Page 28 of The Other Side

Brett shrugged. “The story has been twisted a lot over the years. At first, I heard it was about property lines. The family lands share a border, and there’s a pond that crosses over that line. Both families raised cattle, and while they both wanted access to the pond so they wouldn’t have to pump in water for the livestock, the Howard side of the pond always froze early in the winter and dried up early in the summer. Thea’s family claimed that my great grandpa had allowed them access to more of the pond, but my grandpa didn’t want to honor that easement when he inherited the land.

He paused there, running a hand over his head. “There’s also a rumor about someone in my family having an affair with one of the Howards, but I never could figure out who it was. I definitely didn’t ask.”

“Basically, it’s a lot of he said she said?” Colt asked. “Might be easier to keep your distance from her, don’t you think?”

“Might be easier, but I’ve tried that. It’s not gonna happen. Thea left town five years ago, and I haven’t had a serious relationship since.”

“I figured you’d say that, but it was worth asking. It was like that with Remi too. It was her or no one,” Colt said. “I couldn’t picture myself with another woman. It always felt–”

“Wrong?” Brett added.

“Exactly.”

“I’ve flirted with plenty of women, but there’s always something missing. I could go on a date and tell the woman in all honesty that she was great and all, but I wouldn’t be asking for another date.”

“Yep. I know that feeling.”

“It’s completely different with Thea. I’ve been looking for her for years because no one could hold a candle to her. I knew back then she was the one for me.” Brett stared down into the black depths of his coffee. “I thought we were on the same page.”

“So, she left and didn’t tell you anything?” Colt asked. “And you still feel the same way about her?”

“I thought either my family or her family had done something to her. Then I heard enough clues that her family had probably sent her away. Still, I wish she’d told me where she was going. When she was out of sight, she wasn’t out of my mind. I knew things were dicey with our families, but I couldn’t believe she would leave without telling me.”

Mr. Chambers hummed low in his throat. “Love is sweet ‘til it’s sour.”

Brett fought the urge to glance at the old man. Mr. Chambers spent three-fourths of his life with a wife who loved him and stood by him day in and day out only to be forced to live out the end of his life alone.

Well, Mr. Chambers wasn’t really alone, but it must be hard to live without the woman he loved.

“So, what are you gonna do?” Colt asked.

“Go back to the hospital. Her brother came by and pretty much confirmed my suspicions that her family did this to her. I don’t want them to get the chance to finish what they started.”

Colt sucked in a breath through his teeth. “Yikes.”

“Yep.” Brett stood and took a gulp of his lukewarm coffee. “Looks like I’ll be hanging around as long as she’ll have me. At least, as long as my boss will let me.”

“Things are slow around here, and we have plenty of help,” Mr. Chambers said with a wave. “Go be with your honey.”

Brett grinned at the outdated endearment. “I’ll do that.”

“What about when she gets released from the hospital?” Colt asked.

“I don’t know the specifics, but they’ll have to go through me to get to her again.”

“Just remember,” Mr. Chambers said as he slowly rocked back and forth, “you can respond to hate with an eye for an eye or you can meet the injustice with the new command we’ve been given–love thy neighbor.”

Brett frowned, knowing the old man was imparting wisdom he wasn’t ready to accept. “I’m still working on that one, boss.”

“It might take some time, but you’ll have to be the one to take the first step. And probably the next one and the next one too.”

“Sounds like a long row to hoe,” Brett said. Knowing that Mr. Chambers was right didn’t make the task any easier. “But I’ll keep it in mind. I need to head back to the hospital. I left her brother there, and I’m not sure I trust him, even if we did make a deal to put our differences aside to protect her.”

Colt lifted his mug in farewell. “Does Thea need anything? Remi can send something.”

“I appreciate it. Hadley gave me a bag of stuff to take to her, but I’ll ask her when she comes out of recovery if she needs anything else. Maybe keep her in your prayers? She’s a little overwhelmed with all the injuries and the pain. She was pretty upset before they took her back.”

Colt gave a sharp salute. “Will do.”

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