“It’s time to tell them, Ainsleigh. Let them all the way in. They may just surprise you,” he replied as he leaned over and kissed my forehead.
Another knock sounded throughout the space, and I broke the trance I was in and walked to the door.
Pulling on the handle, I opened the door to Dylan and Aspen standing on the other side.
I gave them a nervous smile as I moved to the side and motioned for them to come inside.
The living room was just off to the left of the entryway, and I held out my hand for them to go into that room. I let out a breath, scared of how they’d react to what I was about to tell them.
They sat on the couch beside one another and I sat on the loveseat to the right of them.
“What’s wrong, Ainsleigh? Gentry texted Dylan and gave him the directions to this house and asked us to meet y’all here. Where are we?”
That was Aspen. Getting straight to the point was her forte. Only when it came to other people. When it came to anything about her, she hesitated in letting people help her.
“This is my house. My grandparents left it to me when they passed away. Just before I was to graduate high school, my brothers, parents, and Gentry all helped me get this place ready to move in. Today is a day that changed my life forever four years ago. I know you both heard what his mother said to me, and I’m thankful you didn’t press for information. I wasn’t ready to talk about it then. I’m not sure I’m ready to talk about it now, but given the circumstances, and Gentry’s subtle way of telling me it was time, I’m going to tell you guys something I’ve kept from both of you since you met me.”
Aspen and Dylan exchanged worried glances before they looked at me. Gentry took that moment to come into the room, drying his hands on a dish towel as he sat down beside me. He draped his arm across the back of the loveseat, and my body instantly moved to lean on him for the comfort I’d need to make this confession.
“Four years ago today I lost a part of me that I’ll never get back. We lost a part of each other that we never got a chance to cherish.”
I started to get choked up on the words that I was about to reveal.
Aspen’s movements caught my attention, and I looked up as she was about to cross the room to come over to me, but Dylan’s hand on her thigh stopped her, and she sat back down next to him. They linked their fingers together, and I couldn’t be happier that they were finally taking this chance on each other.
I stood up and walked over to the built-in bookcase and picked up one of my favorite pictures taken of our little angel. Looking at this picture, one would assume Arabella was just sleeping, but I knew otherwise. She’d never wake up in frustration of being moved into poses while we snapped pictures. A lone tear escaped as I took her in. She had a pink bow wrapped around her head and a white and pink blanket wrapped around her tiny body with her name etched into the fabric. She lay there on top of the saddle with her tiny hand underneath her head. I dreamed of taking these pictures of her after she was born. Never in a million years did I think I’d be taking them as the only memory I’d ever have of her.
I walked over to where my friends sat and handed them the delicate frame.
They both looked down at the picture within the metal, and Aspen raised her hand to her mouth as she looked up at me with unshed tears in her eyes. She knew what I was about to reveal before I spoke the words.
“That’s our daughter, Arabella Faith Parkhurst. I was four weeks away from my due date when something went horribly wrong. By the time I was able to have the cesarean section, it was too late. Our little girl was born forever sleeping,” I confessed to the two people I now looked at as my family.
Aspen and Dylan both took in the weight of my words. This time when Aspen went to stand, Dylan didn’t stop her. She rushed over to me, her knees hitting the floor in front of me as she wrapped her arms around my waist and laid her head in my lap.
“I’m so sorry, Ainsleigh. I wish you would’ve told me. Told us so we could help you. You didn’t have to suffer alone. We would’ve been there every step of the way,” she said as she sobbed into my lap.
Looking up at Dylan, I noticed the extreme sadness etched in his features, which confused me. Was his sadness for my situation? Or was there more to his story than I knew?
Aspen pulled back, looking at the floor as she wiped her eyes.
“When did you get these?” she asked, as she traced each tiny line on top of my left foot.
“The summer after our freshman year.”
“How did I never see them?”
“I covered them with tattoo makeup. I didn’t want to have to explain what they meant and who they were in remembrance of. I’m sorry for not telling you. I just couldn’t talk about her our first year there. I’d just lost her. It was too hard. The more time passed, the harder it got to confess, so I didn’t.”
“No more secrets, missy. From this day forward, we tell each other everything so we can be there for each other. Deal?” she asked as she stood up and walked over to the couch to sit beside Dylan, who remained quiet the entire time.
“Deal. What’s wrong, Dylan?”
“I’m just so damn sorry I didn’t notice your pain. How did I miss it when we lived together for three damn years?”
This was the Dylan I knew and loved. He was the caregiver. Someone who took pride in knowing what you needed before you even knew.
“I didn’t want anyone to know. I didn’t want people to pity me. I needed to handle losing her in my own way, which I can admit now, I didn’t deal with it at all. I’m starting to heal more now. That’s why I wasn’t there this morning. I went to visit her grave. And Gentry brought me back here to face the room that would’ve been hers. I didn’t want to see it, but I’ll admit that I needed to face it head on in order to heal the right way.”
“Since we said no more secrets, I have something I need you guys to know,” Dylan spoke.
“My mom miscarried my brother when I was twelve. She was twenty weeks pregnant. No explanation as to why. One day he was moving, the next he wasn’t. I still remember how sad she was. How sad we all were. It was hard. I know what you went through. It wasn’t my child, but it was a baby we all were so excited to have arrive. After that, my mom didn’t want to try again. That’s why I’m an only child and she’s so protective over me.”
We all apologized for his loss. That explained his sadness moments ago as I confessed. I hurt for his pain. Aspen wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered something to him causing him to smile.
She leaned back over at me and started tapping her foot on the floor. That was her telltale sign that she was nervous to ask something.
“What do you want to know, Aspen?” I said with a laugh, causing Dylan to laugh along with me. Gentry looked confused, but I’d explain it to him later.
“Something just hit me. You said, ‘given the circumstances.’ What circumstances would those be? I have so many questions, but I’ll only ask that one. For now.”
Thank goodness. I couldn’t take one of Aspen’s crazy interrogations today. I’d usually have a glass of wine in hand when she warned me of her impending thousand questions days, but I couldn’t do that now that I was pregnant. So I’d need a few days before she called me and laid them all out for me.
Gentry and I looked over at each other, silently asking what we should do. I didn’t want anyone to know in case something happened in the first trimester, but they were my best friends. I could trust them to keep this a secret until we were ready to reveal it.
“Yesterday when I went to the hospital because I fainted the doctor gave us the reason for what caused it. I was dehydrated. That part wasn’t a lie. But I wasn’t exhausted. I’m pregnant. Probably around four weeks along if I did the math right.”
I could tell she wanted to dance around and be happy for us. But with what I’d just confessed, she refrained. She knew what I was thinking. I needed her now more than ever, and they were both leaving. Shit.
“You
guys are going to miss your flight if we don’t get a move on. I don’t want to be the reason you don’t get home in time.”
“We’re not going,” Aspen stood and shouted.
“What?” Gentry, Dylan, and I all said in unison.
“I can’t leave her here. What do we really have to go home to? We haven’t found jobs yet. We could make our lives here. Besides, it’s beautiful. I could see myself living here. Can you, Dylan?”
His eyes moved back and forth between hers as he took in the weight of what she wanted. I could tell it was tempting for him to make this rash decision, but another thing about Dylan was he was the one who was a meticulous planner. He didn’t do anything on a whim. He weighed all of the odds before he decided.
“Let’s do it,” he said, surprising both Aspen and me.
“You won’t regret this, Dylan. I promise. We’ll start looking right away.”
“Where will we stay? I love your parents, Ainsleigh, but I can’t impose on them,” Dylan said.
“Here. You can stay here with us. We have three bedrooms. There’s plenty of room. The guest room is already perfectly set up with everything that you’ll need. It’s got a queen-size bed and a walk-in closet.”
“Are you sure, Ainsleigh? We can find something in town if it’s more convenient.”
“I’m sure. That’s what we’re here for. You guys are family to me. I wouldn’t have it any other way. The house is paid for. We only need to cover utilities and such,” I told them.
I felt a sense of relief knowing they weren’t leaving. Gentry looked over at me and gave me a knowing smile. He could tell I was anxious to say goodbye. Now I wouldn’t have to.
“We need to return to Virginia and pack up our things from storage. We’ll drive our cars here. It’ll take a couple of days, but we can do it,” Dylan said.
I was shocked he didn’t have a plan for after they left here, but I knew he’d waited to see what would come of confessing his feelings for Aspen. He would follow that woman anywhere if it meant she gave him a chance.
“Perfect. Let’s see if we can move our flight to tomorrow, and we can be back by the end of the week at the latest. I’ll call the airport. Do you want to call to see if we can get a couple of moving trailers? Both of our vehicles have the tow package. We should be able to fit everything in two of them since the house we rented there came furnished. Then we’ll have everything set to go. Thank you both for letting us stay here. I hated the thought of not having you in my life every day,” Aspen said as she bounced her way out onto the front porch to call the airline.
“Y’all are really doing this?” I asked Dylan.
“We are. I’m going where she goes. Even if it doesn’t last, I won’t regret it. I’ve loved her for most of our college years. I can’t leave her now. I can’t leave you either. I’ve gotten used to having you both around,” he replied as he stepped out of the room to find a trailer they could rent.
“Southern sounds good on you, beautiful?” Gentry said as he came up behind me and kissed the nape of my neck.
“Huh?”
“Y’all. Damn that’s sexy as shit. I didn’t think it was possible, but it is.”
“I guess those two have worn off on me over the years. Thank you for agreeing to letting them stay here. That meant a lot,” I replied with a laugh. It felt good to laugh and mean it for once. I was still hurting on the inside. That pain would likely never fully go away, but I could tell everything was starting to look up. With my friends staying here and Gentry by my side, I finally felt like I could conquer the world.
“Anything for you, beautiful.”
CHAPTER 16
Ainsleigh
Y esterday, Gentry and I took Dylan and Aspen to the airport. I hated saying goodbye to them even if it was only for a week. Having them here for the past couple of weeks made it feel more like home. I’d gotten used to seeing them every day and I was thankful for their decision to move here permanently, especially since we were going to be parents again. A girl would need her best friends now more than ever.
After Gentry and I ate breakfast with my parents, we headed out to the barn to visit with Sparkle before we started for the day. He told me first thing this morning, he’d take care of the stalls since he didn’t want me to exert myself. He’d already gone into protective mode, and I loved it. I was sure once I got further along, it’d annoy me, but for now, I’d enjoy him feeling like he was protecting us.
“Don’t overdo it today,” Gentry warned me as he placed a chaste kiss on my lips while he held the reins to the horse standing beside him.
“I’m not. I’m heading over to the office to talk to my dad about taking over for Loretta when she leaves. I did minor in accounting while I was in college and figured I could put it to good use.”
“Good. I’ll see you later, beautiful.”
Instead of getting on Sparkle like I wanted to, I got on the four-wheeler and headed over to the property beside my parents where the office building was located. When I was pregnant before, being on a horse made me dizzy, and I didn’t want to take any chances with this pregnancy.
A short ride later, I stopped in front of the building and hopped off the four-wheeler. I waved at my brothers who were getting ready to take some guests out on a tour as I walked inside the building.
The cool air hit me in the face the second I walked inside. It felt heavenly.
“Good morning, Ainsleigh. What can I do for you today?” Loretta asked as she greeted me. It was hard to believe in two short weeks she would be retiring. I’d known her since I was born.
“Good morning, Loretta. I was hoping to find my dad before he left for the day. Is he around?”
“He sure is. He’s in his office. I just wanted to say congratulations again on getting your degree. It was a sad time while you were away, but we’re happy you’re home now where you belong.”
“Thank you. It was hard to be away, but I’m glad to be home as well. I’ll come see you before I leave for the day,” I told her as I smiled and headed off to have a chat with my dear old dad. Hopefully he went for what I was proposing. I knew he wasn’t having any luck finding someone he deemed suitable. I thought it was because he didn’t like change and he didn’t want to entrust anyone with the daily tasks of running this place when Loretta had done such a great job over the years. I hoped I could get him to see things my way.
“Good morning, Daddy,” I said with a knock on the doorframe of his office.
“Good morning, sweetheart. What did I do to deserve this visit?” He sat down his pen and motioned for me to enter as he took his reading glasses off of his face.
“Can’t a girl come and see her daddy once in a while?” I said with a smirk as I took a seat in one of the leather chairs I remembered sitting in as a child while watching him work.
“Of course, she can. But usually these visits turn into you needing something. So spill the beans.”
He knew me too well.
“You know my minor in college was accounting. And Ms. Loretta is leaving.”
I paused to gain the courage to mention my plan.
“Yes, I know both of those things. What’s the point of this, Ainsleigh?”
“Well, I just thought since you haven’t found a replacement yet, that I could take over her position. I know the ins and outs of the business, and you know you can trust me to do a good job with everything. It’s a win for both of us.”
Now it was out there. He could either go for it one hundred percent or shoot me down.
“What’s this about? I thought you wanted to be more involved with the tours and being out in the open day in and day out. You’d be happy in here all day long answering phones and taking payments and everything else that goes with the job?”
“I’ve thought about it and I think I would. I can make sure people want to come here even more than they did when they searched the site for somewhere to go. And you won’t really have to teach me much because I’ve seen how everything works
.”
My leg started bouncing without me even thinking about doing it. That was how I reacted when I was nervous. My energy and anxiety had to go somewhere, and that was my body’s way of making sure I got it out.
“There’s nothing you’re not telling me?”
I should tell him right here and now, but I couldn’t. I had to make sure the look he gave me at finding out of the loss of Arabella wasn’t one he gave me again. I wanted him happy when I told him the news. Not sad or fearful. So I remained silent and shook my head.
“Not at all. Well, there’s one thing. How would you feel about me and Gentry moving into the house? I think it’s time that it didn’t sit vacant.”
I could steer this conversation in another direction and have him focused on that instead of what else I could potentially be hiding from him.
“Are you sure that you are both ready for that? You’ve only been home a short while.”
“I am. Oh, and I got some great news yesterday. Aspen and Dylan are moving here. They loved it so much they decided to stay. We’re all going to be living together.”
“I’m glad to see you so happy and with a smile on your face. You know your mother and I worry. Speaking of her, you’re going to be the one to tell her that good news. I’m not doing your dirty work for you,” he said as he stood and came around the desk, pulling me up so that I was standing, and gave me a big hug. The smell of Old Spice filled my lungs and made me feel safe as I returned the hug.
“I’m truly happy, Daddy. You don’t need to worry. You should, however, be worried about those sons of yours. One day they’re going to bring something unwanted home,” I joked as we pulled back to look at each other.
“I’ll never stop worrying about any of you. Just because you’re grown doesn’t mean a parent ever stops worrying about their children. And yes, I fear that will become a reality one of these days with as much as they get around. But don’t go telling your mother. She still thinks they do no wrong,” he replied with a wink as he sat down.
Bring Me Back Here Page 11