Page 74 of Belong With Me

“Then quit,” she said simply. “Tell them goodbye, go wherever you want. Follow your heart. Hell, there’s a few offices in town I’m sure you could set up in.” Wiping her forearm across her forehead, she continued, “In fact, I know Logan has a small office space attached to his mechanic shop. Van is always telling him he should lease it out. You could set up there and then you’d always have one of us nearby if you needed anything. Ry would pop in for lunch, I’m sure.”

“It would be nice.” It was the truth. I could see it all in my mind, how perfect it could be. To have a proper family around me. Not having to leave what was blooming between Ryder and me behind. “But I can’t do that. As much as I wish I could, I can’t.” It killed me to say it, but there it was, the truth, and I had just laid it on the table. I didn’t know how I was going to tell him when the time came.

“Are the living arrangements what’s keeping you from doing it? You could stay with us a bit longer, I’m sure the others wouldn’t mind.” She dug at another plant. “Ry definitely wouldn’t.”

The thought of purchasing my own piece of Belle Springs sounded like it could be a nice idea. I thought of Warmington Run and how it would be perfect for me. It was big enough for me to get a horse and have space around me. Possibly even enough space for setting up some cabins, or something for a retreat for those needing to escape to the country from their busy city lives. But a thought is all it could be at the moment. A dream really. Something I would love to make a reality. But unfortunately, it wasn’t possible. Daddy would never let me out of the family business.

What if I was putting more stock into what Ryder and I had than was actually the truth? What if I was here considering throwing in the towel on everything I had ever known for him, and he was just enjoying some fun with a city girl who was heading home in a week? What if he was off with Colton right now, telling him all about his conquest of the girl who crashed her Beetle? How he had gotten in between my legs and fucked me last night?

He didn’t seem like the sort of guy to do that, but how did I know? But there was a way I could find out. I had someone kneeling close by who I could ask anything I wanted to. “Kenzie,” I started, “can I ask you something personal about your brother?”

She looked worried at my question. Pursing her lips a second, she nodded. “Okay. I might not answer it if it’s something I feel he should tell you himself, though.”

“I don’t mean this to sound harsh in anyway, I just need to know—”

She interrupted my question and asked one of her own. “You want to know if he is serious about you, don’t you?”

Biting my bottom lip, I nodded. “Yeah. I know it’s not your place to answer this kind of question, but I need to know.”

Kenzie pushed herself up onto her feet, then padded over to me and pulled me up. Holding my gloved hands in hers, she looked me right in the eyes. “He got hurt many years ago by the woman who he thought was his everything. His be all, end all. He hasn’t let anyone in since then. Except for you. It’s obvious to all of us that he is head over heels for you. So, in my opinion, yes, he is serious about you.” Squeezing my hands, she looked even deeper into my eyes. “The question is, are you serious about him? Serious enough to give whatever is between you guys time and space enough to grow?” Her question hit me square in the heart. “Don’t answer that now, just think about it. Long and hard, Sienna. He has been hurt enough in the past. I don’t want to see it happen again. So, if you’re not sure, then go back to Louisiana. Stop this before it goes any further because I don’t think my brother could survive another broken heart.”

I felt moisture collecting in my eyes. He wasn’t the only one who wouldn’t survive a broken heart. The thought of leaving him was already causing me a hell of a lot of pain. I didn’t want to go anywhere without him. But I didn’t know how to go about it. The only way to figure this out was to discuss it with him. No one else could make this decision for us. “Seems like your brother and I need to have a chat.”

Mackenzie beamed at me. “Then it’s probably a good thing that you two have the house to yourselves tonight then, isn’t it?”

Smiling back at her, I squeezed her hands before dropping them and threw my arms around her in a hug. “Thanks, Mackenzie.”

She hugged me back. “Anytime, Sienna.”

After another couple of hours in the sun, we went inside and cooled down. After a cool drink and some cheese and crackers, I headed upstairs and jumped in the shower and washed away all the dirt from the gardening. I even took the time to wash my long hair and blow dry it, brushing it out till it shone.

Checking my phone, I saw a missed call from Daddy. Knowing it was best to just rip the Band-Aid off, I dialed his number. “What took you so long?” he demanded, a promising start to an arduous phone call.

“Hello to you too.”

“Don’t take that tone with me, Sienna-Grace.”

“What do you need, Daddy?” I sighed.

“I want to know why I still don’t have any signed contracts from you. I told you specifically I wanted the contracts for Larsen ranch signed and on my desk by now.”

“I sent you the signed paperwork from Warmington Run already.”

“What about Sanderson Ranch? Larsen Ranch too?”

Just the mention of Sanderson Ranch had my skin crawling. That creep wanted to sleep with me, and after what he’d said at the bar the other night, I had put two and two together. Anna-Beth was once Ryder’s and was now Ethan’s. Then there was the whole broken heart thing Kenzie had told me about. I could only imagine how she’d become tangled up with Ethan. By cheating on Ry.

What a bitch.

“Sienna-Grace.”

“Yes. I’m still here. I still haven’t had 100 percent agreement from either ranch owner yet. Mr. Sanderson’s wife is holding it up on their end.” I smiled at my quick excuse.

“She shouldn’t even have a say in it. It’s men’s business.”

Clenching the phone tightly in my hand, I wanted to scream. “As soon as I have an answer, I’ll let you know.”

“You have two more days to get me what I need, or I’ll find something to make the land forfeit and have them face me in court.”

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