Shaw, Lowell, and Lev protest, but I insist. I need time to consider this new angle. I didn’t even get into the bigger issue of the wheelchair. Giving each of them a hug and a fake smile to Thayer, I pick up my purse and head out, leaving them to their private homecoming and me to the despair rolling over me.
CHAPTER 33
LEV
I’m mindlessly wiping down the bar when Shaw and Lowell walk in and plop themselves on a barstool. They both look as shitty as I feel. None of us is sleeping. I’m lost in the dark without my sunshine.
Lowell’s writing at all hours of the day and night. At this rate, he’ll have three books ready to publish in a month.
Shaw’s breaking his back, getting up before dawn, driving the ranch hands crazy with his demands.
Kate texted us a few times during the week, but the messages were short and non-committal. When I’d pushed to see her, she would only reply with a request for time. None of my jokes or memes got a reply, even though I know she read them. My heart aches for her pain, but I’m worried she’ll use this as an excuse to run.
“You look like hell, Lev.” Shaw’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts.
“Pot, meet kettle, Shaw. You, too, Lowell.” I throw down the towel and pour us all a beer. “What are you two doing here? Who’s with Thayer?”
“He’s at rehab right now.” Shaw picks up his beer and takes a long drink. “It’s hard to discuss Kate around him. He’s relieved she isn’t at the house.”
Frowning, I give him a hard look. “We seem to have two issues, but it might be easier to tackle Thayer instead of Kate’s ghost.” Seeing their agreement, I continue. “How can we help him come to terms with Kate? I don’t even know what the fuck’s wrong with him. He’s never been the type to dismiss someone without getting to know them. Something else is going on, and we need to dig into it and help him. The first thing we should do is have a house meeting and tell him Kate’s background. If he understands her background, he’ll give her a chance. What do you think?”
“That might help. Thayer’s floundering right now. He went skiing and woke up several months later to find his life changed beyond recognition. It’s going to take time. Time for him to heal and find his footing.” Shaw’s face is pensive as he shares his view of Thayer’s behavior.
Our phones buzz. Lowell picks up his first. “It’s Kate. She is going to take a week off and visit her mother. Sarah will manage the patients next week, and she’s set up a back-up doctor from Helena. Sarah mentioned it’s the same one Thayer used in the past, so she feels they should be suitable.” Lowell’s hands tap a rhythm on the bar as he thinks about her message. “Is she running?”
Running a hand through my hair, I shrug. “I don’t know. Let’s give her some space while she is gone. In the meantime, we can work on Thayer.”
Be careful. I’ll miss you, sweetheart.
Hitting send, I hover over the phone to text her my love but end up putting it down. I don’t want to pressure her.
That evening, Thayer, Lowell, and Shaw are sitting in the living room when I get home. Grabbing a beer, I join them. Shaw and Lowell have been telling Thayer about Kate’s past, but I’m not sure it’s going well. His face is impassive as he listens, asking few questions.
Once they stop, Thayer pulls out a report and hands it to Shaw. “Her story’s sad, but that doesn’t rule out her being a gold digger. Her husband came from old money and had a substantial trust fund. She inherited everything when he died. Over thirty million dollars. A year later, she barely had five million in the bank.” Frowning, Shaw skims through the report before handing it to me and Lowell to look through it.
Shaw gives a growl of frustration. “I don’t care what she did with the money. If she gave it away or went on a shopping spree. It says she hasn’t spent any of it since then. Why is this important?”
