Page 57 of Crossroads of Love

I’m so angry right now, and I focus all that rage on the logs in front of me.

I thought leaving Hicks Creek was the best option because I believed Aaron was the better choice for Lena. But I was clearly wrong. I would have never cheated on her.

The thoughts swirl full-on in my head. I can’t stop them. The anger I feel toward my brother is all-consuming.

He had a beautiful wife and daughter, everything he ever wanted. Why would he risk that?

Did I hurt Lena more by leaving and letting him have her?

It’s a wild thing to feel guilt mixed in with white-hot rage and sadness. I stayed away for eighteen years because I thought I was doing what was best for everyone involved, but in reality, it was all for a lie.

I did so much damage by leaving. I lost years with Lena and Jayla, with my father because of my asshole brother.

I let out a loud growl and slam the axe into a thick piece of wood.

“Fuck you, Aaron. You worthless son of a bitch. You didn’t deserve her!” I yell into the wind.

After splitting wood and doing some other manual labor on the farm, I look at my watch and realize Lena should be home by now. I’m not ready to tell her everything, but I need to be near her. I run inside to shower and change before I head over to her house.

She needs to see that I’m not like him.

“I ordered pizza,” I tell her as I walk into the house.

“Gee, I’m glad I don’t walk around the house naked,” she quips from the kitchen.

“I’m not,” I tease as I walk in to find her washing dishes.

I sidle up next to her as she’s rinsing dishes, taking them from her and arranging them in the dishwasher for her. We work in silence for a moment before she lifts her head, her eyes narrowing at me in that familiar way she used to when she was about to make some sarcastic comment.

“You know,” she says, “you’re not exactly making this easier with your terrible organization skills.”

“Myorganization skills? Please. You’re the one who has no organizational skills at all.”

“Because you’re doing it wrong.” She smirks.

“I’m not doing it wrong. You just have control issues.”

Her smirk widens, and it feels like no time has passed between us.

How in the hell did my brother cheat on this woman?She’s beautiful, kind, funny, and smart. She’s the entire package and then some. What was wrong with him?

“When are we supposed to meet with Mike again?” she asks as she looks at a magnetic notepad on the refrigerator. “I wrote it on my calendar, but…I can’t find it.”

“I’m not sure how you run a town and still do everything by hand,” I tease. “You know that you can connect everything to your phone. It’s no longer the Stone Age.”

“I don’t do well with technology. Jayla had to set up my phone and all the office computers for me.”

“This doesn’t surprise me. You never did like change.”

Jayla wanders into the room as she comes in from basketball practice, eyeing us suspiciously.

“What are you two arguing about now?” she teases, folding her arms as she leans against the doorway.

“Nothing,” Lena and I say in unison, which makes us laugh, and Jayla’s eyes roll.

“Sure. You guys sound like an old married couple.”

I blink at that, glancing at Lena, who avoids my gaze.

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