great depth; he’d just never gotten proof.
Before he could follow Jake out of the truck, his phone vibrated.
Text from Sara: whatcha doin?
Text from Sara: n don’t say talking to me. my father tells that joke
Mike couldn’t help but smile with how quickly she’d made contact after they separated. She felt it. That pull. That yearning for the other, wanting to just hang out every minute of the day. He had no idea how he’d spent half his life without her. Even in that first glimpse of her again, all he had wanted to do was glue himself to her side. Just like before.
Feeling his stomach squirm with anticipation, he let himself into the barracks he shared with Jake and Greg, close to the ranch, and slipped into his room.
Text from Mikey: Texting you
Text from Sara: grrr! where r u?
Text from Mikey: In bed. U?
Text from Sara: bed. hiding under covers from Christie or she’ll want to know what u are saying
Mike settled into his bed.
Text from Mikey: Miss me already?
Text from Sara: missing my mikey electric blanket
Text from Sara: not missing the cramped space thou. ur too big now to fit.
He would fit just fine. Over and over again he’d fit. For long periods of time.
Text from Mikey: Get a bigger bed
Text from Sara: ha! it wouldn’t fit in the room, fatty
Text from Mikey: Come to mine. Got plenty of space.
Text from Sara: maybe some time. night-night. don’t let bugs bite
Text from Sara: *bed bugs
Text from Sara: bite
Text from Sara: dig it
A smile worked up Mike’s face. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, and “come over” was the first. “I’ll come to you” was the second. “I love you” the third.
Text from Mikey: ’Night. See you soon!
It would have to do. For now.
* * *
Sara sat on the floor at seven years old in the living room in cowboy boots, a new tweed hat, and a homemade cowgirl outfit that her mom had sewed. Mikey sat right next to her in a purchased cowboy costume, a huge bag of candy opened in front of him.
“Snickers, please.” Sara held out her hand as she pawed through her Halloween candy.
Mikey glanced at her hand. His eyebrows dipped low. “I like Snickers. I’ll trade for Kit Kat.”
“What?” Sara spied his candy, and then raised her outraged gaze to his chubby face. “We had a deal. I’d dress up like a goober if you traded me Snickers for my Starburst. You can’t go back on your word after the fact.”
“You’re the other half to my cowboy. That’s your job as a girl. And I didn’t spit-shake for it. The contract nult and voided. It isn’t binded.”
Black clouds came through, hovering over Sara’s expression. “Looking stupid has nothing to do with being a girl. And don’t you start talking like your dad again. You don’t even know what any of that means. Give me your Snickers. You promised!”
“No. You can have the Kit Kat or nothing.”
“You turd!” Sara wadded up her fist and punched him in the arm as hard as she could.
“Sara!” Denise yelled from the kitchen. “I saw that. Stop picking on him.”
“Let her,” Mikey’s dad said in a gruff, disapproving voice. “If my son can’t protect himself from a girl, he can’t call himself a man.”
“Oh, Jack, stop. He’s just a boy,” Pam said.
“He won’t give me the Snickers!” Sara yelled, leaning forward to grab what she wanted.
Mikey snatched his bag to his chest with one hand and shoved her shoulder with the other. Sara tumbled away from him, barely managing to pull her bag with her so he didn’t get grabby.
“Michael Frost, we do not hit women!” Jack roared.
“You just told him to protect himself, and now you yell at him that he shouldn’t hit girls? Which is it?” Pam drawled without humor.
“C’mere, Mike, we’re going home,” Jack said.
Face set in a smug mask, Mikey clutched his candy tight to his chest. “I win.”
“You’re going to get in trouble, and you think you win?” Sara asked smugly.
“At least you don’t get the Snickers. And you hate Starburst, so I’ll still get it.”
“I’ll throw it all away, you butthead. You’re not going to get it!”
Mikey rose to a standing position, his face a stubborn mask. “Just wait. I will. I win.”
“C’mon, Michael, I haven’t got all day.” Jack stood by the door impatiently.
As Mikey took a step across Sara’s seated body, Sara kicked up a foot and caught his boot. Balance still going forward, but his foot