Page 95 of Teach Me How

“And I’m saying I’m not in the market.” We clink beers together.

He sits on a stool by the counter and looks back at the room full of boxes. “Who helped you load up in Silver Bend?”

“My dad. Bo and Josh.”

“What was Skyler doing?”

“Working probably.” I turn away, pretending to sort through the takeout menus that were delivered to my door before our moving truck ever arrived.

“Working?” Mitch pauses, scrutinizing my face until I look up. His eyes narrow. “What happened?”

“Nothing.”

He shakes his head. “What’s the fight about? Maybe Doctor Mitch can help.”

“There’s no fight.” I aim for light-hearted, but it comes off squeaky instead. “We’ve just moved on.”

“Moved on?” Mitch’s eyebrows pinch together. “As in, broke up?”

“We were never dating.”

He laughs. “Unfortunately, and much to my utter repulsion, I can personally say I know you two were more than just friends.”

I frown, tilting my head.

“I could hear you. That night at Uncle Don’s?”

My face turns beet red and I groan. “No.”

“I know. It’s beyond terrible. I might need therapy.” His grin fades. “But seriously, you two just split ways?”

I shrug. “Yeah.”

“Because of that Jonah guy?”

“No. It had nothing to do with Jonah.” I stare at my hands for a few moments, battling back the wave of emotion threatening to take me down. Breathing deep, I master my feelings, muscling my face into a serene expression. “Your brother is a farmer.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“Then you’ve noticed that the farm is in Silver Bend and not here in colorful Colorado.”

He nods, understanding dawning on his face. “And you didn’t want to stick around?”

I meet his gaze. “Did you?”

“No.” He sighs. “I couldn’t wait to get out of there.”

“But you didn’t want to farm.”

He nods. “True enough. I don’t think Skyler wants to farm, either.”

“The curse of the eldest son.”

Mitch winces. “Yeah. I’ve always felt guilty about that.”

“You’d think it’d be the other way around.”

He shrugs. “If you want to farm, being the eldest is a gift. If you want to fly, it’s a curse.”

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