Chapter 48

48

They spent three days in Texas, mostly with his family. Meyra got to meet his entire family, except a cousin named Trevor who was an archeologist somewhere in Brazil right now. She couldn't wait to tell Dahlia about him—he was an archeology professor at FCU, too. Trevor's mother Joanie had told her FCU had an entire archeology degree program that was online. Dahlia wouldn't have to transfer or anything and there were plenty of archeology jobs that didn't require traveling. She could even do archeological research online from home, for companies that would pay her.

Trevor's brother Tucker, a blond version of Brandt, told her that there were lots of dinosaur fossils being discovered in Montana and Wyoming right now, too. She'd read that somewhere. Even though dinosaurs were paleontology, it was still very interesting. And she'd tell Dahlia. Dahlia was obsessed with archaeology and the past. She loved the stories of people, she said. Trevor was hunting for ancient civilizations, Brandt told her.

Brandt's dad was going to be okay. He had always had a small heart problem, even when he was a kid. He'd had some complications from that while in the hospital–stress, Brandt's mother said. From everything that had happened. Powell was resting more, too. Now that Gunnar was doing better.

They still hadn't caught the four men who had escaped, though. That terrified Meyra, knowing the men responsible for that drug that was being found everywhere had been that close to Brandt's family, that they were still out there. And angry. They'd even taken Brandt's mother's jewelry and his father's special watch.

She would never understand how people could hurt each other like that at all.

Meyra had spent all three nights wrapped up in his arms. It just was. Her dad had gotten used to it. Charlotte had told him to just deal, too.

Brandt was a little embarrassed, she thought, but he said he loved her. Her father would just have to get used to it.

Meyra agreed. Besides, her father liked Brandt. No one doubted that.

Her dad could be so weird sometimes.

Brandt's cousin had a private jet—he was a billionaire, after all, all Barratts had lots of money—and they all flew home on it. Including her parents. Rhea's talks with the head of the hospital had gone well. She had delivered his daughter years ago, when he had been passing through Masterson County. Meyra had met that daughter, too. She was a doctor at the hospital now.

Everything was just going on again. Like it was normal.

They were finding their new normals, just like Cara said.

"You are being really quiet," Brandt said next to her as he drove his new truck back from the airport. Her father and Rhea were in her father's truck behind them somewhere. "You okay?"

"Just thinking. About what is considered normal. I've never really liked that word."

"Oh? Why?"

"I have never felt normal. Marin told me when I was a teenager that she never had, either. That no one really ever was normal. Cara said…Heather told her normal always changes. So…is there ever really a normal to begin with?"

"I'm not sure there ever is. We…can create our own normal. Together."

She thought for a moment. "I think I will like that very much."

Her hand reached out. His fingers met hers.

He held her hand the entire drive home. And it felt like exactly what she wanted. Find their new normal? They could do that.

Together.