Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 99797 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99797 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
I shrugged. “If you want to live in the city, we’ll live in the city.”
For a quick moment, I saw excitement in her eyes. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for this woman. Even if it meant putting my own dreams on hold for a while. Harley had been my number one dream—the rest was just the icing.
“You would do that? Leave your dreams and family behind just like that?” she asked. I could see the guilt pooling in her eyes.
“I’d do anything for you.”
My phone rang, causing both of us to jump. I pulled it out of my pocket and went to hit ignore.
“It’s my dad. I better get it.”
She motioned for me to answer.
“Dad? Everything okay?”
“Tripp, where are you?”
Something was wrong, I could hear it in his voice.
“I’m at Harley’s. What’s wrong?”
“Son, I need you to come home.”
My heart was racing. “Dad, what’s going on?”
“Steed thought it would be a good idea to make a ramp over the creek and jump the four-wheeler over it. You boys are going to be the death of us, you know that.”
I rolled my eyes. I’m sure my folks loved it when we were all back home for Christmas break. “Did he get hurt?”
“Might have broke his arm. Your mother is freaking out. Would you mind meeting us in Uvalde at the hospital? Your mother wants me to tell you to be careful on the roads. It’s a mess out there.”
“No, I don’t mind at all, Dad. I’m on my way. Tell Mom not to worry. I’ll be careful and will be there soon.”
I could hear my father sigh in relief. “Thanks, son. Don’t speed.”
“Yes, sir.”
Hitting End, I gave Harley a weak smile. “Steed might have broken his arm, and they’re on the way to the hospital. Dad said it would help Mom if I was there. Can we talk about this when I get back?”
She nodded and looked down at her hands.
“Want to come with me?”
“Yes, of course.”
The silent resignation on her face should’ve been my first warning, but I was only imagining our future…all the while choosing to ignore our present.
My father and I stood in line to get Mom coffee. They were setting Steed’s arm in a cast, and it felt like it was taking forever. Harley had stayed back in the hospital room to keep Mom company.
As we walked back to the elevator, I mentioned to my father about Harley wanting to travel.
“Harley doesn’t want to settle down in Oak Springs.”
“What?”
I swallowed hard as we came to a stop, and he motioned for us to sit down.
“How do you feel about that?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I’m upset about it, but I love her, Dad. I’ll do whatever she wants and if she wants to travel…that’s what I’ll do.”
“What about your internship this summer? The partnership you were offered.”
“I guess I’ll do it until she’s finished with vet school and maybe take some time off?”
“Tripp, I know you love Harley, but that is not the smart thing to do. I won’t tell you not to do it, but you’ve been talking about starting a law practice in Oak Springs since you were ten and went on that field trip to the courthouse in Austin. What about wanting to run for mayor someday?”
I blew out a deep breath. “I don’t want to do this…but I will. For her.”
My father rested his hand on my shoulder. “Son, you both need to sit down and talk about this. If you give up your dreams, you risk ending up resenting Harley. And the same can be said about her dreams.”
“I’d never do that, Dad. It’d just be putting things off a few years. We’ll make it work. Harley is my life and without her in it, all the internships and partnerships in the world wouldn’t matter.” Raising the cup of coffee we were carrying and not wanting to face the uncertainty, I added, “We better get this to Mom.”
We headed back to the elevator. Glancing over my shoulder as we stepped in, I swore I saw Harley standing right where my father and I had just been sitting. Straining to look around the closing doors, I missed getting a better look.
The drive back to Oak Springs was silent. Harley sat in the passenger seat, her hands folded neatly in her lap. Something in her eyes had changed at the hospital. She was quiet and I couldn’t help but wonder if she might be changing her mind about this whole travel thing. I knew her aunt filled her head with loads of stories. She was married to a rich husband who could afford it. How in the hell did she think we would be able to do it? Hell, we were both going to have student loans to pay off and would need to have serious jobs to do that.