“She texted. Said your knee wasn’t a hundred percent. Even an old man would be better than nothing.”
“She said that?”
“Only between the lines.” Pops laughed. “Give me your cuts, I’ll carry them up.”
The two of them worked in tandem—one cutting, one carrying—then rebuilding the frame where the wood had rotted.
When they took a water break, Pops said, “Elizabeth comes home tomorrow.”
Ryder leaned against his truck. “I thought she was taking a few extra days.”
“She’s bored. And there’s a lot of work at Dorsey. End-of-fiscal-year accounting.” Pops finished his water and set the empty bottle in a bucket. “She won’t be easy to catch, Ryder. Most stubborn of all my grandkids, and that’s saying something. But she’s worth it.”
“You sound like Tina.” Was he so easy to read? “We’re just friends. And Elizabeth doesn’t want to be caught.”
“She’s caught all right. She just doesn’t know it.”
“Who says I want to be caught?” Ryder ignored the low, grandfatherly “Yeah, right” from Pops. “Travis and I don’t get along,” he said after a minute. “A boss I do respect and admire has offered me a job back in Colorado. It’s a good opportunity for me.”
Pops simply nodded. “How about we take a break, grab some lunch. Ella’s. My treat.”
On his back deck, Ryder sat in his rocker, ice on his knee, the light of day evanescing. He sipped a cold can of soda and listened to the song in the breeze.
Pop Dorsey let the conversation about Elizabeth drop during lunch at Ella’s. He asked a lot of questions about work as a wildlife officer and how things were going at his place. Was he still remodeling? Adding on? Then he regaled Ryder with stories from building his place with Granny D.
“Almost got divorced over it.” He shook his head, laughing. “Once we got through that, we knew we could handle anything.”
“So love isn’t enough?” Ryder said.
“It’s enough. The right kind. The kind that chooses love no matter the circumstance. No matter what the other person says or does.”
Now, considering Pops’s words, Ryder reached for his phone and texted his parents.
Ryder
Just saying hi. Hope you’re well.
Mom responded right away.
Mom
We’re good. Dad’s in New York, and I’m in Austin, but we’re coming home for August. I was going to text you, but I know you’re busy. We want to see your place.
Ryder
Sounds good. I’ll grill steaks.
Mom
See you soon. XO.
XO. Mom’s version of “I love you.”
Ryder
Love you, Mom.
Pops’s talk had tweaked his heart a bit. Love chooses…
