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“Sure, but shit happens.” Ben shrugged.
“You should have talked to Remi, no matter how it looked.”
I felt like crap. The elation I felt at seeing her standing behind me was like a drug, and now I wanted to howl at the moon. “I wanted to, but we both knew Christy would throw a fit. Remi said she didn’t want to make a scene in front of the guests.” I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince my uncle or myself.
“I’m pretty sure they think something’s up when we you left on a tear.” Uncle Ben clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Are you planning to go after her?”
“Did she say where she was going? How would I find her?” The taillights to her car were barely visible as she sped down the dirt road toward the highway that led to Jackson Hole.
Ben lopped the reins of both horses over the rails of the coral fence. “There was a time when I went after Marin, except she told me where she was.”
I removed the hat on my head and ran a hand through my sweaty hair. “I remember. You’re good at rescuing people; much better than me.”
“Dylan, if you love Remi, you’ll find a way to make it right and she will listen. She loves you, too.”
I believed she did love me. I felt it in in every part of my soul, and our night together only confirmed it. “Love means nothing if she doesn’t trust me!” I exclaimed. “The first time something comes up, she assumed the worst. Do I really want to live like that?” I was conflicted in my love for her and the anger I felt and some emotion I’d never felt before was squeezing my chest making it difficult to fill my lungs.
“Wow. You’re both so stubborn. Put yourself in Remi’s position. How would you have felt if you’d come to surprise her, and some man had been draped all over her? All I’ll say is that if you’re going after her, you need to get a move on.”
I walked to the house and sat on the step. Goose and Sunny were laying calmly on the wooden boards of the porch. Sunny got up and came to me, lying next to me and putting her head on my thigh. My hand lifted to pet her from her head and down her back. I inhaled as hard as I could; my throat and chest felt tight. “I would if she’d answer her phone, but I’m not going to chase around Jackson going to every hotel like an idiot. They can’t tell me if she’s there anyway.” Every cell in my body screamed for me to get in a car and follow her, but it was late, and I just hoped she’d get a hotel for the night and not try to catch a flight.
“You can find out what flights leave from Jackson to Memphis tonight and tomorrow morning,” Ben suggested, coming to sit next to me on the wide steps.
I nodded, beginning to calm down. “I could, but what airline? What schedule? I’d be better off to just fly to Memphis and go to her apartment in a few days.”
“You’re going to let it fester that long?” He took off his cowboy hat and held it in his hands.
“I guess, if she wants to speak to me, she’ll turn on her damn phone,” I said. “Plus, Christy is here and if I left, she’d make your life hell.”
“Do you think staying the week with your ex is going to make it easier with Remi? That’s not very smart.”
“What am I supposed to do? I didn’t do anything, which she would know if she would have just talked to me!” I said, exasperated. “I didn’t expect Christy to just show up here anymore than I expected Remi to make the trip.”
“Remi has always been very sensitive, Dylan. It was only last Friday night that you were with Christy, and she was hanging all over you during dinner. Now, she’s here. I hate to say it, but emotions make people irrational sometimes. Remi was hurt seeing your ex here.”
“Exactly. She’s myex. I wish you had warned me. Didn’t you see her name on the list?”
“Look,” Ben shook his head. “We have dozens of people coming through here every week from spring to early fall. I don’t even look at the names on the list. I learn their names when they get here. It’s all I can do to keep track of my girls and run the ranch. You know how busy it gets during the season.”
“Right. That’s why I came to help.”
Ben’s mouth pursed and he held his hat between both hands, dangling it between the dusty denim covering his knees. “Sounds like an excuse to me.”
“Maybe it is, but I’m so pissed! Our time in the Smokey Mountains was lifechanging; at least I thought it was. I was completely honest about how I felt. I can’t believe that she thinks I’d hop back in bed with–” I stopped short, thinking I was going to accidentally infer that Remi and I had made love.
Ben put his hat back on his head and his hand landed on my back as we both hunched over as we sat there. The moon was blazing in the sky and my heart tightened thinking I could be sharing it with Remi, but now everything was screwed up.
“Try to call her again.”
“I’m going to wait an hour or so. The drive to Jackson is that long and she must be very tired. We traveled so much in the past five days. I know, I’m dead on my feet.”
“What are you going to do about Christy?” Ben asked. “I need to get back to camp and finish cleaning up with Marin. I’m sure Mark will be winding up the campfire music soon and people will be disbursing to their cabins.”
“She’s the queen of hysteria. I need to talk to her in private, but there is no way she’s sharing my cabin.
“She was complaining about her chapped thighs and ass cheeks before dinner.” Ben laughed. “She didn’t bring the right clothes. Marin will have to find her some jeans for the remainder of the week.”
“She’s been complaining all day, but maybe that will work to my advantage. It will give me the excuse I need not to have sex with her.” I joked. “Maybe Marin could hold off on the jeans?” The only interaction I wanted to have with Christy was to reiterate that we were done.
