Abilene’s face flickers behind my eyes anyway. Soft smile. Careful hands. The way she listens and expects the world to answer back.
Red tilts his head, waiting.
“It’s… someone I know,” I say finally, aiming for neutral and landing somewhere near helpless honesty. “From town.”
Willy grins. “Narrowed it down to half the population.”
“She keeps bees,” I add, before I can stop myself.
Emmett blinks. “Like… actual bees?”
“Yes, Emmett,” I say dryly. “The flying kind. With stingers.”
“Oh,” he says, visibly impressed. “That’s badass.”
Red’s eyes flicker with recognition. “Kentwood.”
I nod. “Abilene,” I add quietly.
There it is.
Willy lets out a low whistle.
“She’s sweet,” he says unapologetically. “And terrifying. I saw her stare down a swarm once like she was negotiating a treaty.”
Red studies me the way he studies horses before a ride. “What’s got you tangled up?”
I hesitate. Because the answer isn’t simple. And because saying it out loud makes it real.
“She’s quiet,” I say slowly. “But not empty. She pays attention. To everything. And she’s been through a lot recently. More than she lets on.”
Willy folds his arms, expression uncharacteristically serious. “That’s not tangled. That’s interest.”
“I know,” I say. “That’s the problem.”
Emmett frowns. “Why’s that a problem?”
I glance toward the barn doors, where sunlight spills in, soft and golden.
“Because,” I say carefully, “she matters. And I don’t do casual when something matters.”
Red nods once.
Willy tilts his head. “So what are you gonna do about it?”
I’ve been circling that thought for days. In my journal. In my head. In the quiet moments when I should be sleeping.
“I’m going to ask her out,” I say.
The words feel solid. Right.
Emmett’s face lights up. “Yes!”
“Don’t cheer,” I tell him. “This is not a victory lap.”
Willy grins anyway. “Doc asking a woman on a date? That’s a whole event.”
Red’s mouth quirks, just barely. “About time.”
