Page 28 of The Scars We Heal

Colter had to have had at least eight cowboy hats, if not more. At one point, his entire TV stand was storage for baseball caps. Then Ellison moved in and made him at least hang them on the wall.

“So…” I wrung my hands together, twisting the ring on my thumb, a nervous habit I’d picked up over the years. “Did you need something, or did you just come over to say hi? If not, I can put you to work by helping me rearrange the kitchen cabinets.”

I wasn’t actually serious, but he nodded anyway before his gaze flashed down to my fingers, almost all of them sporting a ring, except for the most important one.

“What?” I subconsciously tucked my left hand away.

“Nothing.” Even though his voice was unwavering, a distant look had glazed over his eyes, his normally bright-blue irises cloudy. In an instant, the haze was gone, and he shook his head as though breaking himself out of a trance. “Put me to work.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

jake

ELEVEN YEARS AGO

We’re just leaving the university now, but you should stop by for her graduation party,” Colter said over the phone.

Distant chatter in the background made it a bit difficult to hear, but I got the gist of what he was saying.

“Yeah, I’ll do that for sure. What’s the address again?”

He rattled off the address for the hotel that Caitlin and Adam’s grad party was taking place at. As much as I hated the idea of celebrating Adam, I hated the idea of not being there for Caitlin more.

After taking a quick shower and running a comb through my hair, I dug through my closet for the nicest short-sleeve button-up I could find—pulling out a red-and-black striped Wrangler shirt—and threw on some nice jeans and a dark-gray cowboy hat.

Colter had already moved out of our shared dorm room earlier that week when his finals wrapped up, but I had put off moving out as much as possible, not wanting to go back home only to hole up in my room because of my dad. The deadline for moving out was Monday, though, so I had to face the music soon.

Chip and Maggie offered to let me stay at the ranch over the summer and work in Silver Creek, and I was heavily considering it. Maybe I’d accept their offer when I saw them at the party.

When I arrived at the hotel, conversational chatter directed me to the ballroom where the party was being held. I strolled through the doors without a hitch, and the moment I saw her, my mouth spread into a wide grin.

Trying not to look too eager, I slowed my pace until I got close enough to tap her on the shoulder. She whirled around, but any uncertainty in her features disappeared when she recognized me.

“Jake! Oh my gosh, I didn’t know you would be here!” Caitlin pulled me into a hug. “Thank you for coming.”

Her perfume—a blend of orange and something spicy like cinnamon—enveloped me, and I inhaled a deep breath, not wanting the embrace to end. “I wouldn’t have missed it.”

She pulled back first, breaking contact, the absence of her like a rift between us. “Are you hungry? Come get some food and cake.” She pointed with her right hand toward the buffet tables filled with appetizers, side dishes, fruit, and burgers, keeping the other one tucked behind her back. “Colter’s sitting with my parents, Clay, and Adam.”

I sucked on the inside of my cheeks, offering a tense nod. I took my time getting food, mentally preparing myself to sit with the bane of my fucking existence and make awkward small talk, because Lord knows I wasn’t going to dissect sports or fucking finances with Adam. Did he even watch sports? Probably not. His form of entertainment was probably watching the stock market.

Colter waved when I approached their table, patting the seat next to him. “Glad you could make it, man.”

I dipped my chin in acknowledgment, giving Clay and Colter’s parents, Chip and Maggie, a small wave and pointedly ignoring Adam.

He returned the sentiment, so at least we were even.

“Jake, it’s good to see you!” Maggie hummed.

“Have you thought about our offer this summer?” Chip asked, adding on to his wife’s greeting.

I nodded. “I have. I’d love to come stay on the ranch, if you’ll still have me?”

Maggie nodded. “Absolutely. We’re always grateful for the help.”

“Especially since Caitlin has graduated now. We’re losing our summer help,” Chip joked.

“So, Adam, what are you planning to do now that you’ve graduated?” Maggie asked with a soft lilt. She worried her lip between her teeth as he sat up even straighter.