Chapter 31
Brooks
“You never told me, are you going to the Halloween Festival in town this weekend?” Jasmine asks Aspen. The three of us are loitering at the front desk. Well, Jasmine and I are loitering. Aspen is actually trying to work.
It’s been a few weeks since Aspen and I took our relationship to the next level, and as far as I know, Jasmine is the only one who knows.
That’s partly because I’m too chicken shit to tell my son what I’ve done, and I really wanted him to be the first one I tell.
Unfortunately, I think I need some moral support from my friends before I talk to him.
I’m planning on telling Harper and Beck soon. Very soon.
Aspen sighs, and I look up at her. I had assumed she’d be going to the festival because, well, everyone in town goes to the Halloween Festival.
If there’s one thing Blue Haven loves, it’s a festival.
And with Eli Cunningham marketing the hell out of these things, they’re hard to miss.
I’m convinced he’d drag us all from our own homes if he realizes someone hadn’t shown up.
“I don’t know…”
“Come on!” Jasmine whines. “It’ll be fun. Everyone dresses up. There’s candy and games and these really awesome brownies that Mrs. Leanne only makes for Halloween. You have to come.”
“It’s just the last town gathering I went to didn’t end up very well for me.”
She glances at me for barely a millisecond, but it’s all I need to remember.
The last town festival was the Fourth of July, where she caught Zach cheating on her.
I’ve never seen someone look so hurt and so angry at the same time as when I saw her spot him.
I hope she never has to experience that again in her life, and I don’t plan on that happening because of me.
“Yeah, but that was when you were dating that dill weed,” Jasmine says, quickly adding for my benefit, “No offense.”
“None taken.” I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’ve failed my son in more ways than one. The first being teaching him how to properly treat a woman.
“And now you’ve got the town prize. Do you know how many women would try to fight you for him?” She gestures to me.
Aspen laughs. “Well, it’s a good thing no one knows yet. I’ll need to brush up on my self-defense skills.”
I know it’s all in jest, but I hate the thought of her not enjoying time with her friends because of what Zach did to her. “You should go,” I tell her. “You’ll have fun.”
“I’m sure Brooks will be there too so he can scare away any bad things for you.” Jasmine wriggles her eyebrows, and Aspen laughs.
“I will be there, but I doubt you’ll need me. And if you do, you know I’ll be there in a second,” I confirm.
Aspen smiles at me as her cheeks turn an adorable shade of pink.
“Aww, that’s sickeningly cute,” Jasmine teases.
“Ok, fine. I’ll go, but I don’t have a costume.”
Jasmine waves her off. “Please. I have a ton. Come over, and you can borrow one of mine.”
“Should I be concerned that you have so many costumes?” Aspen asks.
Jasmine shrugs one shoulder. “Maybe.”
Both of them laugh, and I take that as my cue to get back to work. As much as I love taking all of Aspen’s attention, I know she needs time with her friends.
“I’ve got to get going, but I’ll see you later?”
“Yes, sir,” Aspen says.
Never one to not have the last word, Jasmine adds, “Oooh, kinky.”
I lean forward slightly as if I’m going to kiss Aspen, but her eyes go wide.
I remember that we’re not at home and quickly pull back.
I clear my throat and give her a tight nod before turning and heading back to my office to answer some emails.
But first, I need to text Harper and Beck and invite them to drinks at Roadside tonight.
I’ve got some shit I need to get off my chest.
Roadside has been non-smoking for over a decade, but that doesn’t stop the place from smelling like someone has been chain-smoking at the bar all day.
Unfortunately, it’s been a staple in Blue Haven since before I was even born, so I’m certain we’ll never get rid of it, and we’re all far too loyal to allow another bar to pop up anywhere in the vicinity of this place.
“So drinks are on you, right? For this little impromptu drink meeting?” Harper asks as she slides onto the stool across the table from me. Beck sits down next to her.
“What if I said no?”
She shrugs. “I’d tell Owen to put them on your tab anyway.”
“That’s what I thought.”
We order drinks when the server stops by our table, and Harper adds an appetizer for the table.
“So, what’s going on?” Harper asks. “You’ve been a little MIA recently.”
“Yeah, that’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about.” My palms are sweating, which is ridiculous because these are my best friends. I’ve known them for longer than I can even remember. I’m fairly confident that they won’t judge me. Or if they do, it’ll be less than everyone else will.
“Well, spit it out, man.” Beck gives me an expectant look.
“Ok, ok. I’ve kinda been seeing someone.” They both look at me with blank expressions, so I continue assuming that they’ve already figured that much out. “And it’s Aspen.”
Harper throws her hands up. “Oh, there it is! Thank god you finally got that out in the open.”
Wait, what? “You knew?”
“Well, you haven’t exactly been trying to hide it,” she says.
“Yes, I have.”
She laughs. “Well, then you’re terrible at it.”
“Did you think I wouldn’t realize what was going on when you took her on a sunrise ride? If that’s not romance, I don’t know what is. I figured you would tell me when you were ready, so I didn’t pry,” Beck says.
“Ok, and how did you figure it out?” I ask, focusing on Harper.
“Brooks, you look at her like she’s the only thing in the room every time she walks in.
” I don’t know what she’s talking about.
I don’t do that. “You get a goofy smile on your face when she looks at you.” Definitely don’t do that.
“You’ve been hanging out at the front desk way more than usual.
” That’s not true at all. “And I saw you kiss her behind the lodge last week.” Well… damn.
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because, like Beck said, I knew you’d come to me when you were ready. But I was seriously dying inside to talk to you about it.”
I sit back and let out a breath. “Alright, well, now you know. But you two are the only ones who know besides Jasmine, so keep it between us for now. I’m having a hard time figuring out how to tell Zach.”
“I was wondering if he knew yet. I figured he’d be making a big fuss if he did.”
“Yeah. I’ve been meaning to tell him…”
“You just gotta rip that Band-Aid off,” Beck says. “You know he’s gonna be pissed, but if you’re sure about Aspen, then you just gotta do it.”
“I know… It’s just, it feels like I just kind of got him back. I mean, he’s been texting more. We even went to lunch last week. I’m just worried this is going to set us back again.”
Harper gives me a sympathetic look. “Yeah, it probably will, Brooks. Zach hasn’t been quiet about wanting to get Aspen back, and now he’s essentially being blocked by his own father. I don’t see any way for you to come out winning from his perspective.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s the worst part about all this. I don’t want to lose him.”
“I think you kinda made that decision when you slept with his ex-girlfriend, don’t ya think?” Harper slaps Beck’s shoulder. “Ow. What? It’s true!”
“I know, but you don’t have to say it like that. He’s our friend,” she says.
“Yeah, and as our friend, he deserves for us to be frank with him. He made a decision, and now he’s got to deal with the consequences. Is Aspen worth the risk?” Beck asks.
“I’ve never felt this way about anyone,” I admit.
We haven’t said the L word yet, but I feel it.
I know it’s there. She’s all I think about.
When I’m not with her, I wonder what she’s doing.
I love watching her sleep in my bed. I love cooking breakfast and dinner for her.
I love how she smiles at me when she finally gets to see me at the end of the day.
I love the way her body fits with mine. I love the way she cares about me and the ranch.
She’s my dream woman. It’s just unfortunate that my son got to her first.
“If you’re going to pursue this with Aspen, then you know there’s a very good chance you’re going to lose Zach. Are you ready for that?”
“I don’t fucking know.” I pick up my beer and take a huge swig of it. This feels like the hardest decision I’ll ever have to make.
“I will say… I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy, Brooks.
Zach gave up on your relationship a long time ago.
He pushed you away, and no matter what you did, he didn’t seem to care.
I know he’s your son, and I can’t imagine how difficult this must be for you, but you deserve to be happy too. ”
Beck nods along to everything Harper says.
“Maybe he’ll be ok with it?” Even as I say it, I know it’s not true.
When we met for lunch last week, he mentioned Aspen at least five times.
He wanted to know if I knew if she was dating anyone.
If she’s been going out. If she’s planning on staying in Blue Haven.
I felt terrible lying to him, but I just couldn’t get the words to come out.
I didn’t want to hurt him, even though I knew I hurt him the moment I caught feelings for her.
“Brooks…”
I rub my hands down my face. “Yeah, I know. I’m gonna tell him.”
“You should probably tell him soon so that he can hear it from you and not someone else. I love Jazz, but she’s not one to keep her mouth shut.”
I nod because she’s not saying anything I don’t already know. I don’t want to lose Aspen, so I need to just suck it up and tell Zach. He might be pissed off for awhile, but hopefully he’ll understand that we didn’t do this to hurt him.
“I am happy for you, though. It’s about time you found someone. While Aspen is younger and the circumstances aren’t ideal, you two seem good together. She fits in well on the ranch, which is what you need,” Harper says.
“I agree. Aspen is really great. It’s not hard to see how you fell for her,” Beck adds.
“Thanks, guys. It means a lot to me to have your support.”
“Were you expecting something else from us?” Harper questions with a cocked eyebrow as she sips her beer.
“I don’t know. I guess I expected you to give me a hard time.”
“Oh, we’re still gonna give you a hard time, but we’ll do it with love.”
The three of us laugh. “I guess that’s all I can ask for.”
“Alright, let’s get another round of beers.
” Harper raises her hand to get our server’s attention.
I sit back and realize how fucking lucky I am to have two best friends who genuinely care about me and a woman who has made me feel like I deserve to be loved without having to change who I am.
Now all I need is to figure out a way to not lose my son completely.