Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Corey

Ashley thoughthe’d come home to the ranch and maybe sit around for a few days before getting back to it. He wouldn’t have admitted as much at first, but I knew it wouldn’t be long before he got restless.

Four days after coming home, I was proven right. My boy had attempted to use his crutches to go to the front porch while I was in the shower.

“The doctor said you weren’t ready to use those yet,” I scolded gently when I found him leaning against the side of the couch in the living room. “Why didn’t you take the wheelchair?”

He gave me a frustrated look. “I hate that thing. Sitting for that long is so boring. And I miss being outside. There’s no fresh air in here.”

“I understand that, baby, but you have to do what the doctor says. What do you say we roll you out onto the porch this morning, and you can spend some time out there while I work? I can come check on you periodically.”

I rolled the wheelchair over to him and motioned for him to sit. He eased down slowly, which told me he was hurting more than he let on.

“I guess that will work,” he grumbled after situating himself. “But I think I’ll still be bored. I don’t know how to be still.”

An idea hit me then. “How about today we take it easy and tonight I show you some knitting basics? It’s a great stress reliever, and it would keep you from being bored. I used to do it nightly on the porch before you came around.”

Mentioning it had me itching to pull my needles back out. It had been too long since I’d crafted anything. My time had been spent with my boy and getting him settled instead. I’d been focused on building a new life.

“I guess that could be fun. I’m not sure I’ll be any good at it.”

“Nonsense. You’ll do amazing. It’s that or you take up reading. Everything else is pretty much off limits.”

There were other things he could try, but limiting his options was best. My boy was indecisive to a fault. That’s where I could step in. Daddy knew what was best for him.

“Fine. I’ll try it. Can we go outside now? I really do miss it.” His expression was so pitiful, I couldn’t have said no to that face.

I wheeled him onto the porch, then went back inside to make us some food. Twenty minutes and a loaded down tray later, I went back outside to see him smiling big for the first time since coming home.

“That’s what I like seeing,” I told him as I eased the tray onto the end table I’d parked him beside. “You look so happy.”

He nodded. “I wasn’t lying about feeling cooped up. Even just a few minutes out here feels wonderful.”

“Well, that’s good since you’re going to be here all day. Let’s eat, then I’ve got to get to work.”

“It’s still early,” he whined.

I kissed his cheek as I handed him a bowl of cereal. “If I get started sooner, then I can finish early to get back for our knitting lesson.”

His pout transformed into a timid smile. “I guess it’s not all that bad then.”

Aside from a fewgrumbles throughout the day, my boy did much better by spending most of his day outside. Using his chair gave him some freedom to get around the bunkhouse without having to wait on me either, which I felt improved his mood greatly. Turned out being confined to a bed was not his favorite pastime.

While I did manage to finish early, I still had to shower before we could begin our work. I was finishing up when a text from Harlan came to tell me he’d made us to-go plates for dinner. Grabbing them took a few more minutes, then I was seated beside my boy with both of us holding a set of knitting needles.

I went over the basics with him, taking my time repeating the movements until he could follow along. As I suspected, he was a natural in some ways. The starting slipknot was child’s play for him, while the cast-on process took a bit longer.

We didn’t move onto a new step until I knew he felt comfortable with what we were doing. By the time darkness had fallen, he’d formed a couple of solid rows.

“What happens after this?”

I shrugged. “Depends on what you want. You could keep practicing or I could give you some basic patterns. Scarves and such can be simpler to start with. Even a blanket might be good for you since it’s a big project. It’s harder to mess those up compared to the smaller, more intricate things.”

“Yes, please. This feels good. I like knowing I’m doing something productive. Plus, it’s kind of cool sharing this with you.”

He bit his lip like he wanted to say something else but wouldn’t. I leaned over to grip his chin and turn him my way.

“What are you thinking right now?”

“Would you be ok with spending our nights like this for a while? I really like it being just us while we work on this. You can tell me all about your day too. It’s almost like our old letters coming back to life. I miss hearing your thoughts, Daddy.”

My sweet boy.

Oh, my freaking heart could burst.

“Absolutely baby! I will never turn down getting to spend time with you. I’ve missed this more than I thought. Getting to do it with you is an even better bonus.”

I builtmyself a new routine over the next few weeks. We loved being together in the evenings. It was something to look forward to because it gave us the alone time that was hard as hell to find on the ranch.

We were working together one evening when Travis screamed from inside the bunkhouse and then ran out the door. “Oh my god! Oh my god! Preacher just called, but I missed it. What do I do?”

Holt came out of the bunkhouse a second later, a towel wrapped around his waist and soap in his hair. “Why are you screaming?”

My boy and I watched them with curiosity, our hands never stopping their rhythm. He’d practiced enough in the daytime to keep up with me now. We’d finished a number of scarves and hats. He was now on a blanket while I focused on a sweater for him.

Ashley’s size was often a problem when it came to clothing. I’d seen him get frustrated more than once after ordering something and finding out it didn’t fit right. We’ve had to return a few things since his arrival. I wanted to expand his wardrobe options without adding to his fury.

The best way I could think to do so was simply to make it myself. He’d been asking me for days what I was making, but I’d deflected each time so I could keep it mostly a surprise.

Travis repeated his words to a hesitant Holt. “I’m not sure what to do next.”

“Call him back, maybe?” My boy said slowly, like he thought they weren’t the right answer.

Holt and I agreed by nodding, so Travis pressed the button on the phone to redial. He put it on speaker, then said, “Please help” to us all as the ringing began.

Holt wrapped a still dripping wet arm around his boy as we all waited for whatever news came. When Preacher answered, Travis could barely speak.

“Hey Preacher. This is Holt. We’ve talked before.”

“Yes. I remember you. I’m guessing Travis is a nervous wreck after missing my call. Am I right?”

“That sums it up. Tell us what you’ve got,” Holt replied with a rough chuckle.

Preacher sighed, which sent alarms off in my mind. “The news isn’t great. I found him. He’s ok from what I’ve seen. I approached him to speak, and he didn’t appear to be in any kind of distress. When I told him who I was and why I was speaking to him, his mood shifted. He became… well, I can’t call it angry or sad. It was more closed off. He told me that he wouldn’t come back to the ranch right now, nor did he want me to tell you where he was. He said he’d be in touch when he was ready.”

Travis’s face dropped. He tucked his head into Holt’s shoulder. The other man gave me a look that I felt deep in my core.

We’d lost Gerald. There was no doubt about it. The sheriff could have been exaggerating, but there was no reason for Preacher to. He was getting paid to deliver information. Technically, he was doing just that, and it was the same report we’d already had.

“I’ve already spoken with Robin because I was able to confirm his brother was ok as well. Neither man wants contact at this time. I’d advise you not to pursue anything further. I’ll keep tabs on them and if things change, then I’ll let you know. As of now, though, I’d say that you just find a way to move on. It’s hard but necessary.”

“Thanks for letting us know. We’ll pass the word along to the others on the ranch.”

Holt cut the call after, which left us with an ominous silence. Things would never be the same.

I was filled with mixed emotions. While I hated that Gerald wasn’t coming back, and I longed for my old friend, I was also the happiest I’d ever been. I had my boy, and we were building a life together. Minus the scare with his leg breaking, we’ve been doing good. Great, actually.

It was a perfect example to me of how life would balance itself out. One good thing for one bad. One positive for one negative. One friendship lost for one new love gained.