Page 73 of Redemption

The bank was in an old church that had been remodeled. Its high ceilings and bare white walls created an echo so everyone spoke in hushed tones. I sat down with my advisor who practically laughed me out of the building. I was not a viable candidate for a loan. I had nothing to offer up as collateral except the ranch which was not an acceptable asset being that it was so in arrears.

I sat in my truck afterwards, trying not to have a panic attack and give in to my spiraling thoughts. The ranch needed me, the girls needed me. I needed to fix this and I needed some time to refocus my thoughts and come up with another solution.

I went home and shut myself in Daddy’s office and started going through everything from the beginning, praying I would find an answer somewhere.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Jack

She was pulling away from me.

I could feel it and it didn’t feel good. Ever since our night together I had been craving her company more and more. I wanted to watch how her smart brain worked through challenges, how she came alive with the hard work she put in at the ranch. Even how she was around her sisters and the bond they shared.

And yet she felt further away than ever. Any time I tried to get close to her she pushed me away, brushed me off and dammit she was hurting my feelings. I felt like a lovesick puppy trailing after her but she wanted nothing to do with me.

I’d thought there was something between us but I guess I was wrong. She wanted it strictly business. Butsometimes when she looked at me, I could feelsomething. Like I hadn’t made it all up in my head. I played our night together over and over in my mind, wondering what I did wrong, but I couldn’t figure it out. Maybe I was too attached, maybe she wanted no strings and here I was trying to tie her to me.

There was a knock at the cabin door and my heart pounded in my chest, hoping it was her. I swung the door open and was immediately disappointed.

“Happy to see you too, bud.” Leo frowned at me. “Come on, we’re going for a drink.” He jerked his head towards his truck and then walked off.

“I don’t drink,” I called after him.

“No shit,” he shouted back. “Bars sell root beer too, ya know.”

I kinda wanted to stay in tonight and sulk, like a grown ass man, but getting out of the cabin and socializing might be kinda nice. Just the sheer fact that someone in this town wanted to spend time with me was a great feeling and hell, I needed friends.

I grabbed my phone and followed him, running to catch up. “You know I can’t drive us home if you get shitfaced?” I said, tugging open the door to Leo’s truck.

Leo sighed like he was running out of patience. “Yeah, I know. That’s why I’m having a root beer too.” He put the truck in gear and reversed out, rolling the windows down and the cool summer breeze drifted in, bringing the smell of the ranch, the sweet soft scent from wildflowers, and birds singing their final song of the day.

We rode in silence and I closed my eyes, tilting my head back against the headrest, enjoying the drive. God, I’d loved driving. I missed it so much and this way I still got to experience it, just not to the fullest.

Leo pulled up at The Lonely Bison and we got out,heading inside. “I take it you’re okay coming here on your night off?” Leo called over his shoulder.

“Yeah, I like it here.” It was true, there was such a great feel to it, small town comfort.

Leo went to order the drinks and I grabbed a high-top in the corner, away from the band. I looked around, conscious of being here for the first time as a customer. I took in the people dancing to the band’s bluegrass music, heard the excited chatter coming from other tables and laughter from where friends egged each other on at the mechanical bull.

Leo slid the bottle of root beer across the table to me and sat down on his chair. We clinked the necks together and I took a deep swig, the bubbles fizzing my nose.

“Look at us, two young, hot single men out for the night and sitting here all alone with root beers,” Leo joked, and I chuckled.

“So what’s your deal?” I asked. I liked Leo but I didn’t know a lot about him.

He shrugged. “What do you wanna know?”

“Firstly, why you’ve dragged me out for a drink?”

Leo’s bottle stalled halfway to his mouth. “I felt bad for you.”

I winced. “Thanks.”

Leo grinned. “Nah man, I don’t mean like that. I could tell that you were enjoying the free life and then, all of a sudden, the last week or so you’ve been down. And I thought it might have something to do with our Katarina sneaking out of your cabin the other morning.”

Busted. I rubbed the back of my neck. “I just can’t figure out what she wants.”

Leo snorted. “Can any man figure out what a woman wants? Take Maddy for instance, she keeps going on all these dates but…you know what,” he held uphis hands, stopping the rant before he truly got started, “this is about you, not me.”

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