Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 112850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
“You could do that,” Tommy said. “We could all help. I’ll keep editing the videos for you.”
“I’m not meant to be in front of the camera, but I don’t mind talkin’ while I’m filmin’. I was thinkin’ we probably need some semi-professional filmin’ gear. What do you think?”
“Yeah, I guess. Slade’s the actor. He’d be good in front of the camera too.”
“I wanna wait to tell him. I gotta see what he decides,” I said. “Can you order the equipment? Do you know about that stuff?”
“Mace, you and Slade need to talk. There’s two of you in this relationship,” Tommy said, and I gave a silent huff.
“That’s what Kitt said too.” I left the phone with Tommy. He had agreed to make my raw footage into a loadable video, and he was damned good at it.
I pushed through the kitchen door to the patio. Willow was right there ready for a good pet down. It seemed to be what I did the most these days.
What was Slade so upset with?
I refused to believe he’d played me.
What was my love dealing with, and why was he keeping me at arm’s length?
The answer was so clear. To protect me. Then how did I protect him in return?
Chapter 32
Mace
Nothing cleared a head better than wide-open spaces.
At least for me that was true. I took my seat in my Adirondack chair and let Whiskey’s reins go, giving him freedom to explore. Between the cowboy hat on my head and this quarter horse gazing nearby, they’d both become an extension of me.
So had Slade who should be sitting in the seat beside me right then. I absently reached for the arm of Slade’s chair, resting my hand there as if I could still feel his energy.
I removed my hat with the other hand and rested it on my knee. After a deep exhale, I leaned by head against the back of the chair.
The strangest part of my coming out was that I found I didn’t care what anyone thought about me. What a weird thing to figure out after all this time. Since the second we told my parents and they’d welcomed my truth with open arms, the rest didn’t matter.
What did matter was that Slade wasn’t there with me. And why couldn’t I wrap my head around the idea that Slade didn’t want me anymore? That the price he’d paid wasn’t worth his involvement with me?
I was so lost in the thought that I hadn’t noticed Whiskey come into my space until he nudged me. I thought he wanted the carrots I always had with me, but that wasn’t it. He was showing me a rider on horseback headed my way. I still reached inside my saddlebag to reward Whiskey for a job well done.
The rider wasn’t on a leisurely run; he galloped with intent, dirt clumps flying behind the horse. As he came closer, I saw Kitt Kelly was the rider. I stayed on my feet, waiting for his arrival. The calmness that overtook me didn’t even allow for any curiosity as to why he’d come to see me today. I was actually thankful for the company. Kitt rode Pepper, easily commanding the animal where Slade was still out of sorts with him.
“Hey,” I said when they finally came to a halt directly in front of me. I reached for the reins, as he fluidly kicked a foot over Pepper to dismount. “Did I miss somethin’?”
“Nah, Austin told me he talked to Slade. That he’s in a dark place and didn’t come home this weekend.” Kitt took the reins and guided Pepper to the pond for a drink. “I might be the only person on the planet that understands what you’re goin’ through, so I came.” Kitt shrugged, reaching for a bottle of water fixed to the saddle. “Do you feel like he’s ruined your life? Because that’s what he thinks you should think. It sounds like he’s in a bad place of self-doubt and selfishness.”
“I’m givin’ him room, but it’s hard. We’re takin’ all this completely differently.” As we spoke, he pulled out two travel-size fishing poles, offering one to me.
“You fish?” he asked.
“Yeah.” I took the pole. How long had it been since I cast a line? Too long.
Kitt produced a small carton of worms.
“It’s been a while since I’ve done this,” Kitt said as he took the different parts of the pole out of the small carry case. “Life gets complicated. It’s hard to balance the interruptions with runnin’ a farm. Sometimes I lose the joy of bein’ at one with the countryside.” He deftly put the pole together as he spoke. I followed along and did mine too. “But fishin’ handles all problems,” he added, grinning broadly. “I expected to find you in a dark place. You seem okay.”
“I guess,” I said. “It’s beginnin’ to feel like Slade wants out. He’s not talkin’ to me much anymore. That part’s been hard because he made us talk all the time. I miss my buddy.” Kitt dropped down into a squat, digging through the worms. He handed one to me, and we both baited our hooks. “But for some reason, I reject that. Slade’s more emotional than I am. He sees the world differently than I do.”