Page 3 of Wildest Dreams

Slightly aged, skin a little sun worn and soft wrinkles at the corner of his eyes showing that he has been happy, he has laughed, he haslived.

I didn’t leave him completely broken.

Shirt tucked into dirty jeans; his thumbs hooked inside his belt loop.

My heart stutters inside my chest as we lose ourselves to the crackling tension between us.

“Are you okay?” his eyes search my face and I watch as his brows softly furrow.

I nod softly.

I’m not.

I am far from okay.

“You’re bleeding,” concern etches into his face. “Come into the ranch, it’s not safe out here for either of you.”

My fingers dust softly to my hair line and I can feel the stickiness coating the tip of my fingers.

He steps closer to me, fingers inching closer to my head and I recoil.

“Please, Dixie… if not for you, for your…”

“Daughter,” I whisper, shielding her as a truck rolls past at speed and Tripp throws his hand up in the air, cursing into the evening.

“Please?” He begs again.

I reluctantly pull my eyes from him and look at my surroundings again. I have no other choice.

I go to walk to the trunk of my car, but Tripp shakes his head and does it for me, grabbing the diaper bag and small suitcase then stands by my side.

I watch as his hand moves forward, hovering over the small of my back, but he retracts it, giving into his inner thoughts. So instead, he pulls his phone out of his pocket and makes a call arranging for my car to be collected.

I say nothing, just keep quiet and follow him down the driveway of Rivera Ranch.

The same driveway I drove out of ten years ago without looking back.

And I've never felt further from home than I do right now.

CHAPTER TWO

TRIPP

Walking at a steady pace, I force myself not to look behind at the girl I once loved. The one that broke my heart into a million pieces. I have never recovered, and that’s the truth. She broke me in ways I didn't even know was possible, but I made peace knowing that I would never see her again. Small town girl turned country singer. She ran so far away from this town. Her mom died young, and her dad couldn’t cope with his grief, so while he was physically around he certainly wasn’t present. That meant Dixie was left bringing up her younger sister, Lainey, who passed away twelve years ago after being hit by a drunk driver. That day changed the chemicals in her brain. She never was the same brown haired, wide blue-eyed teen I remembered from high school. She soon dropped out then disappeared after a shitty goodbye.

We planned our lives together, but that plan was wrecked as soon as she drove away. The scout came at the perfect time, and he took the only girl I had ever loved.

Climbing the steps to the front door, I hear her daughter fussing as I twist the knob and step inside my childhood home.

“Ma,” I call out, turning and handing the diaper bag to Dixie then dump her suitcase to the ground and watch as it tumbles.Her wide, ocean blue eyes scan the room and memories flood me in an instant, but I shut them down. I don't need to revisit old heartache.

Her daughter begins to cry and I watch as Dixie falls to the ground, rooting through the bag for something and I turn away. Heart scorned, eyes stinging. I made peace that she had gone, and now she's back and making me feel again. I hate it.

My mom walks through the dining room, dark brown hair in a neat, low bun. For a ranch wife, she is always impeccably dressed.

“Tripp?”

Her eyes land on Dixie, mouth a gape before her eyes are on me, silently asking me what the hell is going on.

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