Page 75 of My Three Hometown Hard Hats

My lungs fill with air. “Thanks. It was shitty, but at least he and I had each other.” From the corner of my eye, I can see her nodding. “Brooks might seem like he’s just the life of the party, but he was my rock back then. He still is most of the time.”

“I know he’s more than just a goofball.” She laughs. “I mean, he is that, but underneath he has a big heart that feels things deeply.”

I just nod, feeling the emotions well up inside of me from this whole conversation.

“So, moving to Aspen Springs after college was like a fresh start for you guys.”

“It was.” Austin became more than a best friend. He’s like another brother to me. “Moving here just made sense for all of us.

“Brooks and I had no family other than each other, and Austin had family here that he wanted to be around. We were all sick of living in the city after being there for four years, so we just did it.”

“I’m glad you all found each other,” she says, looking out over the mountain landscape that’s quickly passing by the window.

“I’m glad we found you,” I say, feeling my heart squeeze with an emotion that I can’t let myself name just yet.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Hadley

“Hold still,”Sienna says, trying to pin another piece of my curled hair into the loose bun at the base of my neck.

I would have been fine curling my hair and calling it a day, but when I showed her a picture of the dress I picked out for the gala, she refused.

She insisted I wear my hair up to show off the back of the dress. Or I guess just my back because there isn’t much dress back there to speak of.

We decided to get ready together since she’s going to the gala as well. Most of the business owners in town are.

It feels like we’re getting ready for prom in my old bedroom. My mom laughed hysterically and said just that when Sienna hauled in an armful of beauty supplies.

I really need to start looking for my own place to rent here in town.

“Done,” Sienna says, stepping back. I twist my head from side to side, taking in the way she pinned my hair away from my face—it looks effortless.

“This looks way nicer than anything I would have managed on my own,” I tell her, making sure my makeup hasn’t smudged. “I think you missed your calling.”

She giggles, putting the final touches on her own makeup. “No, I like animals way more than I like people.”

“I’m a person,” I huff out in mock disgust, grabbing the bag my dress is hanging in from my closet.

She looks at me through the mirror as she pins one side of her red curls away from her face with an embellished clip. “You don’t count. I actually like you.”

I chuckle, shaking my head. “I like you too, Sienna.”

We both shimmy into our dresses and shoes. She looks gorgeous in a dark green gown that’s fitted against her petite frame.

I peek down, seeing a text from the guys saying they’ll be here in a few minutes to get me.

“It really is unfair that you have three dates while I have none.”

I can tell she’s joking, but there’s a level of sadness layered under her words. “I could loan you one of them for the night.”

“And have them pining over you all night while being forced to be at my side? Nah. I’m good,” she says, laughing.

Walking downstairs, I find my brother standing in the living room wearing a suit. Something I’ve only seen a few times in my life.

“Oh, hey Grayson,” I tell him, but he isn’t looking at me at all. His eyes are solely focused behind me as Sienna walks into the room.

A glance over my shoulder shows me her attention is locked on him, too. Where he looks like his brain has evacuated his skull, she looks like he was the very last thing she wanted to see when she stepped off the stairs.