Page 4 of Long Past Dawn
“If you ask me, you’re as cranky as a bison ready to calve.”
“I didn’t ask you,” I said, lowering the mug. “I’ve got enough to worry about here, is what I’m saying. I don’t need to be worrying about Beau Hanson, too. If he doesn’t want to talk, I sure as hell can’t make him.”
Heaven held up her hand and waved it. “Blaze is just worried about him, that’s all.”
I nodded and bit my lip for a moment before I made eye contact with her again. “I am, too. He’s going to kill himself out there. I told him I wasn’t going to lose any sleep over his dead, frozen body, but you know I would.”
“I know you would. Beau's your best guy friend, but I’m your best friend, of course, and it better stay that way, even after I get married.” Her hand was on mine now, and the way she rubbed it belayed the undertone of her joking.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” I promised on a wink. “How are the plans coming to merge the two ranches?” I asked as we carried our cocoa into the living room to get more comfortable. It was warmer in there, too, which wasn’t a bad thing on a blustery night like tonight.
We turned on our favorite movie about a haunting in a small town, but all I could see was the haunted eyes of my best guy friend. That seemed to be a theme around here. Most of us were haunted by the past in some way or another. None of us knew how to talk about it. We didn’t knowifwe should talk about it. Beau was usually always the first to offer a smile and the last to leave the party. That had changed recently, but none of us knew why.
“And then I told Blaze I was going to sell Grover and buy a Clydesdale to ride,” Heaven said.
“Leave Grover here. I’ll take care of him,” I muttered, my mind still on Beau’s sad chocolate eyes.
Heaven tipped my chin toward her. “I just told you I was buying a Clydesdale, babe. What the hell is up with you?”
“I’m worried about Beau.” I leaned my head back on the couch. “Like, really worried.”
Heaven wiped a tear off my face and ran her fingers through my hair like she does when she wants to say something without making me mad. “I know you are. We’re all worried, but I think it’s more than that. You’re losing weight at a record pace and grimace every time you move wrong. At first, I thought you’d hurt yourself, but I don’t think that’s the case anymore. I’m not so blinded by the changes in my life that I can’t see the changes in yours. I’m still your best friend, Dawn Lee, and I know something is wrong.”
I could tell her the truth, but to what end? It would just worry her, and I didn’t want to do that when trying to get the dude ranch off the groundandplan a wedding. “I did hurt myself. The injury is hanging on, but it’s improving, so don’t worry.”
“I do worry because you’re working too hard. I’m glad we had so many applicants for the cook position. That’s going to help take a huge load off you every day.”
I nodded and offered her a smile that I didn’t feel. “I agree. I’m burning the candle at both ends, and it’s starting to show. Aren’t we supposed to be talking about the wedding plans?” I asked, sitting up and forcing my mind away from that cold cowboy on the ridge and back to my best girl-friend.
“Yes, until I noticed the slump of your shoulders and the pain etched across your face. I decided the plans could wait, and we’d just spend the night watching movies and relaxing. We have plenty of time to talk about the wedding.”
I pushed myself up off the couch and grabbed her mug and mine. “In that case, let me get some popcorn and a little Jim Beam. It’s not a movie marathon without them.”
Heaven laughed, and while the sound was light and airy, I could tell she was forcing it. As I walked away, it was hard to pretend that the look in her eye was anything but worry.
Two
I set a platter of biscuits down on the table and poured myself a cup of coffee. It had been almost a week since I had seen Dawn up on the ridge. Since then, she’d been incognito, which was unusual. We were nearing April, and while it was getting warmer as the sun stayed out later each day, I was still forced to sleep inside for shelter. For the most part, I stayed in the barn unless Heaven was at her ranch, then I slept in the house.
This morning, I’d showered and changed, then made a platter of biscuits to avoid going out to do chores. The end of March offered nothing but cold, blowing snow, which made trying to get work done efficiently almost impossible.
“Smells good in here,” Blaze said from the doorway.
I motioned at the platter on the table. “Beau’s sausage biscuits are on the menu. Help yourself. There’s coffee in the pot.”
Blaze strode into the room, his usual cocky swagger firmly in place, even without his boots. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat at the table, snagging a biscuit, and biting into it. His eyes rolled around in his head, and he moaned, finishing the whole thing before he spoke.
“I swear, Beau, you could market these. They’re like heaven.”
“And you know heaven.”
He pointed at me and gave me the same cheeky grin he’d given me way back in third grade. “I do know Heaven. She’s at the ranch getting ready to help the new cook with dinner.”
I sipped my coffee and stretched my leg out under the table. “I’m glad Heaven found someone. Now Dawn will have less to do. Did you notice that Dawn lost a lot of weight over the winter?”
He nodded while he chewed his biscuit. “We have. Heaven’s terribly worried, but Dawn refuses to talk about it. Maybe you should be the one to ask Dawn about it.”
I snorted and almost choked on the swallow of coffee in my mouth. “Dude, do I look dumb as a watermelon? You don’t ask a woman something like that.” I shook my head at the thickheaded fool in front of me. “That would be the perfect way to end a friendship.”
