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Rafe was quiet for several minutes as he thought about that. “I have a lot going on right now, Bass. Everything I’ve believed to be true is being uprooted. I promise to give her a shot, but I can’t blindly trust her,” he finally said.
“I get that. We can’t cross the Oregon Trail in one day, it takes many, many steps,” Bass said.
Rafe laughed. “I think we need to see Nana Bee, I think we need to properly say goodbye to her without glaring at each other.”
Bass laughed. “She’d like that. Want to go now?”
“Yeah, follow me . . . if you can keep up.”
“Oh, it’s on for sure,” Bass said as he turned and raced for his vehicle. Rafe was right behind him. Bass’s car was fast for sure, but he had no doubt Rafe’s was faster. The only way he’d win was if he had a head startandtook a shortcut. They hadn’t agreed on any rules.
The next hour Bass found himself laughing more than he had in a very long time as he and Rafe zipped down backroads, nearly going off a few times as they encountered other vehicles. It was the most fun he’d had in a long time. They zipped into the cemetery about a minute apart . . . with Rafe in the lead. Dammit! He’d never hear the end of that.
“You put in a good effort,” Rafe said, giving him the first real smile he’d had in over five years. It was the best gift he could get.
“I’ll get you next time,” Bass said.
They were still smiling as they moved down the walkway. They both stopped as they saw Ella lying on Nana Bee’s grave, tears coming down her cheeks. She sat up and stared from one to the other then gave them a wobbly smile.
“What’s wrong, Ella?” Bass asked as he quickly moved forward.
She waved away his words as if they didn’t matter.
“Did you come here together?” she asked.
“Well, we raced each other here,” Bass said with a sheepish smile.
“So you talked? You worked everything out?” There was so much hope in her eyes. He didn’t understand what it was about.
“We’re starting to,” Rafe said as he moved forward. He’d withdrawn a bit at the sight of Ella there, but he hadn’t pulled fully back inside himself.
“This was the promise I made to Nana Bee in her last days,” Ella said. Her tears had stopped and she was giving them both a smile, though the sadness in her eyes was still there.
“What are you talking about?” Rafe asked.
“Nana Bee made me promise to work with both of you, to get you to talk. She knew there was an explanation for what had happened, and it broke her heart you weren’t brothers anymore. It was one of her last wishes that you love each other again.”
“Oh, hell,” Bass said as he looked at Nana Bee’s grave. “She did love to meddle.”
“She loved us both,” Rafe said as he stepped forward and laid a hand on Bass’s shoulder. “I should’ve listened much sooner. She was a great woman and if she loved you, there was a reason for it.”
“That goes the same for Ella,” Bass suddenly said as he looked at her. She’d stepped back to give them privacy. Rafe seemed shocked by his words as if he hadn’t considered that.
“You might have a point,” Rafe reluctantly said. Ella looked at him with so much fragility, Bass was sure she might fall apart at any minute.
“I’m going to leave and let you two talk,” Ella said.
“No, I want to know why you’re here, crying,” Bass said. What kind of a man would he be if he let her walk away when she was clearly upset? A terrible man, that’s what he’d be.
“It doesn’t matter. What matters is you two are speaking again. You need time,” she insisted. Rafe was the one to stop her next.
“We’re working through it, Ella. It will take time, but we will eventually heal. I have to get home right now, though, so I think you two should do some talking of your own. Bass and I will talk more later.”
He didn’t give her time to argue. He just nodded at Bass, then turned and walked away.
“Now, I feel bad,” Ella said as she faced Bass again.
“Well, maybe you’d feel better if you quit letting small things upset you,” Bass suggested. His words seemed to tick her off. That was good. He’d rather have her irritated than heartbroken.
