Page 58 of Colton’s Inferno

Emily sat on the stool that was next to the cup and newspaper. “I’m so embarrassed by this, but my dishwasher’s already been fixed.”

Must be that his eldest brother found the time to come over. “I should’ve called first,” he said. “When Cal and I talked yesterday, we decided that I would take care of the repair. But no biggie. I get to see you.”

Emily’s cheeks turned from rosy to flaming red. She sipped her tea. “It wasn’t Callum who stopped by.” She set the cup on the counter. “It was your dad.”

His head snapped back. Like someone had taken a swing at his chin, her words were surprising and confusing. “Dad? I thought you two couldn’t stand each other.”

“Oh, come on now. It was never that bad. Your father is a dedicated surgeon. I just got tired of coming in second to his job. That’s all.”

Friday night, his mom had said something about having a change of heart where her ex-husband was concerned. So much had happened in such a short period of time that he’d forgotten. “You said that Sammy made a difference.”

She shifted in her seat. “Having a grandchild changed my perspective. I know that I’ll always be connected to your father. After all, we have the six of you. But you are all adults. You made up your mind about what happened between us. Sammy doesn’t have that history. And I don’t want to make things awkward for him. I figured it was best for us to be friends—or at least, friendly.”

“How’d he end up being the one to fix your dishwasher?”

“We were all talking about the dishwasher at the hospital on Friday night. He called yesterday to see if it had been fixed. When I told him that it hadn’t, he offered to come over.”

His mom was right about Jonathon being a dedicated surgeon. What’s more, his job always came first. So, the fact that he drove out to Emily’s place and fixed anything was a surprise. “Sounds like Dad has had a change of perspective, too.”

“You know what’s funny?” she asked. “Well, not funny ha ha, but ironic? If your dad had been the kind of man who checked in on me, I never would have divorced him in the first place.”

Her words hung in the air between them.

“I don’t know what to say, Mom.”

“I’m just glad that your dad and I are getting along.” She put her hand on the back of his wrist. “Enough about me. How are you? Any symptoms from the concussion?”

His head stopped hurting the moment Lucy agreed to go out with him. “I’ve been feeling okay since yesterday.”

“That’s good to hear. What are you going to do with the rest of your day?”

Aiden didn’t have any plans. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder about Lucy. Where was she at this very moment, and what was she doing?

Chapter 15

Lucy had been home for over an hour and still, there was no sign of Grandpa Rusty. She stood at the kitchen sink and looked out of the window. Gray clouds filled the sky and a mist hung in the air. The truck was gone, and in reality, her grandfather could be anywhere. The Five Steers Ranch was huge, covering miles of woods, hills, pastures, and streams. Hell, in places it butted up against the Canadian border.

But most likely, he’d gone to the upper pasture to check on the livestock.

A platter of pancakes sat on the table. It was the breakfast she’d planned to have waiting for her grandfather. Their sweet scent mingled with the aroma from the fresh pot of coffee she’d made as well. Her stomach grumbled, but she didn’t want to eat until her grandfather made it back.

Whatever Rusty was doing, it was taking too long. Well, she wasn’t about to stand around when he needed help. The keys to a four-wheeler sat in a dish on the counter. She shoved them into the front pocket of her jeans.

After getting home, she’d changed from the silk blouse into a flannel shirt. She had donned work jeans and thick socks. She walked down the hallway. Her work boots sat on a mat next to the door. She stepped into the shoes and pulled the door open.

A breeze blew, rustling the leaves on the trees. By noon, there would be more rain—just another reason for her to find her grandfather and help.

The four-wheeler was parked next to the house. She slid onto the bench seat, her pants soaking up droplets of water, and started the engine. Putting the gearshift into Drive, she headed toward the upper pasture.

It didn’t matter that the four-wheeler had thick, knobby tires or a powerful engine. It was little more than a glorified golf cart. The wind blew through the open sides, and Lucy wished that she’d thought to bring a jacket.

She tucked one hand into the sleeves of her shirt, knowing that once she started working, she’d create her own heat. And then, a coat would just be another thing to worry about.

The four-wheeler’s engine whined as she drove higher into the hills. There in the middle of the road lay a large pine tree. The cart skidded as she dropped her foot onto the brake.

It was going to take hours to cut and drag the tree away.

She began to turn around. That’s when she noticed a wide gap in the foliage. What other damage had been done in the woods? Several saplings had snapped in two. Branches were broken. Putting the four-wheeler into Park, she set the emergency brake and jumped to the ground.