Page 8 of Wildest Dreams

“Hopefully her car is a quick fix and I can get it back to her. At least that way she doesn't have to rely on any of us whilst she is staying here.”

I roll my head around to look at my brother and Aspen. They're so blissfully happy and I am desperate for that. One day though.

“Right,” I slap my knee then push to my feet, walking across the cosy home and place my cup in the sink.

Riggs is up and leaning against the doorframe.

“Thanks for having me, didn't mean to... ya know,” I circle my finger and Aspen's cheeks redden as I stroll towards the front door. “Just maybe lock the door next time?” I half joke, half mean it, brows sitting high in my head.

Riggs just lets out a deep laugh, pulling Aspen into him as he embraces her. Stepping onto the porch, Ace bounds over.

“Is this dog ever inside?” I ask as I crouch down and pet him.

“Nope, he likes running through the fields and down to the creek. He lives his best life. Loves the front of the truck and winding up the cows up,” Riggs grunts.

“Atta boy,” I smirk as I stand, Ace jumps up and paws my stomach. “Want me to take him back? I can throw him out?”

“Nah, I'll be over soon, just got to finish a job I started...”

“Alright! Bye!” I shout, storming forward and flipping Riggs off as I run down the three steps and march over to my truck.

I do not need any more of a visual than what I got earlier. No thank you.

I shake my head, muttering away to myself as I slam my truck door and push it into reverse.

Turning my music up and pushing my windows down, I drive towards town and head to Rusty's. The quicker her car gets fixed, the quicker I can get her back out of my life.

For good.

CHAPTER FOUR

DIXIE

Slowly stepping out of the room that Orla has so kindly let me and Lainey sleep in, I softly close the door. She slept awful last night, and it didn't help that I had only just got her down when Tripp slammed his office door. I get it though, he is not pleased that I am back home after breaking his heart and leaving it bleeding in the dust as I drove away, but I do still care about him. Whether he chooses to believe it or not. It wasn't my plan to wreck my car outside the ranch, but I did.

It also wasn't my plan to stay here, but alas, here I am.

He is raging. I know it, the whole damn house knows it, but I don't think they know exactly why. They just know me as poor little Dixie Walker who lost her mamma and her sister before she skipped town. But they don't know anything. They know nothing about the childhood I had to endure, the way my daddy treated me and my kid sister. I had one job and that was to protect her, and I failed.

But then there was Tripp.

He was the sunshine on my darkest days.

No one knew about us. I didn't even know what we were. We just kind of happened I suppose. We agreed to keep it just between us; we were young and I knew I didn't want to stay here.I needed out of Lovelock Bay and as soon as that scout offered me my golden ticket, I snatched it up.

But that soon dwindled. He was a crook and I have tried to get out, but he has his fingers so deeply pressed into my skin that I can't shake him off, even though I desperately want to.

A few nights of fun with a big boy suit ended up with nine months of sickness and leg cramps but look what I got out of it.

My own ray of Sunshine.

I lost Tripp and was plunged back into the crevices of the darkest parts of my soul, but since Lainey, she has lit my world up in a way like never before. I would give everything for her. My last breath if it meant that she could have just a second longer on this earth. I would sacrifice everything for her.

Everything.

Even come back to the town I was so determined to leave in my past forever.

And the reason I am back?

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