“Copeland still helping you out?”
I’ve never heard his full name before. And then I remember she saw us working together before she went to the hospital.
“Yup.”
She nods. “He’s such a nice boy.”
“That he is,” I agree, willing my mind to not focus on him. It doesn’t work, so instead, I try to change the subject. “Auntie, can I ask you something?”
She arches a brow questioningly. “If you must.”
“Why here? Like, what made you decide to move from Washington to Copper Lake?”
Taking a few bites, she seems to think over her answer before she speaks. “I don’t know if you know this, but when your mother and I were little, we lived in a town very similar to here. We didn’t own any farm animals or anything, but I remember loving the small-town feel. The country life. I don’t have one set reason why I chose here specifically. But I’m glad I did. I love living here, love taking care of all the animals. All of it brings me great joy. A joy I didn’t find back in Washington.”
“So, you don’t miss it?”
Shaking her head, she replies, “No, I don’t. Of course, I miss being able to see you, Gemma, and your mom any time I want, but as for the location and living there, not at all.”
After we finish eating, I take our plates and put them in the dishwasher before helping my aunt to her room. She’s pretty tired, probably from the medication, so she ends up taking a nap for a few hours while I sit on the porch in the rocking chair, doing crossword puzzles. I’ve enjoyed them for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest memories is sitting in my mother’s lap and working on these on weekend mornings before she had to go into work.
Later on, when I’m doing the evening farm chores, I decide to call Henry. I feel like I should miss him more than I do. That thought makes me feel guilty enough that I’m popping my ear buds in and dialing his number as I feed the animals. It rings a few times, and I think he might not pick up. Eventually, he does.
“This is Henry?” I don’t know why he always answers the phone like it’s a business call. He knows who’s calling.
“Hey, babe,” I say softly. “What’re you up to?”
“Hey, Xan. I’m driving to a meeting. How’s things over in bumfuck Wyoming?”
Clenching my jaw, I grind my molars together. Something about his question is rubbing me the wrong way. Maybe it’s his tone, or just his overall distaste for the town he has no clue about.
“They’re fine. My aunt came home today.”
“So, you’re coming home?”
My brows pinch together, because I don’t know how many times I went over this with Henry before I left, but I thought I made it clear. “No, she still needs to recover. I’m staying until she’s able to take care of everything around here by herself.”
“I don’t understand why she didn’t just hire someone,” he grumbles. “It’s a little unrealistic to expect a grown man to put his life on hold just to help her out.”
It’s moments like this I have to remind myself that Henry isn’t close with his family. He doesn’t understand doing things that may be a little inconvenient to help those you love. He’s a very cut and dry type of person. Everything he invests time into has to have some sort of a gain from it. He’s a businessman, through and through.
Trying to change the subject because I know if I don’t, I’ll just end up getting annoyed like every other time we’ve landed in this conversation, I say, “I miss you. Maybe you can come visit soon?”
He sighs into the phone, and I already know it’s not going to be favorable. “Xan, you know how busy I am. We all can’t have jobs we can just drop whenever we want.”
Ouch.
“Well, my birthday is next month. Maybe you can make an exception for me,” I say in the sweetest voice I can muster up, despite the frustration building in my chest.
Henry scoffs into the phone. “You think you’re still going to be there in amonth? That’s ridiculous, Xander.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m just trying to think ahead. Do you think maybe you could?”
“We’ll see. But, babe, I gotta go. I just got to the office, and this meeting is important.”
They’re always important.
“Okay, I love you.”
