Home to Wyoming

On her way into the bedroom with their packages, her cell phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID. It was Frank calling her back. She’d tried to reach him earlier that morning, but he’d been in a meeting. Guilt pricked her when she thought about Buck being in the next room. The fact that she felt any guilt told her she was in trouble.

“If you’ll excuse me, I need to answer my phone.”

“Take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere.”

She shivered, knowing it was true. After shutting the door, she sank down on the side of her twin bed to talk. “Frank?”

“Finally! I waited for your call this morning, but when it didn’t come, I had a business conference to attend. How are you?”

“Good.” Better than good, but he wouldn’t like hearing her say that, since he hadn’t wanted her to leave Sacramento. He was afraid it would open up old wounds for her and Jenny by being around the marines who’d invited them. To her surprise, it was doing the exact opposite. But after meeting Buck, she felt...vulnerable. She could never remember feeling that way before.

“I miss you more than I can say, Alexis.” He’d always called her that at the bank and it had stuck.

When she thought about it, she hadn’t had time to miss him and that made her feel guiltier. “I miss you too. Will you be seeing Cindy and the kids soon?”

“I’m going over there for dinner tonight.”

“I’m glad.”

“Where are you right now?”

“At the cabin. We’ve just come home from town with cowboy boots and a cap gun.”

“Cap gun?”

“Yes. There’s a boy here, Jenny’s age, who has one. They’re outside, running around with them. In a few minutes we’re going to the barn to see his pony. Frank—I-I’m afraid I can’t talk any longer,” she stammered, aware Buck was waiting for her. She couldn’t think with him inside her cabin. “Call me tonight when you’re back from Cindy’s and we’ll talk.”

“I should be home by ten at the latest.”

“Talk to you then.”

“Alexis?”

“Yes?”

“I love you. Let’s hope this trip does Jenny a world of good, because we have plans to make when you get back.”

“We’ll talk about that tonight. Love you, too.” She hung up and hurried back into the living room.

Buck was standing on the front porch with a coffee mug, obviously keeping an eye on the kids. He’d made coffee for her. She pulled it out of the microwave and joined him. “Sorry. That was a phone call I had to take. Thanks for the coffee.” She took a sip.

He eyed her over his mug. “You’re welcome. Everything okay?”

She took a steadying breath. She wasn’t okay, not really. Frank would be horribly hurt and upset by what she had to tell him. She was upset, too. “Yes.”

He turned toward the main ranch house. “They’ve gone to see if they can spot Moppy. If they’re not back in a few minutes, I’ll go get them.”

“I suspect they ran out of caps.”

“You’re right.” He chuckled. “But they decided to take a detour before they loaded up again so they wouldn’t scare the squirrel.”

“Johnny seems to be a busy bee. I think Jenny has met her match.”

“Soul mates at seven,” he mused aloud. “Wouldn’t that be something?”

“Did you ever meet yours?” The question flew out of her mouth before she could prevent it. She shouldn’t have asked him anything that personal, but couldn’t seem to help herself.

“I thought I had in high school. But when I went away to college, she didn’t wait for me.”

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