Chapter 4 #2
The conversation drifted, leisurely and unhurried—sports, weather, and the latest compound upgrades Bert was overseeing.
Someone mentioned Cutter's Pub in town and whether they should head there later.
Timothy told a story about his last flight training session that had everyone laughing.
Dalton gave his brother grief about the cabinet project that was taking longer than expected, and Frazier shot back with a comment about Dalton's tendency to measure once and cut twice.
Cole let it wash over him, contributing when appropriate but mostly just absorbing the moment. These men had become his brothers. Not by blood like Dalton and Frazier, but by choice. By shared purpose and the kind of trust you couldn't fake.
They cleaned up together after dinner, the kitchen restored to order in minutes with everyone pitching in before they grabbed fresh beers and headed back to the porch.
As the sun touched the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple, Cole felt that familiar settling in his chest. This was right. This was home. Not the bunkhouse itself, but what it represented.
"You heading out?" Timothy asked as Cole stood, collecting empty beer bottles.
"Yeah. My roommate thinks she'll starve if I'm gone more than eight hours." Cole grinned at the groans that followed. "What? She's good company."
"You need a girlfriend, man," Frazier said, as the others chuckled. "Not a cat."
"A cat is less complicated." But Cole was still smiling as he headed for his truck. "See you guys tomorrow."
The drive to his apartment took twenty minutes, the road cutting through land that rolled and dipped like waves frozen in grass and stone. His apartment complex sat on the edge of town, nothing fancy but clean and quiet, with a view of the mountains from his living room window.
BB met him at the door with an indignant yowl, orange fur puffed out like Cole had abandoned her for weeks instead of hours. The cat was fat and loud and completely lacking in dignity, and Cole had to admit he'd grown attached to the demanding furball.
"Yeah, I know. Worst human ever." He scooped canned food into the bowl and watched BB attack it as if she'd never been fed. "You're welcome, Your Majesty."
Cole grabbed a beer from his fridge and dropped onto the couch, flipping through channels until he found a baseball game. BB finished eating and jumped onto his lap, purring like a diesel engine as she kneaded Cole's thigh with sharp claws.
"Easy there." But Cole didn't push her away, just scratched behind the cat's ear while the game played in the background. “By the way, you gotta behave for Evie while I’m gone.” Sisco was bringing his daughter over so that she could feed BB while he was gone.
His phone buzzed, and he grinned. “Hey, Ma.”
“Just wanted to say hello, and hope everything is going well.”
“I’m good… real good. You okay?”
“Lordy, between your sisters, you’d know it if I wasn’t,” his mother laughed.
He chuckled. “That’s for sure.”
“Got any trips planned?”
“Heading out tomorrow for Alaska.”
There were a few seconds of silence, but then his mom said, “Your father would be so proud of you and what you're doing.”
Cole's throat tightened with emotion. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and managed to reply, “I hope so.”
“I know so. Well, I’ll say good night. Love you, honey.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
He set the phone aside and leaned back, BB a warm weight on his lap. The apartment was quiet except for the cat's rumbling purr and the distant murmur of the television. Outside his window, the mountains stood black against a darkening sky, stars beginning to emerge in the vast Montana darkness.
This was his life now. Good work with good people. A place that felt like home. Friends who'd become family. An overfed cat who'd claimed him as property.
It should be enough.
But somewhere in the back of his mind, in that space he only acknowledged during quiet moments like this, a question lingered.
The same one that had followed him from growing up in North Dakota to the Army, where he served all over the world.
Then he’d followed a fellow Ranger’s recommendation to Maine, where he worked for the original LSI.
He thought of those Keepers and smiled. Good people to know and have at his back.
Yet he longed to be closer to his family, and when his boss told him about the new LSI opening in Montana, the decision was easy, and he’d never regretted the move.
But was this it? Good work, good friends, good beer, and a fat cat? Or was there something more out there, something he hadn't found yet? Someone who'd make this life feel complete instead of just comfortable?
BB stretched across his lap, claws digging in before settling. Cole stroked the orange fur and let his mind drift, only half-watching the game.
Maybe this was enough. Maybe some men were meant to fly solo, find their satisfaction in the work and the sky and the brotherhood of warriors. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing missing from a life well-lived, even without the partnership some of his teammates had found.
Tonight, he had a cat, a couch, and a quiet apartment with a view of the mountains he'd chosen to call home. He told himself it was enough. And almost believed it.