Page 12 of Gone Away Home

“Don’t tempt me,” there’s a warning in my voice.

She mimes zipping her lips and throwing away the key, but then she puckers them, clearly wanting another kiss. There’s no way I can deny her, but I do keep it chaste.

“See you soon. I love you, Zayla.”

“I love you, Dustin,” she whispers back, a hint of awe still coloring those words, the same way they have every time we’ve said them since I showed back up in town.

I feel the same fucking way.

It doesn’t take long to get to Precision Point Shooting Range and I still the moment I step inside. It looks exactly the same way it did 14 years ago when I left town. Going shooting with Dad was something we did since I was old enough to be responsible and understand that guns aren’t toys.

Since he had guns in our home, he wanted me to always be safe around them. We used the time at the range as a way to bond and stay connected. After he married Janice, he still made time to take me to the range. Even though I resented how everything went down for a long time, I missed my time here with him a lot while I was serving.

I’m surprised as hell when I see Jasper Porter behind the counter as I step deeper into the store. His dad used to run theplace back in the day. I always called him Mr. Porter and I have no idea what the man’s first name is.

Jasper and I were in the same year at school, and we were pretty good friends. At the end of senior year, we talked a lot about enlisting, but I knew life was going to take us in different directions because we were interested in different branches.

I know he did end up serving, I had heard about it from Dad, but I haven’t seen or talked to him since I bailed on all things Jasper Ridge. Honestly, I thought it was easier that way. I’m starting to see that maybe it wasn’t, and I ended up punishing people who didn’t deserve it. All because I couldn’t handle the feelings of resentment festering inside of me.

Thinking about the way we would poke fun a Jasper for being named after the town, literally, I find myself chuckling softly. Jasper’s head snaps up and his eyes go comically wide.

Before I know what’s happening, he’s launched himself over the counter and closes the distance between us in only a few strides. I’m engulfed in a hug that feels like a welcome home, one I didn’t even realize I was missing.

“What the fuck? Dustin fucking Bramlet. What are you doing home? How long have you been back? How long are you staying?” His words come out rapidly and they make my head spin a little bit, but it also makes me laugh.

Jasper was a good guy and it’s clear, with only a few questions, he’s become a good man. I shake my head and smile at my friend.

“Actually,” I smirk at him, knowing I’m going to knock him on his ass with my answer, “I’m back for good. I’m done and discharged,” I admit. His eyes widen and I find myself leaningforward conspiratorially and whispering, “I’ve only been back a few days, but no one really knows yet.”

He shoots me a look that says I’m full of shit. As he narrows his eyes, he crosses his arms across his chest and stands with his feet shoulder width apart. It’s such a military stance that I find myself itching to match it.

“I bet I know someone who already knows your home.” He tilts his head to the side slightly as he assesses me. “Yeah, I bet she’s the reason you came home in the first place. Finally ready to face what you’ve been running from for all these years?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I try to deflect.

Not for me. If it were up to me, I’d tell everyone that Zayla is mine. But I don’t think she’s ready for that yet and the last thing I want to do is push her. Not when there’s so much at stake.

I can’t lose her now that I have her. It would destroy me.

Jasper makes a humming sound. “Bullshit,” he drawls like he has all the time in the world. When I don’t say anything, the silence stretches before a grin slowly forms on his face. “If you’ve come back after all this time to claim Zayla, I’m happy for you. It’s about fucking time.”

My mouth falls open before I can brace for his words, but I snap it closed again quickly. My voice is low with an edge of warning even though we’re all alone in the range’s shop as far as I can see, “How the fuck do you know anything about that?”

“Please,” he huffs. “I might have been a kid back then, but even I could see how you looked at her. The only reason I never brought it up is because I figured you felt like it couldn’t happen because your parents got married,” he shrugs one shoulder like his words don’t have a concussive force. He gives me a sharplook. “You did come back for her, right? You’re not going to keep up with the act of you being family and shit, right? Because you’re not and you deserve to be happy. You both do, but definitely her.”

“Of fucking course I came back for her, and nothing is going to stop me this time. She’s mine. Has been since I saw her on her first day of high school. Shit just got in the way that was beyond our control and then I took the coward’s way out because I thought it was for the best.” I shake my head, pissed at myself for all the time we lost even if it was probably the right thing to do. “Why do you say she definitely deserves to be happy?”

“Man,” he holds the word out and scrubs a hand along his jaw, “you might not know this, but I left not long after you. I didn’t see her before I left, but when I came back?” He looks away and his eyes glaze over slightly. “She always looks so sad. I thought maybe something happened, but now I’m thinking she was missing you. No matter how much she tried to pretend, I could see it was mostly an act. She hasn’t been happy in a long time.”

“Fuck,” I bark out, feeling like the knife lodged in my gut is being twisted the other way now.

Jasper’s voice is curious, “What are you going to do when people give you shit for being together? What if your parents freak the fuck out?”

I stand up at my full height, shoulders back and my chest puffed up. “They can all go fuck themselves. She’s mine and has been for 17 years. I’ll be damned if I walk away from her again.” I seethe, “Not fucking happening.”

“Good,” he claps me on the shoulder. “Now, I have a feeling you didn’t come in to see me, so what can I do for you?”

With a sheepish smile, I rub the back of my neck. “Mr. Porter was always looking for qualified guys to work here. I was wondering if it’s still the case.”

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