Plus…there’s my seminar. My career. My dream.
I can’t be a surgeon living on a ranch.
Inside, the cabin is dim. Is the power back on? Probably. I flick a light switch.
Okay, I guess not.
“It takes a while out here sometimes,” Henry says.
We head into the great room. Henry kneels in front of the hearth and brushes away excess soot from last night. Then he stacks some kindling and logs, adds crumpled-up newspaper, and strikes a match. It catches, flickering, as the paper burns quickly.
“Come here,” he says without looking back.
I go. Because of course I do.
We sit together on the rug, not touching at first. The fire cracks softly.
“I asked for you in the hospital,” he says, eyes on the flames. “Not because I thought you owed me anything. Because your name was the only one that made the room feel less…smothering.”
I blink. “Really?”
He nods. “My mom wanted to drive to Boulder and haul you back by your hair.” He reaches, tucks a stray lock behind my hair, leaving his hand there longer than he needs to.
I like the feeling.
We sit like that as the fire builds.
“So are you back at work?” I ask.
He nods. “Yeah. I went in yesterday, planning to work all day until Angie called with the bright idea that I should come here to relax.”
I give a chuckle. “We both walked right into that one.”
He smiles. “Right?” Then he sighs. “Brad thinks I’m doing too much too soon, but he’s Aunt Melanie’s son, you know? Always concerned about everyone else when his own father is fighting for his life.”
“How’s he doing?” I ask. “Your uncle, I mean.”
“Good. I mean, you saw him at the wedding. Physically he looks great, except for the hair loss.”
“That’s good. And work? Do you miss it?”
“I do. I was never meant to work the ranch. I could, but it’s not my thing. I like helping people through the foundation.”
“And your mom and dad?” I ask. “How are they doing with all of this?”
“They’re overprotective. Especially Mom. But they’re dealing. What about you?”
“What about me?” I say.
“The seminar. Is it everything you thought it would be?”
Is it? “I guess so. I got a rough start. Overslept the first day.”
“After…”
I nod. “Yeah. So at least I slept, which surprised the hell out of me since I felt like I was up half the night.”
He goes a little rigid.
