Page 10 of 15 Summers Later

His sigh did not go unnoticed by Madi. “Sounds like you got stood up. Does Sierra have hot plans?”

“She wants to spend the night over at Zoe’s place with Mariko and Yuki. Why not? That’s much more fun than hanging out with her boring old man.”

“I don’t think she would agree. You know she adores you. Sounds like she got a better offer, though.”

“Right. I can’t really compete with a night of watching YouTube videos and practicing TikTok dances.”

“Sorry about that.” She gave her half smile. “You can always come to the Burning Tree with me and Nic tonight. The Rusty Spurs are playing. Should be a wild time. If you want to play the boring-old-man card, you can be our designated driver.”

He snorted. “I don’t think you and my sister really want a chaperone, do you?”

“No. Absolutely not,” she said, so quickly he had to smile. “But you can still come with us, have a drink, listen to the music. You deserve some fun in your life, Luke. Consider it self-care.”

“I’ll think about it, Dr. Howell,” he said, though he expectedthinking about itwas all he would do. He would probably spend the night popping some popcorn and enjoying a beer and a baseball game.

Not a bad Friday night, in his opinion. Did that make him sound pathetic?

“Thanks again for your help,” Madi said as they both headed out of the barn. The kitten was once more tucked into her bag.

“You’re welcome.”

Outside, the shadows of the late afternoon were long, with golden light that gleamed in the treetops and danced in her hair.

“Seriously,” she said when they reached his truck. “You should come out tonight. The band starts playing at eight. If you don’t want to drive us, you can meet us there. That way if you want to leave early, you won’t feel trapped.”

He shook his head, hand on the door frame of his blue pickup truck. “When did this become a done deal?”

“Admit it, Luke. You could use a night out. You work too hard. When you’re not working, you’re taking care of Sierra or helping out here at the animal rescue. Tell me the truth. When was the last time you did something simply because you wanted to?”

He snorted. “Who said I want to go hang out at a noisy bar with a bunch of half-drunk cowboys?”

“Plus your sister and me,” she pointed out. “We’ll be there, too. Don’t you want to hang out with us, outside of work?”

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

She grinned. “You’ll have fun, I promise. It’s better than sitting home on your own, watching some kind of lame sports ball.”

“I happen to enjoy watching lame sports ball.”

“I know, but how often do you get to watch live music surrounded by two hundred neighbors and strangers?”

“You’re not exactly selling this.”

“Your first drink is on me.”

His mouth quirked. “Oh, why don’t you say so? If free booze is involved, how can I say no?”

She laughed. “We’ll save a spot for you at our table. See you there. Wear your dancing boots.”

He didn’t happen to own dancing boots. Or any other kind, except hiking boots, which probably wouldn’t be too helpful on a dance floor.

“I’ll see,” he said, but she was already walking up the graveled pathway that led to the farmhouse where she lived with his sister.

4

One harrowing night, we find ourselves scrambling up a rocky scree, loose stones cascading beneath our feet. The jagged terrain threatens to betray us, and I feel my sister’s hand slip from mine as we stumble and slide down the unforgiving slope. Bruised and battered, we rise again, our determination

unbroken.

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