Chapter 13 – Gentry
thirteen
GENTRY
Iradioed Sawyer after I watched Ainsleigh leave the clubhouse. I tried to remain cool and unaffected in her presence, but my body was reeling from being so close to her just now.
I absentmindedly put that twenty in her back pocket not thinking.
I shouldn’t have touched her without her permission, but being this close to her, I didn’t think.
I reacted on instinct out of the years we’d spent together, when I should’ve been focusing on the years we were apart.
I wouldn’t make that mistake again after seeing the anguish on her face at me merely touching her.
I thought maybe after the moment we’d shared last night, we could be cordial, but that would remain up to her.
I knew for my sanity that was the better option; now I just needed to convince my heart that she wasn’t the right option.
Sawyer didn’t have much for me to do, so I went to the office to return the note cards and scavenger hunt items to Loretta so we could reuse them.
I opened the door to the office, and Loretta greeted me with her usual smile.
“You couldn’t stay away from her, could you?” she joked as she returned to the computer screen.
“I don’t know what you mean.” And I didn’t.
“Ainsleigh’s in the office talking with Sawyer. I figured you knew that and followed her here,” she replied as I handed her the scavenger hunt items.
“I didn’t follow her here. We parted ways after the kids were gathered at the table for lunch and their parents had all returned. I had no idea where she went since she left before me.”
“Uh huh. You both flock together like a moth to a flame. You always have, and you always will,” she said as she finished typing on the keyboard and turned to face me.
“Not you too. There’s nothing between Ainsleigh and me. Not anymore. We’ve both changed.”
I hated the thought of her leaving again. Not for my sake. But for her parents and brothers. They’d all missed her a great deal for the past four years she’d been gone.
“You could always give her a reason to stay,” Loretta said with a smile.
“Nice try, but I wasn’t a good enough reason for her to stay the last time.
She won’t stay for someone she doesn’t know anymore this time.
” Admitting that out loud fucking hurt, but it was the truth.
And I wasn’t going to give myself false hope of her returning home for good.
Everyone I loved left. She was no different.
“Things could be different this time if you both got rid of the stubbornness and had a conversation,” she said with a huff and went back to her tasks at hand, officially dismissing me it seemed.
I didn’t respond as I walked toward Sawyer’s office. I didn’t have the words to defend myself that wouldn’t come across as rude or defensive, so it was best I stayed quiet and not take my frustrations out on Loretta—a woman who’d been nothing but kind to me since I’d started working here.
I could hear Ainsleigh and Sawyer having a discussion the closer I got to the door.
I could lie and say I wasn’t eavesdropping, but part of me wanted to know what she had to talk to him about that couldn’t be said in front of the whole family.
“I can’t keep working that closely with him, Dad. It hurts too much,” I heard Ainsleigh confess, causing my steps to falter.
Pain filled my chest as the words sunk in. I knew how true those words were from my standpoint, but hearing them come from her caused the pain to amplify. As much as I hated how she'd hurt me, I couldn’t be the cause of her pain.
“I understand that, baby girl. And I’ll try in the future to remember that. But I make no promises,” I heard Sawyer reply.
“Thank you. But I came here to discuss something else with you. I need you to hear what I’m about to say, Dad.”
“I’m listening.”
“I know that you know the only reason I came home was to appease Mom, and because finding a job didn’t pan out, but I don’t plan on staying.”
“Why not? This ranch is your home. You belong here, Ainsleigh,” her dad questioned. I could hear the pain in his voice as he replied. He wanted his baby girl back home just as much as the rest of her family, if not even more.
“You know why, Daddy. Being here hurts. And being home shouldn’t hurt. I’m waiting for one more response from an application I put in. I have high hopes I’m going to get this position.”
I shouldn’t be out here listening to this conversation, but I couldn’t make myself move.
Especially after hearing her admission of leaving.
Hearing those words cemented my decision to steer clear of her and keep my heart guarded.
I couldn’t allow myself to get close to her again.
Especially if I wanted my heart to remain unscathed.
“I’ll make a deal with you,” Sawyer said, but my phone vibrating in my pocket kept me from hearing the rest. If I didn’t want to be caught, I couldn’t keep standing out here.
I turned and walked away without hearing the rest of their conversation.
Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I saw that there were texts in the group chat with me and her brothers.
Leo: Looks like we’re going to Whiskey On The Rocks tonight.
Brooks: I shouldn’t even ask, but why do you say that?
Brooks claims he didn’t have a thing for the bartender there named Callie, but we all knew different. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her anytime we went there for a night out. And Leo loved giving him shit about it, even more so than the rest of us.
Holden: I’m down, but why the urgency?
Leo: Because our baby sister wants to take Dylan and Aspen out for the night, and you know we can’t let her go alone.
A night out at Whiskey On The Rocks was usually a good time. But if Ainsleigh was going, I shouldn’t tag along. For both our sakes.
Me: I’m staying in.
Leo: No you're not. You’re going even if I have to drag you there myself.
I didn’t bother responding. I put my phone back into my pocket, and walked out of the office, quietly shutting the door behind me, and leaned up against the door.
I took my hat off and raked my hand though my hair, pulling it to let out some frustration.
Tonight, would likely be the death of me.
I needed to make myself scarce so Leo didn’t make good on his threat.
Come hell or high water, there was no way I was going out tonight.
But first, I had to get through meeting Dylan and Aspen, and hope like hell there was nothing going on between Dylan and Ainsleigh.
I could get through just about anything, but seeing the girl my heart still longed for in love with another man would surely break me.
I kept myself busy checking fencing for the rest of the afternoon. Mindless busy work on the back of a horse kept my thoughts from returning to Ainsleigh.
Dylan and Aspen should arrive soon. I was sure Ainsleigh would’ve preferred to be there when they arrived, even if her reasoning was to get away from me, but Sawyer made sure that her mom had it covered.
Besides, based on the radio chatter, her brothers had roped her into helping with their last guided tour so she couldn’t have met them anyway.
Just when I was washing up for the afternoon, I’d heard her laughter come around the corner of the barn.
“Whoa there, pretty girl,” Ainsleigh said to the horse as she pulled on her reins to get her to slow down.
Once the horse came to a halt, she patted her on the side and hopped off her.
Damn if she didn’t look amazing in the tight jeans and boots she wore. The tank top that she had on did little to hide the cleavage beneath.
Calm down, Gentry.
I repeated that mantra before I embarrassed myself.
“Are they here yet?” she asked in excitement.
“I’m not sure. Might want to get her brushed down and put up for the night before you go check. Make sure she’s got plenty of water. I’m sure you rode her hard today,” I told her.
“Sure thing, boss,” she joked as she led the horse inside the stable.
I did a few things around the stable, waiting for her to exit.
Within minutes, she came skipping out the door, pulling it shut behind her.
“Someone’s chipper today,” I said as we walked toward the house.
“I sure am. I can’t wait to see Dylan and Aspen.”
I couldn’t wait to see them either. I needed to size Dylan up and at some point, pull him to the side so we could have a chat. Man to man.
We walked through the door just as I heard car doors shut outside. She moved faster than I’d ever seen her move toward the front door. Quickly, I followed behind her.
I walked into the living room just in time to see her jump into the arms of another man.
He held onto her tight, spinning her around.
I hadn’t missed that his hands held her underneath her ass to keep her from falling.
A low growl escaped my lips as I leaned against the wall for support.
I hated seeing how excited she was to see him.
Especially when she hadn't had that reaction to seeing me.
“I’m so glad you guys are here,” she said as she pulled away from hugging Dylan. Her arms were still wrapped around his neck as she took in the sight of him. She’d just seen him three days ago. They couldn’t have missed each other that much. Or could they?
He placed her on the floor, letting Aspen come up to give her a hug of her own.
“I love you and all, Leigh, but you smell like a horse,” Dylan said.
He loved her.
I could handle her being friends with him, but loving her, I couldn’t sit back and watch.
Taking a deep breath, I controlled the rage building inside me. I clenched and unclenched my fists to keep myself from stomping over there and demanding an explanation for the love he had for her.
“I just came in from a guided tour. I was just about to shower. Let me show you to your rooms, and I’ll get the stench off me,” she replied as she pulled them toward the stairs after they picked up the bags they’d dropped on the floor.
I cleared my throat, causing her to stop in her tracks, and Dylan and Aspen turned to face me.
“I’m sorry for being rude. Dylan and Aspen, this is Gentry,” she said as her cheeks reddened.
“Good to meet you, man.” Dylan stepped toward me with an outstretched hand.
I shook his hand with a firmer grip than I needed to, but he didn’t even flinch.
“You too,” I said, keeping my emotions in check.
I turned toward Aspen and held out my hand which she also shook and told me it was nice to meet me. She smirked as she turned toward Ainsleigh.
What was that look about?
Ainsleigh and Aspen went up the stairs with their arms linked chuckling, Dylan following close behind them.
“I’m glad to see her so happy. You need to calm down, son. I’m sure it’s not what it seems. She’s never let on that they were more than just friends.” Lillian tried to reassure me once they were out of sight, but until I heard that they weren’t an item straight from her mouth, I’d remain uneasy.
“I don’t have a clue what you’re referring to. This is me. Calm and all.”
Lying to her wasn’t the best choice I could’ve made, but it was all I could come up with at the time.
“Sure you are. Let her explain before you jump the gun,” her mother warned.
I wasn’t sure I could do that.
Not seeing her reaction to him.
Not seeing the way he’d touched her just now. However innocent it might have been, no man needed to have their hands on Ainsleigh’s ass. And what was up with him calling her Leigh?
I shook my head as I walked through the kitchen and out the back door so I could get a shower of my own.
Tonight was fend for yourself night in the Courtright house, so I’d just make myself a sandwich later and do my best to hide from Leo so I didn’t have to go to Whiskey On The Rocks with everyone.
It was best if I stayed home.
For everyone’s sakes.
Especially mine.