Page 63 of Omega's Refuge

“I suppose that’s true.”

He said, “So, I reached out to a few ranches in Montana, to see if they’d hire me.”

“Why Montana. You lived in Dallas, right?”

“Yeah. I picked Montana because that’s where my Grandfather’s ranch had been. My grandmother sold it after he died, but Montana had settled in my bones. Since I was determined to dowhatI wanted, and to livewhereI wanted, I picked Montana.”

“Okay. I get it now.”

“I didn’t have enough experience for most of the ranches I contacted. But Mrs. Rodwell was willing to give me a shot. I’ve worked my tail off hoping to make her happy about her decision. I had to prove myself, but I think I’ve done that. She trusts me implicitly now.”

“She seems very fond of you,” I murmured, thinking about the talk we’d had where she asked me not to make promises to Rex.

“I’m fond of her too. I’ll never be able to thank her enough for taking a chance on me. She saved my sanity.” His jaw tensed. “Being a corporate lawyer involves a lot of game-playing and trickery. I realized I really hated that shit. I wanted a simpler life. A more honest, authentic life where my connections with people were real. I wanted a job where I made peoplehappy, not just rich.” He gave a self-conscious smile. “That probably sounds naive to you.”

“No, Rex.” I grimaced. “Not at all. I get it. I really do.”

“Yeah?”

“Absolutely,” I admitted. “I feel trapped and unhappy much of the time.” The confession tumbled out unplanned, but I didn’t regret it. He was being so open with me, it seemed okay to tell him how I felt about things.

He looked empathetic. “I sensed that discontentment in you, if I’m honest.”

I met his gaze, relieved there was no judgement. “I’ve tried to ignore the feelings of emptiness for ages.”

“You shouldn’t ignore them. You should act on them.”

“How?”

He shrugged. “Make changes that will make you happy.”

“Easier said than done.” I plucked at a loose thread on the sleeping bag.

“It seems overwhelming, I know. You have to break it all down into little parts. What is it you hate most about your life?” His expression was curious. “If you could only change one thing, what would it be?”

“My job,” I admitted without hesitation. “Not the art part, but I hate having to hunt down a new position every few months. Job hunting is stressful, and even though I always find a job, I know that stress is looming in the near future.”

He winced. “Sounds awful.”

“It is.”

He twisted his lips, looking thoughtful. “What’s the second thing you’d change if you could?”

“Where I live,” I confessed.

“What don’t you like about where you live?”

I looked up at the stars twinkling in the night sky. “The noise. The smog. It’s not as bad as maybe LA would be, but it’s also not great.”

He nodded. “No, living in the city is always going to have some smog and traffic.”

“But Steve liked where we lived, and moving is such a hassle.” I met his gaze. “It’s been easier to just stay put.”

“I agree. Moving is a big decision.” He wrinkled his brow. “Changing your job might be simpler. Maybe you could change the types of jobs you go after. Look for something long term, rather than contract work.”

My cheek twitched. “Unfortunately, those jobs are harder to get without a degree.”

“You don’t have a degree?” He lifted his brows.

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