Chapter 21
Aiden woke in the dark and stretched out his arm. The back of his hand brushed the cool sheets and nothing else. He sat up, the blankets pooling around his waist. The bed was empty. Lucy was gone. He glanced at his phone, which was hooked to a charger on his bedside table.
It was early to be awake—even for Lucy. But the glow from an electric light surrounded the cracks in his bedroom door.
Without question, she was already up. Yesterday evening, after she had agreed to sell the Five Steers Ranch, Aiden had urged her to talk about her feelings.
She’d told him that she was numb and didn’t know what to say.
He knew enough not to push.
Was she ready to talk now?
After getting out of bed, he pulled on a pair of jeans. Running his hands through his hair, he walked barefoot across the room and pulled open the door. Lucy sat at the small kitchen table. Her laptop was open, and her fingers danced across the keyboard.
“Hey.” His voice was hoarse with sleep. “Everything okay?”
She looked up from her work. Dark circles surrounded her eyes, but her cheeks were rosy. “Actually, for the first time in a long time, everything is okay.”
He moved past her and into the kitchen. Pulling out a can of coffee grounds and a filter, he started making a pot of coffee. As the first drops fell into the pot, he asked, “What are you doing?”
She turned the computer so that the screen faced where he stood. “You were right. The school is test optional. My old high school has an online form to request transcripts. I can still enroll in classes, so long as I get my application in today.”
“So, you’ve decided to do it? You’re going to college?”
“I will if they accept me,” she said.
Aiden took two mugs from the cabinet and filled them both with coffee. He set one next to Lucy. “Fuel for filling out the application.”
She picked up her cup and took a long drink.
“Read this,” she said, nodding toward the computer. “I’d like your opinion.”
He brought his own mug to the table and dropped into the seat next to hers. He sipped his coffee and looked at the screen. The heading read: Application Essay Prompt. Discuss a life event that shaped your desire to attend University of North Dakota at Red Grove and your intended course of study.
A text box was filled with Lucy’s essay.
Aiden took another sip of coffee and cleared his throat.
Reading out loud, he said, “‘My life changed on a Tuesday evening at 6:22 p.m. My family was gathered around the table for dinner—everyone except my brother and only sibling. I was asked to get Derek and did what I’d been told. My brother had been distant for weeks, preferring to spend time with his friends rather than with the family. And if I were being honest, I suspected that he’d started taking drugs.
What I didn’t know was the depth of his addiction.
I knocked on his door several times and he didn’t answer.
So, I entered his room. Derek lay on the floor.
He was unresponsive. Later that evening, at the hospital, he died from an overdose.
“That single incident changed everything. My parents divorced and both have left the area. My grandmother died of a broken heart. I started having panic attacks and withdrew from my friends. In the decade since Derek’s death, my grandfather and I have struggled to keep our ranch afloat. But we have decided to move on.
“I would like to attend the University of North Dakota at Red Grove and major in psychology. My personal experiences will help me to help others who are dealing with addictions.’”
Aiden sat back in his chair.
“So,” she asked. “What do you think?”
He said, “They’ll be lucky to have you.”
“Really? You think so?”
He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. “I know so.”
She squeezed his hand before letting go. Reaching for the computer, she said, “I have about thirty more minutes to finish up everything. Then, I’ll make breakfast.”
“Don’t rush,” he said, rising from his seat. “I can fix something for the both of us.”
For the next half an hour, Aiden mixed batter and sliced fruit. Lucy sat at the table and continued to work on her application. As he placed the final pancake onto a plate, she poked the keyboard with a finger. “It’s sent!”
“Congratulations,” he said, placing a bowl filled with sliced apples, grapes, and honeydew melon next to her seat. “When will you hear back?”
She pulled a hunk of melon from the bowl and popped it into her mouth. “Soon,” she said, around her food. “At least by the end of the week. Maybe sooner.”
Aiden placed the platter of pancakes next to the fruit. Then, he set two plates and silverware on the table. Lucy helped herself to several pancakes and a serving of fruit salad as Aiden grabbed a bottle of syrup and a stick of butter from the fridge.
“This smells delicious,” she said, smearing butter on the steaming pancakes. “Thanks.”
“We’ll have to go out to dinner and celebrate,” he said. “Maybe I can get us reservations at Prime.”
She cut a piece of pancake with the side of her fork and stabbed it with the tines. Swirling the wedge through a puddle of syrup, she said, “Let’s wait until I get in.”
Aiden sat beside her. “Now that you’ve sent in your application, what else is on the agenda for today?”
She chewed her bite and swallowed. “I think my to-do list somehow got longer. Since Ted is buying the ranch, I’ll have to arrange for the livestock to be sold. Your brother isn’t interested in running a working ranch.”
“I don’t think he is, either.” Aiden helped himself to several pancakes and took a bite. Lucy had been right. Breakfast was delicious.
“The good news,” she said, “is that once I sell the herd, there should be plenty of money for Grandpa Rusty’s care. He’ll also have money to move to Florida, if that’s what he wants. I’ll have money to pay for tuition and cover living expenses while I get my degree.”
“You sound pretty optimistic about this,” he said. “No regrets?”
“My family settled that land years ago, and I’m the one to let it all go.
But nobody was interested in keeping things going—except for me and Rusty.
And as it turns out, my grandpa is ready to move on.
” She shrugged and took another bite. “I guess it’s time for everyone to let go of the past, me included. ”
“Here’s to the future.” He lifted his coffee cup.
She touched her rim to his with a clink. “To the future.” She took a sip. “And speaking of the future, I’ll start looking for a new place to live. I promise you that I’ll be gone in a few weeks.”
“You know,” he said, “you don’t have to go anywhere. You can stay with me.”
“Are you asking me to live with you?”
Was he? Lucy’s question hung between them. Then again, he knew what he wanted. “Yeah,” he said. “I am.”
“It’d make my life easier to stay here while I wrap up everything at the ranch. On top of that, I really like living here—with you.” She paused and pushed a bite of pancake across her plate. “We’ll give it a few more weeks, and then, we’ll revisit.”
He leaned forward and placed his lips on hers. “We can talk again,” he said, speaking into the kiss. “But I won’t change my mind.”
She kissed him back before rising to her feet. “I’ll take care of the dishes. Then, I need to talk to my grandfather. There’s lots of arrangements to make.”
He stood as well. “You get ready. I’m still on medical leave, so I’ve got a lot of nothing going on. I can clean up.”
Lucy kissed him again. “You really are the best. I still can’t figure out how I got so lucky to be with you.”
“Maybe I’m the one who’s lucky,” he said. “Did you ever think about that?”
“Never,” she said, kissing him once more.
Aiden wrapped his arms around her waist. “I’ll be here when you get back.”
She slipped out of his embrace and walked toward the bathroom. She closed the door, and from where he stood, he could hear water running from the taps. For a moment, he thought of her perfect body covered in soapy water.
Aiden put all the leftover food into containers and stored them in the fridge.
As he started loading the dishwasher, the bathroom door opened, and Lucy stepped out.
She was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. Her wet hair had been plaited into a braid.
Sitting on the sofa, she slipped on a sneaker.
“I’ll call you after I talk to Rusty. I know I made the best choice for everyone. But honestly, I’m nervous.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” he asked, from where he stood at the sink.
She slipped her foot into the other shoe and tied the laces. “I need to do this on my own. But thank you for offering.”
She rose from the sofa and kissed his cheek.
Then, she was gone. It took Aiden only a few minutes to clean up everything from breakfast. And now he had the whole day ahead of him.
He understood the need for rest after a concussion.
It was just that all his symptoms had subsided after the first few days.
Now he had another week of nothing to do.
His phone started to ring, the tinny trill filling his apartment. Aiden wiped his hands on a cloth and walked to his bedroom. His phone, still charging, sat on the bedside table. He glanced at the screen. The caller ID read Callum Colton.
He reached for the phone just as the ringing stopped. Aiden used the missed call notification to dial his brother’s number.
“Hey,” said Callum. “Where are you?”
“At my apartment. Where would I be?”
“Meet me outside in two minutes. I’m on my way.”
“Are you going to tell me what this is about?”
“I just heard from the lab in Bismarck. They were able to find a partial fingerprint on the lock.”
After unplugging his phone, Aiden turned on the speaker function. “Was it enough to get an ID?” he asked, pulling open a dresser drawer.
“It was.”
His heart slammed into his chest. “Are you going to tell me who it is? Or do I have to wait until you get here?”
For a moment, the line was silent.
“You still there?” he asked, while pulling out a shirt from the open drawer.
“Stu,” said Callum.