“You’re giving in without too much of a fight. Are you feeling all right?”
The gleam in Brett’s eyes made Hannah smile. “Sometimes what you say makes sense. For now, I’m bowing to your superior knowledge and taking the ride you’re offering. Now it’s your turn.”
“What for?”
“To tell me what’s on your mind. You seem…unsettled.”
Brett sat beside her. “Have you been speaking to Pat?”
“No, but I’ve known you long enough to know when something’s on your mind. And I don’t mean Dave or his father.”
“Pat has decided to move to the retirement village.”
Hannah’s eyes widened. “You thought something like that might happen. It must have been a big decision for him to make.”
“He misses Ida. Did you know that she’s not very well at the moment?”
“No, I didn’t. What’s wrong?”
Brett sighed. “She’s come down with a bad case of the flu. Ida had pneumonia a few months ago and Pat’s worried it might come back.”
“The staff will keep a close eye on her.” Hannah wanted to reassure him, but she knew how hard it was when someone you loved was sick.
“I don’t know how he’s managed to be separated from her for this long.”
“When I worked at the retirement village, Ida’s eyes always lit up whenever she saw Pat. Even though she can’t talk very much, they still have a special connection.”
“It’s hard to imagine loving another person that much.”
“You’ve never been in love?”
“I thought I loved someone once, but our relationship didn’t last. What about you?”
She looked down at her hands. “I’m not that great at long-term relationships, either. Do you think there’s something wrong with us?” Hannah smiled when Brett didn’t answer right away. “Are you thinking of a polite way of telling me we’re doomed?”
“We aren’t doomed,” Brett said quietly. “We’re afraid of being hurt.”
A pain lodged itself deep in Hannah’s chest. “It’s hard letting someone close when you’ve spent your whole life keeping people away.”
Brett leaned closer. “We could learn something from Pat and Ida.”
“Maybe, but we’re not them.” Hannah ignored the pull of attraction between them. “What will happen to the ranch after Pat moves into town?”
Brett’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “One day you won’t want to change the subject.”
“But that’s not today,” Hannah said with a smile.
“I can wait.” He quickly kissed her cheek. “When Pat moves into Bozeman, he’ll leave me to manage the ranch. If I need any advice, I’ll call him. It won’t be a lot different than how the ranch operates now.”
“Is that what you want?”
Brett’s smile disappeared. “Until a few weeks ago I was happy to manage the ranch. But lately, I’ve been thinking about my future. I offered to buy Pat’s land, but he isn’t interested in selling.”
“Maybe that’s because his family has lived here for a long time. He might want to come back whenever he needs time away from the village.”
“You think settling into married life again will be more than he can handle?”
“I was thinking about PatandIda. They both have their own routines.” Hannah’s cell phone rang. “I won’t be a moment. I’ll just answer the phone.”
