“Hey, why the sad look? This could be good. I mean, I’m willing to explore it. Michael and Chad seem very happy in this type of relationship. Plus the other guys, too, like Carl and Richie, and even fucking Monte and his crazy brother BJ.”
“I don’t want to be in a relationship with someone, Evan. I like being alone and it’s better like that.”
Colton took a slug of beer as he absorbed the atmosphere at Dixie Chix. Suddenly, as he looked around the room, he could pick out the couples, and the multiples. There were three guys with one redheaded woman. She had their full attention. There were two guys with one brunette and they both had a hand on her. One was on her shoulder and the other guy had his hand on her thigh.
Then he searched for Ava, and when he found her, she was talking to three cowboys. They were all smiling and inching closer to her. He couldn’t help but wonder if she belonged to them, but then she stepped away. The three men watched her then turned to one another. One of the guys waved his hand in front of his chest as if indicating that Ava was hot. The others agreed then high-fived one another. He didn’t like the feeling he had. In fact, he was downright seeing red. Maybe exploring this type of relationship wasn’t out of the question for him?
Chapter 2
Ava couldn’t help the tears that rolled down her cheeks. She stared at Dr. Nickles in shock.
“A biopsy? Why? Why do you need to take one?” In her mind, every horrible thought flashed like lightning. I have cancer. I am going to die. The biopsy is going to be malignant. It is going to show that I have breast cancer.
Ava clasped her hands on her lap and tried to control her breathing.
“Ava, please calm down. Everything will work out fine. I have to get a sample from that lump so that I can get it tested and see where we are at. I know this is difficult. I understand, with everything that you went through with your husband and the loss of your child, that you’re fearful, but please, let me do what is best for you. You came to me early enough. I’m confident that I can help you.”
She stared at him, half listening to his words because the pounding inside of her ears was a total distraction. She wiped her eyes and gave herself a pep talk before she spoke to him.
“How quickly can I get this procedure done and how long before the results?”
“I can schedule you to come in tomorrow. The results will take at least a few days or a week tops.”
“Okay. Schedule it.”
Dr. Nickles was a really nice doctor. He was young, in his forties, but had an excellent reputation. Sheila, a young woman who would come to Dixie Chix all the time, spoke highly of him one night, when Joe Nickles visited the dance hall with some friends. Sheila carried on about how wonderful a doctor he was and how handsome and helpful. She told Ava about doing self-exams on her breasts and how easy it was to do in the shower or in bed at night. Although Ava was only twenty-seven, she still didn’t want to take any chances. She had grown up in an orphanage and didn’t even know who her parents were or if there were specific medical conditions that ran in the family. That thought made her feel more fearful.
As Ava had spoken with Dr. Nickles about his profession, she felt pretty comfortable with him. So one night while in the shower, caressing her breasts and doing the monthly test Sheila had explained to her, she was shocked to feel the small bump on her left breast. At first she tried to ignore it and pretend that she was imagining it and that the lump was nothing at all. But then, it grew and she was really worried. She made the appointment and now, here she was, uncertain of what her future held.
“Please, Ava, trust that I know what I’m doing. I promise that the fact you came to me right away will be important in your diagnosis. Now, get here around eight forty-five tomorrow, and we’ll do the biopsy.”
She reached her hand out to shake his as she said good-bye and was shocked when instead, Dr. Nickles pulled her into his arms.
He gave her a squeeze. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Ava pulled away and gave the doctor a small smile. She supposed that if she needed to go through something like this, that at least her doctor was caring and empathetic. If he weren’t, she would be even more frightened right now.
* * * *
Colton leisurely rode his horse across the property. He was checking fences along with Everett, one of his hired workers. Everett was working on fixing a torn piece of fencing as Colton stared out across the land. It was so beautiful and wide open here. He watched the tree line, where a large, thick area of woods sat and expanded about a mile until it hit the tip of Farmer’s Pass. He couldn’t help but scan the surrounding area and verify that it was in fact secure. It was habit, after being in the service for so many years. The last month had blown by in a blur and now that he was relaxing and without a care in the world, he felt how truly tired he was. He also realized just how alone he had spent his life even though he had Evan and his troop of soldiers. Colton was always hard and difficult. The military straightened his ass out better than his father’s fists.
He shook his head. Where the fuck were these memories coming from? He hadn’t thought about his father in years. The old man was probably dead by now, from booze or stupidity. Chad and Michael hadn’t mentioned that Jeremiah Banks was still living outside of Delite. Hell, Colton wouldn’t even drive by their old house they grew up in. Too many sad memories there. Neither himself nor Evan could even look through their mom’s old things they stored in the house.
He shook his head and gave the reins a little tug as he tapped his heel into the side of the horse. The horse began to trot forward, and once again Colton’s mind was attacked by memories. Life growing up on the outskirts of Delite hadn’t been pleasant twenty years ago. He couldn’t wait to leave, but his mother and Evan were the only reasons he stuck around as long as he did. He didn’t want the kid to get hurt by their old man, and Colton knew that the only thing that kept his mother going was the smile on her face whenever he and Evan were around. He felt the tightness in his chest. The old man eventually killed her anyway.
She was dying of cancer and their father didn’t help at all. In fact, he disappeared and left her alone, so that he and Evan could deal with the pain and sickness. Evan and Colton cared for their dying mother, while their father got drunk and stayed out for days at a time. He probably had a mistress. The old man wasn’t faithful.
Colton felt his stomach clench. He would never treat a woman like that. Not ever. That was a time they would never forget, nor ever want to experience again. Colton figured it was also why he chose to remain alone and unattached to any woman. His only close relationship was with his brother and his good military buddies like Mason, Michael, Chad, Carl, and Richie. Even with his friends, though, there was still a good distance and separation. He’d feel sad and shed a tear if one of them passed, but his world wouldn’t end. If anything ever happened to Evan, life wasn’t worth living anymore. All they had was each other.
“Everything is good now, boss. You want me to go check the remainder of the perimeter?” Everett asked.
“I’ll go. You meet me once you get everything put back here.”
Everett was a nice guy, too. Colton was finding out pretty quickly that the town of Delite had changed immensely in the past twenty years. It even looked different. The town was built up, yet still maintained that small-town country feeling.
Colton wondered how Evan was making out in town with getting some more supplies. He should have been back by now, and Colton wondered what he was up to. He worried about Evan. Ever since Chelsea, he closed himself off and not just with women but in general. Many nights as they sat down for supper together, they hardly even talked. It wasn’t that they couldn’t talk or that there weren’t things to discuss. It was as if there was so much going on in their heads, they just missed the opportunity to talk.
Colton was somber, angry, and just downright negative about life, and if he was correct, so was Evan. The two of them were messed up good, and throw in their stints in the war along with their upbringing, and surely they were doomed for loneliness. Colton accepted that, but Evan had wanted more until his heart was broken and reality set him straight.