Page 28 of The Spice Is Nice

We didn’t speak for a while, but embraced and held each other close, watching the last rays of the sun disappear behind the mountains.

“Please let me be there for you, Colt,” she whispered. “You’ve been there for me lately more than anyone has in along time. You said we’d do things together. Let me do this with you.”

I regarded her face in the near-dark, this woman who wastemporaryyet maybesomething I can’t walk away from.

“Okay,” I said, and kissed her forehead. For once, I let someone hold the weight of the world with me.

Chapter 11

The Storm

Colt

It wastime for me to face the Hollis family. I pulled the truck and horse trailer to a stop by the barn and looked around. I’d finally arrived at the destination of a long journey that took me from the Naval base in San Diego, up the Pacific Trail, to the Off-Duty Rescue Ranch. I should have paid a visit to the Hollis’ the moment I set foot in Montana. But grief had a funny way of taking its sweet time to get through.

“Remember, we’ll get through this together, Calhoun.” Ivy reached over from the passenger seat and took my hand. Her fingers laced through mine, firm and warm, and she squeezed once.

“Thanks.” I put the truck in park, and we walked over to the house. I hadn’t slept well. A few deep breaths of fresh air did me good before facing the people on the other side of the front door.

The Hollis home was white with faded green shutters, and a metal horse weathervane welded to the top that leaked rust down the roof.Nestled in Elk Valley, the settingwas almost as pretty as the Off-Duty Ranch. The Gruff Bear River could be heard flowing in the distance. The Lonely Grizzly Mountain peak stood majestically above us.

A three-legged brown and black Australian Shepherd came running up to us, barking in the yard, tail wagging, and behind it came Ron Hollis, maybe fifties, lean with sun-weathered skin. He wore a flannel shirt tucked into work jeans and a straw hat that had seen better days. His hands were full of squash and zucchini, probably the final pickings before the frost we were supposed to get later this week.

“You must be Colt,” Ron said. He put the vegetables in a basket on the porch and then extended his hand. His grip was strong. “Ash called ahead. Appreciate you coming out. The horses are in the south paddock. We’ll help round them up.”

“Yes, sir.” My voice held. This close, the resemblance to Caleb’s was uncanny. Made me a little uneasy.

“Honey, Colt is here,” he yelled into the house.

Someone approached, and the screen door opened. A woman stepped onto the porch. Dana Hollis—I recognized her from a photo Caleb kept at his bunk. Petite with auburn hair swept into a bun, she wiped her hands on an apron.

Tanner appeared behind her, and when he saw us, he recognized us.

“Ivy. Colt,” he greeted.

I nodded once, speechless, awkwardly gawking at Caleb’s family.

“Welp, let’s get it done.” Ron led us toward thepaddock, and I fell into step beside him, grateful for more time, but feeling every bit the coward.

I asked about the horses because it was easier than what I’d come to say. Two quarter horse geldings and a mare, solid stock, well-kept despite the ranch’s condition. They’d be good additions to the ODRR herd. I ran my hands along their flanks and checked their hooves and let the routine of the work calm my heartbeat.

Ivy had stayed back with Dana at the fence line, doing what Ivy did best: talking, listening, drawing people out through her natural ability to make a friend just about anywhere.

Tanner and Ron had halters for the two geldings. For the mare, I tied a knot in my rope to put over her head and lead her to the trailer.

Ron watched. “You know your knots. You Navy?”

“Yes, sir.”

“My boy Caleb was Navy. Lost him to an accident aboard ship.” He said it like a man who’d said it a thousand times and still hadn’t gotten used to the words. “Been hard on all of us.”

Tanner put a hand on his shoulder and gazed off into the distance as if praying Caleb might materialize there.

My hand stilled on the mare’s neck. This was the moment. The one I’d put off far too long. Only, no amount of preparation was enough, because there was no right way to tell him I’d been there and wished I could have done more to save his son. And still, I hesitated.

“You’ll have to excuse me. Didn’t mean to bring you down,” he said, apologizing tomefor something that was absolutely not his fault.

“Mr. Hollis.” Gathering all my courage, I turned to face him and Tanner. My hands shook holding the rope. “I knew Caleb. He was my closest friend on the ship. I was standing near him, about six feet away. When the cable broke, it could have been either one of us.”