Finding Solace

“Jason has seen so much, but he says he wants to see it again with me.”

Turning back toward the lake, she wraps her arm around mine, her head on my shoulder this time. “It’s your turn, Delilah.”

“You sacrificed a life here to help keep this place afloat. We still have so much debt to deal with.”

“Let’s walk to the dock.”

I follow her as she meanders, taking her time, as if she has all the time in the world. Slipping off our shoes, we sit on the edge with our legs hanging off and our toes dipped in the cool water. She leans back, closes her eyes, and raises her face toward the sun. “The farm has been paid off.”

I’m about to mimic her position, but instead, I bolt upright from her words. “What do you mean? How?”

With one squinting eye and the other open eye on me, she says, “I think that’s a discussion you should have with Jason.”

“Why do I need to talk to Jason?”

Patting my leg, she says, “Just talk to him, and then we can talk again.”

The sound of tires traveling down the drive toward the house draws our attention to a truck. It parks and when the door opens, Shelby’s eyes go wide. “Good Lord. Who. Is. That?”

I burst out laughing while turning my gaze back to Billy as he unloads some bags of feed. “That is Billy Langston.”

Now she’s upright. She might even be sticking her chest out if I’m not mistaken. “No way. That cannot be Billy.”

Shrugging, I laugh again. “I told you he wasn’t that lanky kid anymore.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t tell me he looked like that. Good gracious, he could be mistaken for a Hemsworth.”

“Yeah.” I nod and look back at him just as he lifts the front of his shirt, exposing those defined abs and wiping his face free from sweat.

Shelby’s jaw drops open. “Nope, not lanky at all.”

I say, “Mistaken identity has happened a time or two for Chris from what I hear.” Cupping my hand to the side of my mouth, I yell, “Hey, Billy.”

A large bag goes flying onto a pile, and he looks up. Tipping the brim of his cowboy hat up, he smiles. “Hey, Delilah.” I can tell the moment he realizes who’s sitting next to me. He walks over as Shelby stands and starts straightening the bottom of her shirt as if he’ll care if it has a few wrinkles.

Billy runs his hands down the front of his jeans as he comes closer. “Is that you, Shelby Noelle?”

A lip bite and a fluff of her hair. She’s already a goner for this cowboy. “Sure is, Billy Langston.”

My, oh my. Look whose accent has suddenly made a comeback. If you were wondering, the answer is Shelby’s. Billy has a way of doing that to the ladies—you know, making them all gooey inside and flipping their worlds upside down.

Except me. My heart knows where it belongs. I’ve found my home with the most thoughtful man I’ve ever known inside the house. This second chance is one I’ll never take for granted.

While they start chatting, I slip my shoes back on, and when I pass him, I pat his arm. “Don’t forget about tonight.”

Shelby asks, “Are you joining us for dinner? We’re making a big homemade meal with all the fixins’.”

“I’d be a fool to miss it, Ms. Shelby.”

I think I hear her swoon. “Well, don’t go getting all dressed up for me. What you’re wearing now—this T-shirt—is such a good fit. Feel free to come as you are.” Oh goodness. Is this what flirting looks like? I walk away, grinning. I think I’ll give them some time to get reacquainted.

I find Jason sitting in the bedroom by the window. He’s propped on a large trunk, and it’s clear from his posture he’s heavy in thought with his shoulders down. Leaning against the doorframe, I scan the room, wondering what he’s staring at. “What are you doing up here?”

His eyes find mine. “Thinking about life.”

“That’s heavy.”

Chuckling, he looks down again, fidgeting with loose threads of his black jeans. “Yeah, kind of.”

I go inside the pink room and sit on the end of the bed. “Shelby told me the farm is paid off.”

Almost expecting him to tense, I watch his shoulders for the subtle movement, but it doesn’t come. He’s relaxed, and I find comfort in that. When he finally looks at me, he says, “You would have never taken the money.”

“Because it’s yours. You put your life on the line for it.”

“Don’t you see, Delilah? There is no me without you. If I can do something to make yours and your sister’s, Paul and Lorraine’s, and my mom’s life easier, I will. Spending it on the farm feels like a good way to spend some money.”

I go to him, leaning down and hugging him. “Thank you. It’s not enough, but it comes from the heart.”