“The storm won’t stop me. I’ll drive if I have to.”
“It’s been that bad?”
“Yes, being away from you has been that bad.”
She goes silent on the other end, and I might have said too much, but after the night I’ve had, I don’t give a damn.
She sighs before she speaks. “Duke … I …” she pauses again. I feel like she wants to ask me something.
“Yes?” I insist.
“I really miss you. Um, Jameson and I, we miss you.”
“I miss you too.”
For me it’s more than missing, though, it’s aching. I want to tell her I love her but for some reason, those words never come tonight.
monsoon
ROXANNE
The next night,I’m sitting at my computer, watching the cursor blink, listening toLa Bohèmewith my headphones while the storm rages on outside. Jameson is lying at my feet only moving when the thunder rolls over us.
And yet, I feel like my insides are bubbling over like a rush of champagne in a glass. I can’t wait for Duke to come home tonight.
I allow myself to smile at the thought. I’ve finally admitted it to myself, but I’m still not sure if I can say it to Duke.
I shake my head. I need to focus. My eyes turn back to the screen and I reread what I have for my pitch. Honestly, it’s a mess. It’s flat and lifeless. Maybe this is why Goose still couldn’t make it around the paddock with me. Allie has produced an incredible documentary, and Leo captured the life of the ranch beautifully, and now it’s all on me to find the words to do this place justice.
I drag the headphones off and toss them onto the desk. Outside, rain pelts the windows hard enough to sound like gravel. When I check my phone again, my heart sinks when there are no new messages from Duke.
There’s a knock at the library door and Leo peeks his head in. Allie has been at Topper’s all night and when she texted, I told her to stay.
“Hey, I’m going to call it a night,” Leo says through a yawn. “How are you doing?”
I rub my eyes. “Still can’t get this right.”
He checks his watch. “You’ve been at this for a while, maybe give your brain a rest?”
“Yeah, sitting here staring holes into the screen isn’t doing me any favors. I’ll give it a few more tries and then come up.”
Leo glances up at the ceiling as another wave of thunder rolls over us. He knows that while I’ve done better with the occasional afternoon storm, these big ones still shake me. “Just knock on my door if you can’t sleep.”
“Thank you.”
“You’ve got this.” He gives me a thumbs up. “Don’t stay up too late, okay?”
“I’ll try,” I say.
He disappears down the hallway, and a minute later I hear the steps creak lightly as he heads upstairs. I crack my knuckles, put my headphones on, and set my fingers on the keyboard. A while later, I stretch my feet and look down, but Jameson isn’t there. He was curled up there for over an hour, snoring like a lawnmower, and now he’s gone.
I glance toward the hallway. Maybe he wandered upstairs. He does that sometimes when he’s had enough of me muttering at my laptop.
I knock on Leo’s door and find him still awake, propped against the headboard with his laptop balanced on his knees.
“Is Jameson with you?” I ask, already scanning the corners of the room.
Leo frowns and sets his computer aside. “No—why?”
