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THREE DAYS AFTERhis late-night conversation with Summer outside the cabin, Caleb cornered Jack in his office and sat in the seat in front of his desk. Jack didn’t say a word, or acknowledge him, but kept clicking away on his new computer, inputting data into his custom spreadsheets.
“Have you seen Summer in the last few days?” Caleb asked, breaking the lengthening silence.
“She’s been working at the salon and helping out Mary at the diner, taking the evening shift,” Jack answered with an easy tone.
“That place is a wreck. Someone should buy it and fix it up.”
“Yeah.” Jack’s focus remained on the computer and work.
Caleb had no idea she’d been working two full-time shifts. To avoid him? He missed her and wanted to see her.
“What’s up?” Jack asked.
“I was thinking of the other night. Summer and that loser Charlie. Did Summer ever date any of your or Sam’s friends back in the day?”
“Why would any of our friends want to date her? You don’t date your buddy’s sister.”
Well, that answered his unspoken question.
“Besides, she had her own friends and dated a couple of guys in her class. Charlie might have been drunk the other night, but that loser is in grad school. He’ll pull his act together and probably make more money than the two of us combined.”
“The ranch is doing better, right?”
“Dad and Mom got by and saved a small nest egg, but this place needs some major upgrades. It’ll be a couple of years before I’ve got it running the way I want.”
“I hate to make things harder on you, but I’m going home to Montana.”
“Your family wants you home for Christmas.”
“I’m moving back.”
“You’re serious?”
“Things just don’t feel normal.”
“I thought you liked it here.”
“I do. I love it, but there are things I want that I can’t get here.”
“What?”
“Look, man, this is your ranch and your family. After everything we’ve been through in the army, I need something of my own. Something I can build a life on.”
“I thought that’s what we were doing here together. Building this place, making a new kind of life.”
“We are, but this is your ranch.”
“Yes, but you’re the foreman. Haven’t we made most of the decisions together? We’re partners, right?”
“We have been, yes. It’s just ... I don’t know. I’m tired. I want to go home, see my family, regroup.”
“Nightmares.” Jack only needed to say that one word for them to share a knowing look that they each suffered the same nightly hell.
“Take all the time you need,” Jack said. “Your job and I will be here when you want to come back.”
“You mean that?”
“Of course I do. You saved my life. I owe you everything.”
