Page 88 of Heart Set on You

She’s right, I do. “You guys will understand if we don’t have time for a visit this time?”

“We absolutely will understand. I’ll make sure to talk to your brother.”

I scrunch up my nose. “That will be a cringey conversation.”

“I’m not going to tell Cole that there won’t be time for a visit with Miles because his sister wants to bang him into next year, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

My jaw drops and I look over my shoulder to see Gran and Lainey busy filling the watering trough. “If Gran just heard that I will hurt you. You’re going to give the poor woman a heart attack.”

I spend the next couple of hours chasing after the kids, taking them for turns on the pony and pushing them on my old rope swing. Belle, Lainey and Noah are exactly the distraction I need.

When the three of them are finally worn out, Cole piles them into the truck to head home for baths and bedtime.

“I could use a break,” Cara announces, and I don’t miss the sideways glance she gives to my brother. “Rylee, let’s go into town for a drink. Come keep me company.”

I have a feeling it’s just an excuse that Cara and my brother concocted to get me out of Gran’s house and around people my own age, but I don’t argue with her.

The night life options in Deer Lake are pretty limited, so we end up at The Golden Boot for a drink. It’s Friday night, so the place is pretty packed, but we manage to find a table. As we weave through the crowd, we pass a group of girls I recognize from high school. Cara says a quick hello, while I nod and smile. It’s been so long since I’ve seen most of them, I’m not sure what to say. Small towns are welcoming and warm, but they can also be small-minded. Some folks don’t forgive you very easily when you leave.

Cara and I slip into our booth, ordering a beer each. I’m aware some folks are staring, I can feel their eyes on me, but I do my best to ignore them. Cara needs this night out just as much as I do so I’m determined to give her my full attention.

“You remember Brenna, Emily and Taylor, right?” she asks, referring to the table of girls we just passed. “They’re the same age as Walker. Between you and me, I swear Brenna is waiting for him to come home from the Marines. She’s always asking Cole and I about him with this dreamy, hopeful look in her eyes. I bet she comes over here and tries to strike up a conversation with you.”

Brenna dated my brother Walker in senior year. I’m not sure why they broke up, but I know she took it hard. I hope Cara is wrong, and Brenna’s not actually still hung up on him. Waiting for someone for over five years – someone you haven’t seen or talked to, who’s living hundreds of miles away – sounds like a form of punishment. But then again, I guess I’m not that far off.

I try to brush that sad and depressing thought away and take a sip of the beer that the waitress just set down.

“And what about the other two? Are they married? Kids?” I ask.

“Emily is married with two kids. She married Casey Austin, he’s a mortgage broker now. Do you remember him? Taylor was married to a guy she met from Nashville, but he cheated on her and then left her for the other woman. It was a big scandal around here. People were talking about it for months. I felt really bad for her. She barely left her house when it first happened, but eventually the talk died down.”

“That’s awful. Poor girl. Is she dating again?”

“I’m not sure. I doubt it’s easy living in this town after something like that. By the time you’re ready to meet someone again, the good ones have all been taken.”

Cara’s right. I hate to even go down this path, but what if things don’t work out with Miles? If I’m being painfully honest with myself, the chances are high that they won’t. Long distance dating is impossible at the best of times, but throw in two people who are obviously mismatched and it becomes a disaster just waiting to happen. Where would I go to meet a guy around here? And between taking care of my grandparents and working, where would I find the time to date? I take a deep breath, trying to clear my head. There’s no point getting ahead of myself. What I really need to focus on now is finding a job.

“The good guys aren’t the only things that are taken. Seems like the good jobs are as well.” I sigh.

“Haven’t found anything that interests you?”

“Not one,” I reply, picking at the edge of the label on my beer bottle. “Although to be fair, I haven’t spent a ton of time looking. I don’t know what I want to do. The movie industry is all I’ve ever done, and that’s not something I’ll find around here.”

“No, you won’t,” Cara agrees. “I’ll ask around and see what I can find for you. You never know, your dream job just might be waiting for you.”

Before I can answer her, Brenna and Taylor – the girl who might still be into my brother and the girl who was cheated on, in that order – are standing at the end of our table. “We hope we’re not interrupting,” Brenna says with a huge smile. “Rylee, it’s just been so long since we’ve seen you. How are you doing?”

Part of me – the nicer part – thinks it’s sweet of them. However, the insecure, inner teenager in me is skeptical. I go through the motions, exchanging pleasantries and saying the things people say in situations like these.

“I’m good, thanks for asking. Happy to be back and closer to my family.”

“Will you be staying?” Brenna asks, twirling the straw around in her drink.

“That’s the plan.”

“Is Miles in town this weekend? Or maybe I shouldn’t ask?”

And there it is. I wondered how long it would take for his name to come up. The last thing I want to talk about is Miles. I feel the need to protect what we have. It’s obvious Brenna is interested in getting the scoop and nothing more. I take a drink of my beer and as I do I notice Cara’s smirk. I can tell she feels the same.

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