I clear my throat.
“You okay, Tex?” Jasmine asks.
“Fine,” I say. My voice is rough. “Just… thirsty.”
We spend an hour at the petting zoo. Sedona feeds the goats. She checks the pig’s hooves, just out of habit. She laughs when a llama tries to steal her hair tie.
She looks happy.
Finally, a ranch hand comes over with a tray of glasses filled with fresh orange juice.
“Refreshments,” he says.
Sedona takes a glass and drinks deeply.
“Thank you,” she says.
I down mine in one gulp. It’s cold and sweet.
We walk back to the house. Levi’s waiting for us.
“Did you enjoy the tour?” he asks.
“It was wonderful,” Sedona says. “Thank you so much for letting us intrude.”
“Any time,” Levi says. He puts his arm around Jasmine. “We’re just glad you’re safe.”
I pull out my wallet. I slide a fifty-dollar bill into Levi’s hand.
“For the zoo,” I say.
“Tex, you don’t have to?—”
“I insist,” I say. “Buy something for the baby.”
Levi smiles. He pockets the bill. “Thanks, brother. We’ll see you at the rodeo?”
“You bet,” I say. “Good luck with the due date.”
“Pray for us,” Jasmine laughs. She waves as we walk to the truck.
We climb back in. I start the engine.
As we drive away, Sedona leans back in the seat. She’s giddy. She hums a little tune under her breath.
“Thank you, Tex,” she says.
I glance at her. “For what?”
“For this.” She gestures out the window. “For making me forget about the airport. For making me laugh.”
She looks at me. Her eyes are soft.
“I like seeing you happy,” I say. I grip the wheel tighter. “I like hearing you laugh.”
We drive in silence for a few minutes. The tension in the cab shifts. It’s not awkward. It’s heavy. Charged.
I pull over onto a dirt turnout on the side of the road and put the truck in park.
