And I can give him that time. After all we’ve been through, it’s the least I can do.
“Thanks, Noah. I’ll keep that in mind.”
The man gives me a nod, and I finish getting Clover settled in his stall. Instead of heading straight home, I make my way to the ranch house, wanting to catch Lawson when he gets back from his first day at the school. I leave my boots on the deck and head to his room to wait, knowing he won’t mind. I even change into fresh clothes—Lawson’s, of course—so I don’t leave dirt all over the place.
Spotting his old, ratty reprint ofPeter and Wendy, the original novel written by J. M. Barrie, I snatch it off the bookshelf and start to read.
And that’s exactly how Lawson finds me a good hour later, still sitting in his chair at the corner of the room. He pauses in the doorway, but his surprise doesn’t last long. “Hey.”
“Blast from the past,” I tell him, holding up the book.
A smile quirks his lips as he closes the door, setting his laptop bag down. “Finish it?”
“Not even close. Good first day back?”
He nods, even as he all but falls on top of his bed. I huff a laugh, getting up to join him. Lawson doesn’t complain when I start rubbing the tension from the nape of his neck.
“Can’t believe the summer is nearly over,” he mumbles. “Just one more year, and Wendy will be gone.”
My chest pinches in sympathy. “She won’t be gone, Law. Just spreading her wings for a bit.”
He nods, rolling to his side, his eyes running over the book I set onto the bed beside us. “Do you know why I picked the name Wendy?”
“Because you love the story,” I reply easily.
The corner of his lips turn into the briefest of smiles before he shakes his head, one finger tracing the old cover of the novel. “It makes me quite sad, actually.”
“Wait, really? Why?”
Lawson turns onto his back, a sigh escaping his lips as he stares up at the ceiling. “Peter… He’s a representation of youth. He can never age, can never grow up. He’s so often depicted as being happy, as any child ought to be. But do you remember that time he was looking through Wendy’s window, watching her from outside, thinking…what a lovely sight? A lovely sight he wasn’t a part of. Peter loved Wendy in his own childlike way, but he knew at that moment he could never join her.”
Lawson lets out a short, shuddering breath before going on.
“Every single person he loved moved on, Oak. But he was trapped playing pretend. I pity Peter Pan. And that’s why the story has always stuck with me.”
My heart aches at the sadness in his voice. “I didn’t know that.”
Lawson turns his gaze my way, warm brown eyes holding mine. For a second, time stalls. And then Lawson opens his mouth. “That story? It’s the best reminder I have tolive. You and Wendy are proof that I have.”
My breath leaves me in a rush, the absolutely astounding impact of those words nearly knocking me to the floor. Have I been that pivotal in shaping Lawson’s view of his life? That important to him?
Lawson lets out another sigh, completely unaware of how he’s cracked me right open. “You smell like cattle.”
My chuckle is more than a little hoarse. “I, uh…haven’t showered yet.”
“C’mon, then.”
Lawson drops his feet to the floor and stands, making his way out into the hall, presumably to start the shower. I stare at the open doorway, knowing I shouldn’t follow him. Not when I feel like this. So fragile. Like one wrong press could crack me clean in two. But my feet carry me forward nonetheless.
Lawson waits for me to join him in the bathroom before closing the door and shedding his clothes. He tugs my shirt—hisshirt—off over my head. Then he pulls down my jeans and underwear and drags me into the shower like it’s the simplest thing.
I wash myself with Lawson’s soap as the man watches me passively, his eyes tired. He shampoos his own hair before tipping his face into the spray, letting the soapy suds run down his back. I take my turn rinsing next, Lawson shakinghis head slightly at my routine.
“Never understood why you do body first and then hair,” he mutters.
I shrug. “Does it matter?”
“Yes, it matters. You’re dirtying your already clean body with the shampoo.”
