Page 25 of Riding the Curve

My brother’s voice startles me. Before I can stop it, my boots slip off the bottom rail and I plummet into the dirt.

Ryleigh starts laughing but bends down to let me use his arm to help me back onto my feet. “Still the same klutz, I see?”

Tossing him a glare, I swipe the thermos from his hand and roll my eyes.

“Still surprises me that they allowed you to oversee a professional kitchen. Lots of sharp objects. Seems slightly dangerous.” He snorts smugly into the lid of his thermos.

“Haha,” I say with a straight face, void of any mirth.

“Too soon?”

“Yes! Too soon, you jerk,” I hiss. Shoving past him, I hastily make my way to the barn to clean the horse stalls.

“Aww, come on . . . you know you love me.” He pouts, jogging behind me to catch up.

Grabbing the rake, I throw it on top of the wheelbarrow full of hay and roll it to the first stall. “Of course I love you, but it doesn’t mean I have to like you all of the time,” I huff, leaving him smiling like an idiot behind me.

“Fair.”

Once inside the empty stall, I begin raking away all my frustrations. It’s the one place where I’m able to be alone all morning, and the only time I’ve been able to break down while still trying to process the sudden changes in my life. Well, except for today.

Ryleigh hangs on the stall door behind me. “Hen,” he says, his tone softer this time. Kind eyes meet my own. They are heavy with concern, and it’s almost enough to unleash the tears I’ve been holding at bay. “You forget I still know how to read you like a book. I noticed the way you fidgeted with your hair at dinner the night you got home. Something tells me there’s more to that story than you told us.”

“I’m okay. Really, I promise,” I whisper, adding a weak smile to sweeten the ruse.

“No, you’re not,” he hums, stepping closer and pulling me into his arms. “I know you think I’m just some grumpy cowboy. Incapable of feelings.”

Chuckling into his chest, my words come out as a mumble. “I’ve never thought you were incapable of feelings.”

“Oh, but you agree with the grumpy cowboy part?”

“I mean . . . if the boots fit?” I snicker.

He grabs me and ruffles his palm against the top of my hair, like he used to do when we were kids. A squeal rips through me as I try to escape his clutches. Right before I stomp on his foot, he stops and pushes my shoulders back until there is space between us and he can see my face. “I will always be here for you, whenever you are ready to talk. No judgment. Nothing you could tell me could make me love you any less. You know that, right?”

No longer able to hold his gaze, my eyelids flutter to the ground as I nod. At dinner the first night, my family tried to pry a little out of me but I fudged a lot of the details. Still too embarrassed to admit how I ended up back home, I couldn’t bear the truth and expose how much of a failure I truly am.

They think the restaurant I worked in closed, and I couldn’t find another job. Thus causing problems between Carson and me, which resulted in me ending the relationship and coming back home. I was under the impression that they bought the story without question, but apparently, I was wrong.

“Thank you for helping around here since you’ve been back. It’s been nice to have an extra hand.”

“Of course.”

“It’s been nice having you around, Henley. I’ve missed you.”

“Me too.”

He pulls me in for one more hug, then begins to walk back out the stall before he freezes.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” He turns to face me, with panic written all over his features. “Harper threatened me with bodily harm if I do not force you to visit her at the bakery today.”

I wince, which only makes him laugh once more.

“It seems she’s a little livid to find out her best friend has been back in town for two weeks without her knowledge.”

The first person I wanted to run to when I got back into town was Harper, but I’m still so horribly embarrassed and ashamed. It’s been difficult to make my way to town to see her. Harper is someone that I’ve always looked up to. She’s always had her life together, constantly thinking and preparing for things ten steps in advance. As much as I know she would never judge me, I can’t bring myself to tell her I’d ruined the opportunity she helped me get in the first place.

Reaching into his back pocket, he pulls out the keys to his truck. “Go get cleaned up and take my truck into town.”