Chapter 51 Aspen
Aspen
The Tavern is quieter this morning. The living area upstairs is really nice, a completely different area from the tavern downstairs.
The tavern isn’t empty. They closed it down for a while.
Everything seems different.
Like everyone is waiting for something.
Some older women are talking a mile a minute with Rylie.
Dylan sits at one of the tables, drawing with a pencil Rylie found for him. Buddy is sprawled across his feet, snoring softly like nothing in the world is wrong.
I wish I could feel that way.
Rylie moves around the kitchen with ease, making coffee like she’s done it a hundred times before. She hums under her breath, something soft and steady.
Normal.
She’s giving us normal.
Even here.
Even now.
Trigger stands near the door, arms folded, eyes scanning every movement outside.
Always watching.
Always ready.
I wrap my hands around a mug and sit across from Dylan.
He looks up at me.
“You talked to Havoc last night.”
Not a question.
“Yeah,” I say.
He nods like he expected that.
“He sounded worried.”
My chest tightens.
“Did he?”
“Yeah.”
Dylan shrugs.
“He asked if I was okay first. Then you.”
That shouldn’t matter.
But it does.
More than it should.
I glance toward the window.
Sunlight spills across the ground outside.
Everything looks calm.
Peaceful.
Like nothing ever happened.
But I know better now. I’m sure the barn doesn’t look like nothing happened.
“You trust him,” Rylie says gently from the counter.
I look up.
She’s watching me.
Not judging.
Just… seeing.
I hesitate.
Then—
“Yes.”
The word comes more easily this time.
Stronger.
Rylie smiles softly.
“Good.”
“Why?”
“Because men like him don’t give their word lightly.”
She pauses.
“And they don’t break it.
I swallow.
Because I believe that.
I do. Tank was like that. That’s why I loved him so much.
And that might be the scariest part, with Havoc.
Because somewhere between yesterday and today…
I stopped just hoping he’d come back.
And started needing him to.