Page 19 of One Hot Summer

Collin looks up, his blue eyes—a mirror of my own—lighting up. “Dad! I'm almost done. Miss Kelsie showed me a trick for remembering my times tables.”

The casual mention of her name makes my lips curve. “Did she now?”

As Collin launches into an explanation, I lean against the doorframe, drinking in the scene. This kitchen, once a place of quiet meals and stilted conversation, is now alive. To be honest, since Sarah left us, meals have been quiet. The realization hits me like a physical blow: I can't imagine this space—our lives—without her anymore.

“Let's see what you've got there, champ.” I peer over Collin's shoulder at his math homework.

His small hand points to a particularly tricky multiplication problem. “I’m stuck on this one, Dad. Can you help?”

“Sure thing.” I pull out the chair next to him. The legs scrape against the floor, a sound that used to echo in the emptiness of our kitchen. “Okay, let's break this down. Remember what Miss Kelsie taught you about grouping?”

“Oh yeah! We can split it into smaller parts!”

As we work through the problem together, I marvel at how much easier this feels now. Before Kelsie, these moments were often fraught with frustration—both mine and Collin's. But her patience has rubbed off on us both.

“There you go, buddy.” Collin scribbled down the final answer. “You've got this.”

Collin beams up at me, pride shining in his eyes. “Thanks, Dad. Can I go read my book now?”

“Sure thing. Don't stay up too late, alright?”

As Collin bounds up the stairs, I remain at the kitchen table, my gaze drawn to the empty chair across from me. Kelsie's chair. She is over at Mandy’s again tonight. There weekly girls night out rituals since she came back to Lawson Ridge. I am sure I’ll come up in conversation and honestly I want to know how she feels.

I mean we let ourselves go in the barn that night, and she’s been on the fence ever since. Not that she didn’t enjoy herself, because she did, but fear and doubt is a bitch. We have both had a rough couple of years, but her even more so. The hits just keep coming for her, but I want to make it to where she is safe. If she gives me this chance, I’ll show that no one can love her like I do.

I push away from the table, the chair scraping against the worn wooden floor. The house is too quiet, too empty without Kelsie's laughter or the sound of her humming as she helps with the dishes. I need air.

The screen door creaks as I step out onto the porch. I lean against the railing, my calloused hands gripping the wood as I stare out at the ranch.

Damn it, Kelsie. What are you doing to me?

I hadn’t been with anyone since my ex-wife. I remembered the day she left, the slam of the door still echoing in my ears after all these years. The pain had been raw, all-consuming. About a year later, with no communication from her, I got a call that she had passed away. Her mother said she was too sick and didn’t want our boy to watch her wither away to nothing. Our marriage wasn’t perfect by any means, but we loved each other. She was the mother of my child and I would have done anything to make it work, but I didn’t get the option.

With Kelsie, our past has been on the forefront of my mind since her brother called me. If she hadn’t gone off to college, a good part of my brain believes we would have ended up together. Not that I even remotely regret meeting my ex-wife and having my son, because he is the best thing that has ever happened to me. He has unlocked a door to my heart that only he can inhabit. There is just no love like a child’s love. Period.

I step back inside, but as I lean against the closed door, a tightness grips my chest. My eyes fall on a photo of Collin and I, grinning widely after his first successful cattle drive. The sight ofhis gap-toothed smile tugs at my heart. What if I screw this up? What if letting Kelsie in means setting myself up for another fall?

Is it worth the risk? Yes.It's time.

What if she doesn't feel the same?The doubt creeps in, but I push it aside.No. Even if she doesn't, she deserves to know. We both deserve the truth. Tomorrow. Tomorrow, I'd lay it all out for Kelsie.

Chapter Thirteen

Kelsie

Carson's hand rests gently on the small of my back as he guides me towards the entrance, his touch both thrilling and comforting. I glance up at him, trying to decipher the mysterious smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

“What's going on, Carson?”

“You'll see.”

As we step inside, my breath catches. The barn has been transformed into something magical. Dozens of candles flicker throughout. In the center is a rustic table set for two, with wildflowers and twinkling fairy lights.

My heart races and I turn to Carson. “You did all this?”

He nods. “I wanted to do something special for you.”

My guard slips. It has been so long since anyone has made such an effort for me. Part of me wants to retreat, to protect myself from the possibility of more pain.

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