt just right in my arms. Even though I would likely regret it come morning, I held her as we walked back to her vehicle.

  We got to the Jeep and the moment was broken once we got inside.

  Ainsleigh stayed on her side, and I stayed on mine.

  Dylan plugged his phone into the charger and put in the ranch’s address and put the Jeep in reverse.

  I didn’t take my eyes off her the whole way back to the ranch. Her head remained against the window, her body so still I thought she’d fallen asleep.

  We pulled into the driveway, and she surprised me when she sat up as soon as the vehicle was in park.

  The song softly playing from the speakers just happened to be our song. The universe was against me. I tried not to tense or show any emotion. She didn’t need me to bring it up now.

  “Don’t shut the Jeep off, Dylan. Can you turn it up?” Ainsleigh softly asked, her head turned toward mine. Our eyes met, and my heart rate accelerated.

  I watched her hand shake as she fumbled with the door handle, but a few seconds later she pulled the latch and climbed out.

  Dylan and Aspen and I all followed suit.

  They both hugged Ainsleigh and she told them goodnight as they reluctantly left us to go inside.

  I didn’t know if I should walk away as well. As much as I hated it, I didn’t know the Ainsleigh who stood in front of me right now. She’d been so closed off since her return, when she was so carefree before both our hearts were shattered.

  I should turn and walk toward my room above the barn, but my feet seemed to have a mind of their own because instead of walking away, I walked toward her.

  She looked up at the sky, and I’d give anything to know what her thoughts were.

  “The stars are beautiful tonight,” she whispered as she continued staring above.

  “Yeah, they are,” I agreed, but I wasn’t looking at the stars. I couldn’t look away from her.

  “Dance with me,” she whispered so low I almost didn’t hear her.

  Her gaze slowly moved from looking at the stars to over at me.

  Her expression lit by the moonlight showed vulnerability.

  I wanted to ask if she was okay, but words failed me.

  I couldn’t resist having her back in my arms, so against my better judgment, because when it came to her I didn’t have any, I pulled her into my arms.

  We swayed to the remainder of our song as the singer sang about how he must be doing something right. Nothing had felt right since she left until this moment with her. I'd hold onto her being in my arms, for however brief it might last, long after she decided to leave.

  And I swear I heard her sigh the moment in the song the singer mentioned the woman letting out the perfect sigh. Only he was referring to something else entirely.

  I pulled her in closer to me and rested my head on top of hers, relishing how perfect she felt in my arms. No matter how hard I tried to convince myself I couldn’t have her, my heart didn’t want to listen. My heart pounded in my chest so hard I was sure she could feel it.

  The song came to an end, and she stiffened in my hold.

  She was about to shatter the hope filled in my chest, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

  All I could do was ride out the heartbreak I’d become accustomed to and let her go when she decided to leave.

  She kept her hands on my back as she pulled away slightly.

  I masked my expression as I peered down at her, waiting with bated breath for what she was about to say.

  Looking into her tear-filled eyes, I wanted to be the one to comfort her. But I remained silent and perfectly still. Too afraid to move or speak. My breathing stopped as I waited for her to do something. Say something to break this perfect moment.

  She lifted on her toes and brushed her nose ever so slightly across mine, and I mimicked her motion just like I used to. Kissing her without touching my lips to hers.

  I was so caught up in the moment of reminiscing in the way things felt just like before she left that I didn’t feel her move until her lips gently brushed across mine.