“So what happens now?” I ask.
“I don’t know,” she sighs. “We’ll see, I guess. What about you and Jesse? Don’t think I didn’t notice you two practically devouring each other with your eyes on the dance floor.”
Heat floods my cheeks even though she can’t see me. “It’s complicated.”
“It always is with you two. But Aubree? Don’t let fear keep you from something that could be amazing. You’ve been hiding long enough.”
Her words hit closer to home than I’d like to admit. I have been hiding—from Daniel, from the past, from the possibility of getting hurt again. But maybe it’s time to stop running.
“I should go,” I tell her as I see the sign for Grizzly River Feed and Seed ahead. “I’m about to pick up some feed for the ranch.”
“Okay, but think about what I said. Love you, girl.”
“Love you too.”
I end the call and pull into the parking lot of the feed store. The place looks exactly the same as it did when I was a kid, with weathered wood siding, a tin roof, and a hand-painted sign that’s seen better days. Some things never change in small towns.
The bell above the door chimes as I enter, and the smell hits me immediately: grain, hay, and leather mixed with something else I can’t quite place. Behind the counter, an older man I don’t recognize looks up with a friendly smile.
“You must be here for the Weber order,” he says before I can speak.
“That’s right. I’m Aubree.”
“Figured as much. You look just like your mama did at your age.” He comes around the counter, wiping his hands on his apron. “I’ll get the boys to load you up. Shouldn’t take but a few minutes.”
While I wait, I wander around the store, looking at the various supplies and equipment. It’s like stepping back in time, everything from bridles and saddles to chicken feed and garden tools. This place serves every need a rancher or farmer could have.
“Aubree Weber? Well, I’ll be damned.”
I turn to find a tall man in a sheriff’s deputy uniform approaching me, and it takes me a moment to place him. When I do, I smile. “Noah Sanchez? Oh my god, hi!”
He grins and pulls me into a friendly hug. “It’s Deputy Sanchez now, but yeah. How long has it been?”
“Too long,” I say, meaning it. Noah and I went to high school together, though we ran in different circles. He was the quiet, studious type, while I was more interested in causing trouble with Jesse and his brothers. “I heard you joined the sheriff’s department.”
“Five years ago,” he confirms, his dark eyes warm. “What about you? Last I heard, you were conquering the big city.”
The question hits a sore spot, but I manage to keep my smile in place. “Living back here for a while. Helping out at the ranch.”
Something flickers in his expression. Concern? Suspicion? Before I can analyze it, one of the store employees calls out that my order is ready.
“Guess that’s my cue,” I say, starting toward the door.
“Aubree, wait.” Noah catches my arm gently, his expression serious now. “Be careful, okay? There are rumblings about what’s happening out at Grizzly River Ranch, and you don’t want to be caught in the middle of it.”
My blood chills. “What kind of rumblings?”
For a moment, I think he might actually tell me. Then he shakes his head, his jaw tightening. “I can’t get into specifics. Just…be careful who you trust.”
Before I can press him for more information, he reaches out and caresses my cheek, his touch gentle but his eyes intense. “I’d hate to see you get hurt, Aubree. You’ve always been too good for this place.”
The gesture is intimate, unexpected, and I take a step back. “Noah, I…”
“Just think about what I said, okay?” He drops his hand and steps back, becoming the professional deputy again. “Take care of yourself.”
He walks away before I can respond, leaving me standing there with more questions than answers. What did he mean about rumblings? What’s happening at the ranch that I don’t know about?
As I drive home, my mind races with possibilities. The cryptic conversation between Jesse and Truett this morning, their worry about money, Noah’s warning…it all adds up to something bigger than I understood. Something potentially dangerous.
