Kayden rubbed his eyes with his fists. “Will you come back and visit?”
“Of course,” she said. “And your aunt Cissy and I already talked about you coming to see me in Michigan. Maybe next Christmas?”
She felt excitement stirring at the hope of holding her own child on Christmas morning. She straightened Kayden’s hat and squeezed his arms.
“There’s real snow up there,” she said. “You and Jayden can make huge snowballs and throw as many as you want. It won’t hurt like the ice.”
Jayden perked up. “Real snow? Lots of it?”
“Mountains of it. As far as the eye can see.”
Grins broke out across their faces.
Amy kissed the twins once more, hugged Cissy and waited in the truck while Dominic assured Cissy one last time that he’d return safely, soon. He hopped in and they strapped on their seat belts.
Amy glanced up at the sunlight beaming through the windshield. She noticed Logan then. He was several yards away, sitting astride Lightning in the center of the adjoining field. His Stetson was pulled down low and he remained motionless, watching them.
“He’s hurtin’, Amy,” Dominic murmured. “As much as you were.”
“I know.” She twisted her hands together in her lap, resisting the urge to fling the door open and run straight to him.
“You sure you wanna leave?”
“No.” Amy tore her eyes away from Logan, straightened and faced the road ahead. “But I’m done standing still.”
Dominic nodded, cranked the truck and drove away.
Divorce Settlement Agreement.
Logan smoothed his fingertips over the words. The papers crinkled under his touch, the edges worn. He bent them in half then folded them over. Once, twice then a third time, and returned the bundle to the dresser.
The action had become a habit over the past week. One he’d undertaken every night before crawling into an empty bed and every morning when he finally gave up chasing sleep to face the day.
The day. God help him. The things kept coming. Rolling in with the sun, spanning what seemed like thousands of hours and hanging on through the darkness. A darkness he failed to find relief in.
He ached for Amy. His chest burned for her and his hands turned numb from clenching empty air every time he reached for her in the night. Every part of him wanted to follow her but the heavy weight in his chest held him hostage where he stood.
Logan sighed and dragged a hand over his face. Every day, he tried to make himself go and bring Amy back. And, every day, he failed.
“Uncle Logan?”
He spun from the dresser to find the boys hovering in the bedroom doorway. Jayden picked at the legs of his jeans and Kayden peeked up at him with a concerned expression. The same one he’d worn every afternoon for the past week as he’d followed him close, at Logan’s heels around the ranch after school.
“Hey.” Logan cleared the husky note from his voice and strived for a cheerful tone. “You two are up early for a Sunday.”
Jayden nodded, hands clutching his hat in front of his waist. “We asked Uncle Dominic to get us up. We wanna help you with the horses today.”
“You sure you want to spend your day off school working? It’ll be a long one.”
“Yes, sir,” Kayden said.
Jayden put his hat on his head, straightening the brim with both hands, and stuck out his chest. “We promised Aunt Amy we’d take care of Thunder for her.” He tried for a smile but it drooped at the corners. “So, can we help?”
Logan nodded. “There’s nothing I’d like more.”
He crossed the room and held out his hands. They latched on to them and they took their time making their way to the stables, just as they had every afternoon over the past week.
Winter was in full swing and this morning was no exception. The January air whipped through their clothes with cold gusts of wind as they strolled down the winding path, flushing Kayden’s cheeks and making Jayden shiver. Logan stopped, bending to fasten the top button on their jean jackets and tug their hats down firmer around their ears.
“We’re all right.” Jayden batted his hands away and strutted on with his brother.
“Yeah,” Kayden said. “We don’t get cold no more.”
“Oh, yeah?” Logan’s mouth twitched. “Why’s that?”
Kayden jerked his chin. “’Cuz we’re bone-a-fine cowboys now. Mr. Jed said they don’t never get cold.”
Logan clamped his lips shut, choking back his laughter. It was probably best to let that one go. Wouldn’t do for him to question Mr. Jed’s knowledge. The boys didn’t take too kindly to others criticizing the ranch hand’s words of wisdom.
They spent the first couple hours of the morning turning horses out and mucking stalls alongside the hands. When the twins’ shoulders began to sag, Logan took the shovels from them and suggested a break. He led them outside and lifted them to the top rail of the white fence lining the paddock, keeping an arm snug around each of the boys’ backs.
“We got a treat for Thunder.” Jayden dug around in his pocket then drew out a small, colorful lump. “It’s oats and carrots and the sugar stuff mixed together.”
“Yeah,” Kayden said. “Ms. Betty helped us make it last night.”
Logan held Jayden’s palm and tilted it from one side to the other. No sign of cayenne powder this time.
He smiled. “I think he’ll enjoy that. Hold it out and let him have a taste.”
Logan clucked his tongue and steadied Jayden’s outstretched arm as Thunder walked over. The stallion moved gracefully, his muscles rippling. Thunder nudged Jayden’s hand with his nose then wrapped his lips around the treat and nibbled.
Kayden giggled. “He likes it.”
Thunder’s soft breaths and chomping teeth filled the silence that followed until the treat disappeared. The stallion licked Jayden’s palm, setting off another round of laughter from the boys, then turned and strolled away.
Kayden tilted his head back, glancing up at him. “Uncle Dominic said you’re the best trainer there is. ’Cept for Aunt Amy.” He blinked and lifted his chin. “I ain’t scared of Thunder no more, and I can learn to ride him like Aunt Amy does. You think you could teach me one day?”
“One day. But not quite yet. Thunder might be having more good days than bad, but he’s still adjusting.”
Jayden pursed his lips. “Bet he misses Aunt Amy.”
Logan’s gut churned. He looked away, focusing on the other horses milling about in the field. “I expect so.”
Kayden sighed and picked at Logan’s sleeve. “We miss her, too.”
Logan tightened his arms around the boys, tugging them closer and whispering, “So do I.”
The twins huddled into Logan’s chest and wrapped their arms around his back. They stayed silent for a while, gazing across the fields and listening to the gentle sounds of the horses.
A breathless cry and pounding feet shattered the silence.
“It’s time!”
Logan