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“Is everyone still here?”
“All except Jonathan. After college, he left to go find himself on the Appalachian trail.”
“Wow, that’s ambitious.”
She laughed and rolled the window down further, letting her hair blow in the wind. “Yeah. I like to hike, but I also like a comfortable bed.”
“And Jared?”
“Jared is working for the fire department.”
“A whole family of first responders. How does your dad feel about that?”
“Not happy. He still wants one of us to take over the ranch. His last hope is on Jess since she’s studying to become a vet.”
“Just like you wanted to?”
Her eyes looked sad for a moment as she stared off into the distance. He felt an urge to take her hand and give it a squeeze. He didn’t.
“Yeah, just like me.”
The look in her eyes bothered him for a long moment. He wondered how much his leaving had to do with her waylaid dreams. “Do you think she’ll do it?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure. She’s too young to know what she wants to do, but I’m actually considering it.”
“Really?” He didn’t know why he was surprised. “I have to admit, I didn’t see that coming.”
She smiled at the cows as they passed. “I love the animals. Not only that, I’ve had too many close calls this year. Even before last night, I was starting to rethink my life choices. And now I’ve almost died again…” She shook her head. “Spending my days making sure the horses, cows, and all the other animals are fed and safe sounds like a much better way to spend my time.”
“I get that.”
Her brow crinkled with skepticism as she turned to him. “Do you? Or are you just saying that?”
“Not at all. There’s something comforting about spending your days on the land, working with your hands, and taking care of something that is dependent on you.”
“I guess it’s my turn to be surprised. Care to share?”
“As you know, in our line of work, the world can be a very ugly place. It’s easy to lose yourself in the mire and muck.”
“Have you?”
He looked at her with raised brows.
“Lost yourself?”
“No. Not yet. All I’m saying is Granite Falls is a lot more beautiful than I remember.” And so was she. He hoped she made the change and took over this place. He bet she’d be great at it.
“And yet, you never came back.”
“Nope. Wasn’t planning to either. Too many bad memories I needed to put behind me.”
He saw the quick frown.
“Present company excepted, of course.”
“Of course.”
He wasn’t sure she was buying it. Truth was, he hadn’t wanted to leave her, but after what happened the night his father died, he had to get as far away as he could. “I understand it took you a little time to come back home yourself.”
