“How…” He swallows hard, his Adam’s apple rolling in his throat—something my eyes snag on for some reason. Probably because I’m sleep deprived. “How long has this been going on?”
Leave it to Grady to ask the ultra-personal questions that most people wouldn’t.
“We’ve been struggling for a while now,” I reply. “But we decided to separate in September after we got home from the rodeo circuit.”
“And you haven’t told anyone?” With a furrowed brow, his eyes search mine.
“No. We wanted to be sure which way we were going before worrying anybody.”
“Yeah, but you gotta talk to someone. This is a big deal, and keeping it bottled up can’t be easy.”
His concern makes me smile. “Well, yeah, but that’s life, G. Not everything’s easy. No sense in bringing other people into the mess.”
“I’m sorry you guys are going through this,” he says, pushing out a weighted breath. I shake my head with a shrug.
“Thank you. Not your fault, though. Life doesn’t always go the way we think it will.”
“Are you…okay?”
A chill races down my spine as I look over at him again. The way he’s watching me is unnerving.
“I’m okay,” I say with a dip of my chin. “We’ve thought a lot about this, and I think it’s what’s best.”
Grady is quiet for a moment, a thoughtful type of quiet before he says, “You know, I’m here if you need someone to talk to. I may be Jade's brother, but I am your friend too.”
The sentiment hits me right in the chest, and a lump forms in my throat. “Thank you,” I say softly.
He nods, silence falling upon us. Grady readjusts the comforter wrapped around himself as he shifts in the chair, body turning more toward me as he rests his head against the back. It’s the end of the conversation, but we continue to sit here together, basking in the comfort that being near someone brings, for I don’t even know how long.
It doesn’t feel like it would be something that’s relaxing. It seems like a situation that would make me uncomfortable, but it’s the opposite. Knowing that I got this huge secret off my chest, and now we’re able to sit together without filling the silence…it’s nice. It’s something I didn’t even know I needed until this moment. And when we both finally decide to head backinside and try to sleep again, I take the stairs quietly two at a time, climb into bed, and have no trouble drifting off.
It's like my mind needed me to say the words aloud before it could rest.
6
Boone Stanton
“Daddy, it’s so early,” Suzy whines as I unbuckle her car seat and get her out of my truck. “The sun is barely in the sky.”
The hood on her Powder Ridge Arena sweatshirt is pulled up over her messy blonde hair tied up into a bun, and her mouth is turned down into a frown as she looks up at me with a furrowed brow. I can’t help but chuckle as I watch her because this washeridea. She’s been begging me to take her fishing.
“Princess, this is the best time to catch the fish. We gotta come this early.”
“What if the fish are still sleeping?”
“Well, if so, they’re about to wake the hell up here in a minute,” Grady quips as he rounds the truck and opens the tailgate.
Suzy sighs exaggeratively. “You’re not supposed to say hell, Uncle Grady.”
A boyish grin tugs on his lips as his eyes dart to mine. “Neither are you, pretty girl,” he replies, shrugging innocently at me, and I can’t help but chuckle.
Grady grabs the tackle box and the camping chairs while I grab the fishing poles, then we start toward the dock, which is empty, thankfully. I was hoping getting here early would ensure there wasn’t a crowd, and it looks like I was correct. It’s not often that I go fishing anymore, don’t really have the time, but I do enjoy it every once in a while. This’ll be my first time bringing Suzy, and I’m not all that convinced she’ll even like it, but she’s been wanting me to take her ever since she found a picture of me and my dad fishing when I was a kid. It was something we did all the time when he wasn’t on the road. Saturday morning fishing with him was one of my favorite things to do when I was younger.
“Are thoseworms?” Suzy shrieks, jumping back a step from Grady.
Grady’s down on one knee, and he breathes out a laugh as his hazel eyes flit to mine, before he looks at Suzy. “Yeah, pretty girl. They’re worms. That’s how you catch the fish.”
Her face screws up, and she crosses her little arms over her chest defiantly. “Yuck. I amnottouching the worms, Uncle Grady.”
