“No shit. I thought, for sure, you were going to settle in Austin,” I said as I slapped his back.

“Fuck no. I was raised in the country, and I want to die in the country. Besides, I can build a shooting range. I could have Jeff come out and embarrass the shit out of him,” Lark said with a wink.

I couldn’t help but laugh as I shook my head. “Well, congrats, dude. Just make sure I have the address, and I’ll have them bring her out in the next week or two.”

Lark smiled at the filly. Then, he turned, and as he walked out, he said, “No rush. I’m leaving the country for about a week or so.”

I followed Lark out of the stable and laughed. “You ever gonna tell me what it is you really do?”

Lark stopped and looked at me with a serious face. “If I did…I’d have to kill you.”

He started to walk back to the Jeep as I just stood there.

“Wait. Are you kidding? Or are you being serious?” I called out.

He just shrugged his shoulders and began looking around. I glanced over and saw that Azurdee was gone.

Where in the hell did she go?

We both looked around for her, and then I saw her walking in a field behind the stable. The grass was at her waist, and she had her phone out, taking pictures. Lark and I walked up to her.

Lark said, “What in the hell are you doing?”

Azurdee was startled. “Taking pictures. What does it look like I’m doing?”

“You’re lucky it’s cool out today. You can’t be walking around in stuff like this. What if a snake bit you?” Lark said.

Azurdee rolled her eyes. “Why would you care?”

She bumped into his shoulder on her way to the Jeep, and we followed. She hopped in, and Lark climbed into the back. That Jeep ride back to my house was one of the longest rides in my life. As soon as I parked, they both jumped out and headed into the house. No one had said a word since we left the stable.

I walked into the kitchen and noticed the dishes had not been cleaned yet. Jessie was nowhere around. I walked into our room, and she wasn’t in there either.

Where in the hell is she?

I headed out onto the front porch and noticed her car was gone. I instantly began panicking. She left again. Where did she go? I quickly grabbed my cell phone out of my pocket and hit her number.

“Hello?” she answered.

“Where are you?” I asked, trying to stay calm.

“Um…don’t be angry. Promise you won’t be angry.”

I took a deep breath and slowly blew it out. “Okay. I promise, I won’t get angry.”

She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “I got a call from Trey. I didn’t know what to do. He was so upset, and he started talking crazy. He hasn’t gone back to Dallas yet, and he kept saying all this stuff about how he had nowhere to go, he couldn’t go home, he was all alone, and he was going to do something to himself.”

I instantly balled up my fists. That motherfucker. “Okay,” I whispered.

“Well, he was just so upset, Scott, and I felt so bad. He told me he’d spent the holidays alone.”

“And that’s your problem, how, Jessie?” I snapped.

“Scott, he’s still a friend,” Jessie said.

“What are you going to do, Jessie? Comfort him?”

I regretted the words the moment they had come out of my mouth and even more when I heard her suck in a breath of air.

“Scott, he started saying all this crazy stuff about how he didn’t want to live anymore and how he missed me. I just thought if I talked to him, he would—”

“He would, what? Feel better? He wants you, Jessie! He wants you to leave me and go with him. He told me himself that he wasn’t going to give up on you. He is doing this to get you to go to him, to leave me again.”

“I would never leave you again, Scott. Ever. You know this! We’re getting married and having a baby. I’m just trying to be a friend to him.”

I let out a breath and shook my head. “I don’t have a good feeling about this guy, Jessie. Please just come back home. Please,” I practically begged.

“Scott, you know I love you. I love you so much, but I have to make sure he is okay. Trey is a good guy, Scott. I got to really know him.”

I let out a gruff laugh. “Yeah, I know you really got to know him, Jessie. He got to know you really good, too.”

Silence.

“That’s not fair, Scott,” Jessie whispered.

“No, Jessie, what’s not fair is that some fucker can call you on the phone, give you some sob story, and make you run to him without you even bothering to tell me where you are going. You didn’t even give me a chance to offer to go with you. I would have gone with you if you were that worried about him. You didn’t even give me the chance!”

I heard her crying.

“I…I guess I just panicked when he said he was wishing he wasn’t even alive.”

“Where are you meeting him? I’ll meet you there. Don’t go in until I get there. You can’t be that far ahead of me.”

“Don’t go in? What do you mean? I have to wait for you? I’m not meeting him in his room. I told him to meet me in the lobby. He’s staying at the Hampton Inn in Fredericksburg.”

I was stunned into silence. He’s in Fredericksburg? He’s been forty minutes away this whole time?

“Jessie, turn around and come home now.” I had the worst feeling in my gut.

“Scott, he was talking about hurting himself. I’m sorry…I just feel like I have to help him.”

I tried to stay calm. “Jessie, you don’t think it’s strange that he’s been staying in Fredericksburg?”

“I mean, I guess I was a little surprised he was there, but he is so afraid to go home and face his family, Scott. He said his dad kept telling him how much of a failure he was. He just needs a friend. I promise that we will sit in the lobby and talk until you get there.”

I squeezed my cell phone as I lowered it. I just wanted to throw it. Damn it! I took a few deep breaths to calm myself and turned to walk back into the house.

I put the phone up to my ear again. “Jessie, I’m so fucking pissed-off at you right now. Don’t go anywhere with him, and please don’t go up to his room.”

I ran up the steps two at a time and saw that Lark’s bedroom door was open. He was zipping up his suitcase, and he just looked at me.

“I’m not going to go up to his room! My god, Scott.”

“I really wish you would just come back and let me go with you,” I said as I held up my finger to answer Lark’s questioning look. My hands were shaking because I was so pissed-off…and worried.

“Just meet me at the hotel, and we can talk to him together.”

“Fine. I’m leaving now. I’ll call you when I get on the road,” I said.

“Scott?”

I didn’t say anything. The bad feeling in my stomach was growing stronger and stronger.

“Scott, please don’t be mad at me. I love you, baby. I love you more than anything. I just felt so bad for him.”

I slowly nodded my head even though she couldn’t see me. “I’m calling Josh now. I don’t want you meeting with him alone. I’m telling you, Jessie, I don’t think this guy is who you think he is.”

“If calling Josh will make you feel better, I’m totally fine with that until you get there.”

“Jessie, let me know when you get there. I’m on my way.”

“I will. Love you to the moon and back, baby,” she said.

My heart broke in two. “I love you to the moon and back, too.”

I hung up and immediately called Josh.

“What in the hell is going on, dude?” Lark asked.

“Give me two—”

“Josh! Are you in Fredericksburg? That fucker Trey called Jessie. Told her a bunch of shit that scared her, made her think he was going to hurt himself. She panicked and left while Lark and I were down at the stable. He’s staying at the Hampton Inn there. Jessie is going to meet him in the lobby. I have a really bad feeling, and she won’t wait until I get there. Can you hightail it over until I get there? Yeah. Okay. Thanks, Josh. I just don’t have a good feeling about this. The fact that he is still around and staying in Fredericksburg just sits wrong with me. Thanks. I’ll leave here as fast as I can.”