Page 13 of Road to a Cowboy

In fact, he was hoping to get his workshops into Central Wyoming College’s outreach center in nearby Jackson so he could offer them more frequently. Had already submitted a proposal to the college to do just that.

Hovering over Marco’s shoulder, he squinted at the computer screen. “What’s the experience level with this group?”

“Most came from one of your previous workshops. A couple of them are new with self-proclaimed advanced knowledge of a DSLR camera.”

Austin grunted. He’d see whether or not that was true at tonight’s first lesson. “Anything from the college?”

Marco navigated to Austin’s email. “Not yet.”

A pang of disappointment hit Austin square in the chest, but Marco continued before it could settle in.

“You do have an email from someone named Hedda Haarstad from the Norwegian School of Photography.”

“Oh yeah?” Austin grinned at the thought of his mentor. “How is Hedda?”

Marco frowned at him over his shoulder. “You know her?”

“Mm-hmm. She’s the reason I got to go on a photography expedition in the Lofoten Islands my senior year of college.”

“Are those the photos that won you that award?”

“Yeah.”

The Night Sky Photographer of the Year Award had launched his career. Not that he was famous or anything. He was no Ansel Adams. But if someone googled night sky photography, Austin’s name was one of the first to pop up in the results. He’d submitted a portfolio of images that had won him the grand prize: an exhibition, his portfolio submission displayed in the National Maritime Museum—the host of the competition—and ten thousand pounds.

It had gotten him noticed by Wyoming Traveler and Traveler’s Digest Yearly magazines. He’d also had a short stint as one of the photographers on staff for a night sky magazine, but he and the creative director hadn’t seen eye to eye. Austin had cut his losses there and quit before things could get heated.

“Do you want me to respond to Hedda?”

“Nah,” Austin said. “I’ll get back to her tomorrow. What’s her email say?”

“She wants to know if?—”

Austin’s phone chimed with an incoming call, and he pulled it out of his pocket. It lit up with his brother’s photo.

Frowning, Austin stepped away from Marco. “Sorry, Marco. Give me a second.”

If it was after seven in Windsor, then it was after one o’clock in the morning in England. If his brother was calling at this hour, it couldn’t mean anything good. Braced for the worst, Austin stepped behind a wall displaying photos of Gannett Peak against a backdrop of stars and put the phone to his ear. “Ben? Is everything okay?”

“Hey.” Ben sounded tired but... okay. There was a hint of strain to his voice but nothing to indicate urgency. “Yeah, all good. Just on my way home from work, so I wanted to call and say hi.”

“Work? But...” Austin leaned against the wall and stared sightlessly out his front window. “I thought you had an office job. Creating videos for social media, right?”

“Yeah, that was...” Ben blew out an audible breath. “I don’t know. It wasn’t... It wasn’t for me.”

That was what Ben had said about his last job. And the one before that. And the one before that. And the one before that if Austin remembered correctly.

“Ben...” Austin hesitated. Ben wasn’t without his pride, but as his older brother, Austin was worried about him. “Are you okay? Do you need money? Do you need?—”

“No,” Ben interrupted, a thread of steel entering his voice. “I’m fine. Just figuring myself out.”

Frustration and concern burning through his veins, Austin swallowed a protest. Ben had been figuring himself out since he’d first flown to London in his junior year of college for a semester abroad. He’d been figuring himself out since he’d decided to stay there.

That had been almost three years ago.

Ben was ten years Austin’s junior—the same age as Las. In fact, Ben and Las had been best friends growing up, until they’d become something more, and then nothing at all when Ben had stayed in England. He’d made some questionable decisions in the past few years, but he was still Austin’s baby brother. They’d been close despite the decade between them, and Austin missed him, but more than that, he was worried about him.

It was all well and good that Ben wanted to figure himself out, but Austin had a feeling there was more to it than that. He’d visited Ben several times since he’d moved across the pond, and every time, Austin was tempted to bundle his brother up and bring him back home with him.

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