Page 30 of We Drank the Dawn

“I didn’t expect to see you out and about this early.”

“I couldn’t fall back asleep. I figured I’d grab a cup of coffee.”

“Pot’s in the kitchen. Fix a plate too if you’re hungry.”

“Thanks. Where should I watch the sun rise?”

A soft smile pulled at his lips. “This entire side of the ranch”—he lifted his left hand and pointed toward the front of the big house—“gets great views. You’d be hard pressed to find a bad spot.”

Thanking him, I slipped through the side door into the kitchen to find Jesse hungrily kissing Hollie, her butt braced against the edge of the counter and his hands on her belly beneath her shirt. A small oh escaped my lips as I whirled back to the door.

“Sarah!” Hollie called me, her voice tinged with laughter. “Come in! We were just saying goodbye.”

I cringed. “I’m so sorry.”

Jesse chuckled as he plucked his hat off the counter and settled it on his head. “No problem. Cade and I have to hit the road anyway.” He cupped her chin and placed one more tender kiss on her lips. “Call me after breakfast.”

“I will.” They exchanged I love yous then Jesse stepped around me, grinning like he’d won the lottery.

I couldn’t help but grin, too.

When the door closed behind him, Hollie blushed. “Sorry you had to see that.”

A laugh bubbled out of my throat. “You have nothing to apologize for. I’m honestly kind of jealous. That was one heck of a kiss.”

Hollie laughed too, absentmindedly touching her lips.

“How long is he going to be away?”

Even though her eyes shimmered, her smile faded. “Five days.”

“And you guys would’ve gone with him in the fifth wheel, right?”

“Don’t you worry about that.” She waved me off. “The girls and I are fine staying home this time.” Then she frowned. “Wait, why are you up so early?”

I explained as she poured me a mug of coffee and served up a plate of bacon, jalapeño cornbread, and scrambled eggs. Then I sat at the kitchen counter and we chatted for a long while. We talked about her pregnancy, and she told me they decided to keep the gender of their new baby a surprise. Then we talked about the fifth wheel, how she homeschooled the kids on the road, among other things.

When I only had a few bites of my food left, her expression turned serious. “I’m actually glad you’re up here without Peter. I wanted to talk with you.”

Concerned, I set my fork down. “Go ahead.”

“Bea and I were talking last night…” She shook her head. “We knew Peter was struggling, but he looks so different, Sarah. Not like the brother we know.”

She put her finger directly on the ever-bleeding wound in my heart.

“Sometimes it’s hard for Bea and I to get a gauge on what’s happening back in Colorado because we get a lot of information through Mom. And she’s…” Hollie’s words trailed off as she thought for a moment. “Well, you know Mom. She likes to help and she worries too much. We’ve wondered how much of Peter’s depression was Mom projecting or maybe exaggerating a little.”

“I get that.”

“But…he looks bad. Worse than I thought he would.”

“He’s not in a good place, Hollie.” I swallowed the pain in order to continue. “I don’t know what Lynn told you or how much Peter has shared, but Chip tried to bring him back on. He was so patient with Peter and gave him a ton of time to work remotely, but Peter kept dropping the ball. And he only had two clients. I feel like he’s been in a downward spiral ever since.” I halfway rolled my eyes. “I mean, it’s all been downhill since the accident. But, you know, he did great at rehab. All his therapists and trainers told him he was going to do just fine. But the real world is different.

I shrugged, not having to explain the rest. Passing milestones in life-skill training was a whole different animal than having the will to live and thrive. They were two separate things that didn’t arrive hand-in-hand.

“So it’s just you paying the bills right now,” Hollie stated.

“Yeah.”