Page 17 of Reclaimed Roots

The familiar voice jolted me from my spiraling thoughts. I turned to see Chase ambling up the path, that annoying fucking smirk plastered across his face. It was a face I liked better on Elliot, if I was honest.

"What do you want?" I grumbled, stripping off my gloves.

He held up his hands in surrender. "Easy there, killer. Just thought I'd come see if you needed a hand with anything."

I looked at him askance. Chase had never willingly helped out around here unless Mom guilted him into it.

"I'm good," I said shortly. "But if you're looking to make yourself useful, I think Elliot could use some help with the irrigation lines over in the east grove."

Chase pulled a face. "Ugh, no thanks. I was just trying to be a good brother, but if you're gonna be a dick about it..."

I rolled my eyes. For twins, he and Elliot couldn't be more different. While Elliot was born ready to take the reins of this place, Chase had always been more interested in chasing the next thrill, the next adventure, the next drink.

There'd been a time when I'd envied his ability to just... walk away. To leave all the responsibilities and expectations behind in search of something more.

Of course, that was before Natalie showed me what an ugly, selfish thing walking away could be.

"Seriously, though," Chase said, his tone sobering. "You okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

He shrugged, scuffing the toe of his boot in the dirt. "I don't know, man. Natalie being back and everything that went down with her dad. I know that's gotta be a lot."

My jaw ticked at the mention of her name. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine."

Chase eyed me skeptically. "If you say so. Just don't do that thing you do, okay?"

"Whatthing?"

"The one where you bottle everything up until you explode."

I bristled, irritation flaring. "I don't explode."

"Uh, yeah, you kinda do. Maybe not in the screaming, throwing shit kind of way. But you get all twisted up inside until one day, bam"—he snapped his fingers—"you're a walkingthundercloud, pissing off everyone in a ten-mile radius."

Shaking my head, I turned away from him and started gathering my tools. "Don't you have better things to do than psychoanalyze me?"

"Nope," he said cheerfully. "Seeing as I'm currently funemployed, you're pretty much my main source of entertainment."

I shot him a withering look over my shoulder. "Get a job, big brother."

"Working on it! Kind of." He flashed me a grin before his expression turned serious again. "But for real, Jas, you know you can talk to me if you need to, right? I mean, I know I'm kind of a fuckup, but I'm still here for you."

The unexpected sincerity in his voice gave me pause. For all his bravado and reckless antics, Chase had a good heart.

"I know," I said gruffly. "And I'm good, Chase. Really. Natalie being back, it doesn't change anything."

Aside from turning my whole world upside down.

But I wasn't about to admit that, not even to my brother.

Chase studied me for a second then nodded slowly. "Alright, man. I'm gonna get out of your hair, let you get back to your tree-hugging or whatever." He winked, some of the familiar teasing back in his voice. "But if you need me, you know where to find me—drinking beer in Mom's basement and feeling sorry for myself."

"You're a real inspiration, Chase."

"I do my best." He gave me a lazy salute then headed off down the path, hands shoved in his pockets.

I watched him go, that nagging sense of unease still prickling at the back of my neck. No point in dwelling on the past or psyching myself out over hypotheticals. I had work to do. I couldn't neglect my responsibilities just because my ex-girlfriend had rolled back into town looking more gorgeous than ever.

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