Page 74 of His Secret Wish

Owen concentrated on the road, his head spinning. If he didn’t find a distraction, he was going to lose it. He snapped on the radio. One of Izzy’s murder podcasts blared to life. He hovered his finger over the button, ready to change the channel to something that didn’t remind him of her.

The narrator mentioned the accused proclaimed his innocence, going so far as to take a polygraph. It was an interesting premise, and Owen sat back in the seat, needing to hear the results of the lie detector test.

Time and the miles flew by, one podcast rolling over to the next. He only stopped once along the way to fill up the gas tank, wanting to get home. He hoped the familiar of the ranch, and of his job, would help get him back to who he was before this weekend. Someone who had his emotions under control for the most part. Granted, he’d only been going through the motions, and had been since before Izzy left, but at least it meant he didn’t hurt.

The highway off ramp loomed ahead, and he could swear he could hear the ranch calling his name. He loved the land, and working it and the cattle. It was all he knew, thanks to his dad. And even though he resented the old man for a lot of things he’d done, teaching Owen how to be a rancher was not one of them.

He pulled off of the highway. He was so used to this stretch of road, he was confident he could drive it blindfolded. When he was a teenager, he used to drive into town and meet Izzy at her family’s diner. And they used to sneak off to the ranch sometimes, finding a secluded spot where they could be alone. The loft in the hay barn was a favorite.

Why are you doing this to yourself? You need to forget her, get over it. She doesn’t want you. She made that perfectly clear.

While the thought was hurtful, it didn’t make it untrue. And he was just going to have to deal with it and move on. Sure, it might take some time, but that was fine. They’d been a part of each other’s lives forever, so it was understandable he’d have some feelings about it.

But throwing himself back into work would definitely help. If he was worried about the land and the cattle, he wouldn’t have time to grieve what he’d lost.

The turn off to the ranch came into view, and he pulled onto the driveway. The house was set back from the road, the driveway a long stretch of gravel. He could see the white farmhouse in the distance, sparkling like a beacon.

Home.

Except, that wasn’t truly home. At least not in an adult sense. Sure, it was the place he’d grown up, the place that had been a safe space for him and his brothers. And the house would always have a special place in his heart. Hell, it was currently where he was living, after having run away with his tail between his legs after Izzy left.

But it wasn’t truly his home.

He slammed on the breaks, the truck coming to a skidding halt on the gravel. He threw it in reverse, and made his way back to the turn off, the small dirt road on the right that led to the secluded farmhouse he and Izzy had shared.

Home.