25. Aspen

Twenty Five

Aspen

Stretching out, I reached beside me to feel the bed was no longer warm. My hand brushed the pillow, hitting something foreign. Sitting up and rubbing my eyes, I grabbed a piece of paper that was left where Boone’s head had been all night.

Coffee’s in the pot. Sorry I couldn’t be here when you woke up, work calls. I’ll see you later.

~Boone

Pulling the note to my chest, I couldn’t help the smile that bloomed. Boone Cassidy had wiggled his way into my heart; lately, it only called for him. Nothing could get my heart rate up like he could.

When he showed up last night acting completely out of pocket, I knew I had him right where I wanted him. Leaving my curtain open was a choice I made to lure him back over to my place. I needed him again and had been craving his touch since the night in his truck bed. Honestly, I didn’t think it would be that easy, but I’m grateful it was. Boone’s “punishment” made me want to get in trouble all the time. I wanted to break the rules just to find out what the consequences would be. I was falling for this cowboy, my mind couldn’t think straight. I felt like I was skydiving without a parachute, plummeting into danger and I think I liked it.

Standing up from bed, my legs were weak and my vagina was sore. Boone held nothing back last night when he thrust into me from behind. I’d never felt pleasure quite like that; I think I found my new favorite position.

Today, I had work which meant kicking my ass into high gear to get there in time. I hadn’t realized how much I slept in until I checked my phone for the first time since Boone stormed in yesterday. Missed calls and new text messages flooded my screen. Scrolling through my notification, I saw my mom had called me. I wasn’t dealing with that right now, future Aspen would handle that. The texts were from Jill and Boone, I opened the latter first.

Boone: Call me before you leave.

Boone: Did you get my note?

Pouring coffee into my to-go mug, I walked to the bathroom and responded to Boone at the same time.

Aspen: I’ll call you in a bit! I guess I slept too well last night ?? running late! And yes, I’m drinking the coffee now. Just how I like it.

I put my phone down and fixed my hair the best I could. My go-to style when I was in a rush was half up, half down. No heat was needed, and I could make the perfect bun in a matter of seconds.

I threw on some concealer and brushed through my eyebrows. If I was thankful for anything, it was that my eyebrows were full which meant I never had to fill them in. Finishing up, I picked out my bright red dress, which fell right above my knees, and a pair of cowgirl boots. Being so close to work was a blessing, it meant I could leave my front door and be where I needed to be in under 4 minutes.

When I got to the stand, I saw the door was already propped open. Skeptically, I peered around the wall to see who was inside before me. I hoped and prayed that I wasn’t about to get robbed, or worse, murdered.

Luckily for me, it wasn’t a murderer waiting for me. Instead, it was Jill. She was filling the tables with products, which meant she must be helping out for the day.

It was the weekend, meaning I would have more traffic than during the week. I was always grateful for the help.

“Hi, Mrs. Cassidy!” I sang, walking into the farm stand.

Mrs. Cassidy stood up and smiled at me. “Good morning! I know I’m early. I thought I’d come down to help. Did you get my text?” Shit that must’ve been what she sent me this morning. I didn’t get a chance to read it, so I ignored that and made my way in.

“No problem!” I said, going behind the counter to put my stuff away. “How long were you staying today? I’m grateful for the help.”

“Since school’s out, I thought I could spend the weekends with you, or if you wanted to take a day off during the week, I could step in.” Jill came to stand on the other side of the counter. Having someone else during the week could be helpful if I wanted to write. I could have Mrs. Cassidy take a day, and I could dedicate more time to my book.

“That’s exciting!” I smiled, rolling up my sleeves to prepare muffins for the day. I poured my dry mix into a big bowl and gathered the wet ingredients.

“I do have a little favor to ask.” Jill cringed when I looked up. “You’ve done so much for us so far. If you can’t, I understand!” They provided me with everything I could possibly want in my time of need. She could ask me for my kidney, and I’d be on the operating table, ready and willing.

Picking up my wooden spoon and mixing everything, I replied, “You name it, I’m there.” I moved my muffin tin closer to pour the batter in without spilling.

“The annual block party is in a couple of weeks. Cassidy Ranch is partnering with the local library to raise money for their funding in the fall. Would you be willing to help out? I have some ideas. I need someone young to make them happen.”

Placing my muffins in the oven, I turned to her and gave her a look. What was I getting myself into?

“Is it going to be a surprise?” I asked, trying to fish for more information. I knew I would say yes, yet a part of me hoped I’d at least know what I was agreeing to.

“All I can say is, I think it’s going to be a hit!” She was giggling to herself. Seeing her excitement made saying yes easier.

After learning the truth about Ellie and understanding the turmoil it had put the Cassidys through, I was glad to see her remain happy and smiling.

I felt like I was doing more than just working on the ranch. I was keeping their daughter’s dream alive during a tough period in her life. There was nothing Jill could ask that would change that.

Without thinking too hard, I agreed. “After everything you’ve done for me and the opportunity you gave me, I’d swim with sharks if you needed me to!” Jill came over and hugged me. Her scent was sweet, like candy. I squeezed her back. Man, did she give great hugs.

“You have no idea how big of a help you’ve been for Dan and I. Not only us, but Boone as well.” She grabbed the empty bowl from the muffin mix and made her way to the silver sink in the corner. I followed her and stood in front of the drying rack ready to help her clean my mess. “This is the happiest I’ve seen Boone in a while, whether he wants to admit it or not.” I smiled to myself, taking the first cleaned dish from her and drying it off. I was happy, too, more so now than ever over the last few months.

Since moving out of town and opening myself up to new possibilities, I’d been put in situations I never saw myself in and stranded without the tools to know how to handle them.

“It is good to see the farm stand doing wel,l so I can imagine it’s making him happy seeing Ellie’s vision continue,” I replied.

“Oh no, sweetie. Boone’s happiness isn’t from the farm stand.” Jill laughed, handing me a cleaned bowl. Taking it skeptically, I wiped the inside down with the towel.

“I don’t know how else I would’ve helped his happiness. He cares about Ellie and I know he’s glad to see her dream thrive,” I defended, quick to brush it off. My nervous ticks began to take over: putting my hair behind my ears, refusing to make eye contact, and ringing the towel in my hands.

“He played the same trick,” Jill huffed. “I know my boy, better than he may think. Boone hasn’t been the best in relationships and has earned a reputation around town that’s not becoming of a Cassidy. You’re the first girl he has ever brought over through the front door, I should say.” My lips stayed sealed, but my mind was spinning like a hamster in a wheel. “Whether the both of you want to admit it or not, there’s something there.”

My lips were slightly parted, and I didn’t know what to say. Staring at Jill in silence was probably not the right thing, because in reality, it spoke volumes. Stuttering, I attempted my best diplomatic answer, “I – I do care about Boone. He is a great man and has been a big help while getting settled on the ranch.” That was good, I felt confident in my answer.

“I get it, you don’t want to share with his mom. I would be doing my son a disservice if I didn’t point it out.” Jill fixed her position at the sink and faced me, demanding my attention. I stood with the towel gripped in my hands. “Growing up, Dan and I didn’t give Boone much direction. We let him figure his way and learn right from wrong on his own. After seeing what happened with Ellie, I realized that and it put a lot into perspective. I don’t want to see him take what happened to his sister and hide from relationships. If he didn’t ever want to find someone or settle down, fine, again, I know my son.” Jill faced the sink again, picking up the next dish and rinsing it under the water. Sighing, she said, “My point is, you’re good for Boone. Don’t let him control this and find out the hard way.”

Talking with Jill helped quiet some of the doubts I had in my mind. I needed to own up and confess how I felt to Boone, whether he felt the same way or not. The last two months had been like a whirlwind of emotions and feelings. I needed to be honest with myself and with Boone.

“I’m going to step outside,” I voiced, putting the rag down on the edge of the sink.

“Also, I should let you know I saw him leave your place this morning, so there’s no point in lying.” Jill smiled, grabbing the towel I placed down to dry her hands. I closed my eyes and let out a long breath, a laugh escaped too. Of course she did, the conversation wasn’t really completely out of the blue because she caught us both red-handed.

Boone wanted me to call him anyway. I took my phone from my apron pocket and walked to my porch while dialing his number. Sitting down, I took a few deep breaths as the line trilled on the other end.

“Hey,” Boone said into the phone, I could hear yelling and banging in the background. I was so caught up in the moment I forgot about him being on the ranch.

“Oh shit, sorry you’re working. I forgot,” I hurried, not wanting to be a burden.

“No, no. It’s okay. Give me a second to get somewhere quiet.” I nodded to myself, like he could actually see me. “How’s your morning?” He asked after a few beats of silence. The background noise was gone.

Unable to contain myself, I let out a loud laugh. “Well, your mom was at the stand when I went out this morning,” I said, pushing off the ground to make the swing move.

“Yeah, that’s why I wanted you to call me. She saw me leave your place,” Boone sighed.

“Oh, I know,” I huffed.

“Oh boy,” Boone mumbled. “What happened?”

“I think we need to talk.” I knew I sounded ominous, but I didn’t know what to say that could make what we needed to talk about any better. The conversation was either going to go well or very bad.

Boone was slow to answer, “Ugh, yeah, sure, when I’m done here, I’ll meet you on your porch. Same spot, keep it warm for me.”

Tipping my head back, I smiled towards the sky. I hoped that the conversation would go well and that the way I was feeling was reciprocated.

I told myself I wouldn’t let Boone Cassidy be my first heartbreak. However, here I was, planning to get ready to lay all my feelings out on the table.

During my shift, I kept looking at the clock and counting down the hours until closing. Jill stayed with me all day, and lucky for me, nothing was weird after the conversation. Having her around to help was a blessing because the traffic was crazy. I didn’t think I would’ve been able to handle it myself. She and I found a rhythm that worked and people found joy in our partnership. I could get used to spending time with Mrs. Cassidy.