Page 13 of Simply Yours

"Divide the responsibilities of the farm with us – because I refuse to bury you, too."

The words had hit him like a punch to the gut. He could still hear the crack in her voice and see the raw frustration in her eyes as she flung her arms wide, practically daring him to argue.

“Matthew has all the charm. Make him do the advertising. Let me handle the cattle. You handle the horses since you love them so much – and for the love of all that is holy, turn over the accounting and website to Luke. You don’t have to do this alone, Jason! You’veneverhad to!”

The silence that had followed had been suffocating. Not because he had nothing to say, but because he knew she was right. And that truth burned.

He had done exactly as she suggested, and the result had been immediate. The weight that had pressed on his shoulders for years had lessened just enough for him to realize how heavy it had truly been. The relief in his siblings’ eyes had been undeniable. They had wanted this—they hadneededthis. And all this time, he had been the one holding them back.

So he’d taken it a step further.

Jason gave each of them a piece of the land. A tangible tie to their legacy. Luke now owned the adjoining property, ensuring the creek wouldn’t be dammed up. Matthew owned another parcel of land. Travis had bought the land with the house Becca had loved, so Jason had helped fund the renovations.

And he? He had finally decided to move out of the main house.

The old place had too many ghosts. Too many memories. He would be settling into his great-grandmother’s house once it was cleaned up. It was time. Time to let go of the past, time to carve out something new for himself.

For the first time in years, Jason had stopped running.

Yesterday, he had finished work bythreein the afternoon—something that had never happened before. And instead of looking for another task, another chore, he had sat on the deck with a beer in hand and simplyexisted. The stillness had been foreign, unsettling at first, but then, it had felt good.

What else had he been missing in his life?

What if he started a garden?

What if he decided to go on a date?

His gaze swept over the crowd, and then, without meaning to, it landed onheragain.

Caitlin Barnes.

She was laughing, her head tipped back, her dark hair catching the light. She was standing with Luke and Matthew, and she was always smiling. That was what he remembered about her. Caitlin was the kind of person who found joy in the smallest things.

Except for that one time.

The memory came unbidden. The fear in her eyes. The way she had gripped his arm so tightly that her nails had left crescent-shaped indentations in his skin.

And the scar on his hand—a small, jagged reminder of that day. Of how close things had come to turning tragic.

They had been kids, doing reckless, stupid things.

And yet, the thought struck him like a hammer to the chest—he had barely been three years older than her.

Three years.

That thought hit him like a ton of bricks. He had always tried to be so perfect, so parental, so strong that it never dawned on him that they were practically the same age. He always looked at her like she was some child, some gnat to brush off, but standing here now, he was seeing her for the first time.

She was… okay.

Decent.

There was an air of ease to her, like she was someone you could talk to, but she would never be some raving beauty. She didn’t paint her face, doll up her hair, or put on airs like some other women did. She was just Caitlin.

And before he knew it, he was walking toward her.

Jason was a simple man. He believed in routine. A single slice of toast, precisely buttered, and two eggs sunny-side up every morning. Predictability kept things steady and kept thingssafe.

But this week had shattered every routine he had.

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