only one houseplant to keep him company made him even more depressed.
“Then why do you need to get back?” Miss Gertie asked.
“Because it’s my home.” Although it had never felt like a home. Something Miss Gertie seemed to know.
She snorted. “Just because you live somewhere doesn’t make it your home. You’re better off staying right here.” She shook the suit. “At least until after Halloween. This isn’t just any costume. This is Rhett Butler.”
He knew what an honor it was to be chosen to play a character Miss Gertie loved so dearly. And for a moment, he almost gave in and accepted the old suit. But three more days of living in the same vicinity as Reba would be his undoing.
“I would love to have the honor of playing Rhett, but I need to be going.”
“But Reba needs you.”
He was more than a little surprised by Miss Gertie’s outburst. He hadn’t thought the old woman liked him. “Reba doesn’t need me. She has you.”
She stared at him for a long moment before she dropped the suit back over her handlebars. “I guess you’ll be headed out to the Double Diamond to say goodbye to your bad boy friends.”
He grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Then there’s time.” Before he could ask her what she needed time for, she wheeled her walker around, muttering something about “damn stubborn fools,” and disappeared inside her bedroom.
By the time he was showered, dressed, and heading down the hallway with his suitcase, Val’s depression and remorse had formed into more of a cinder block than a brick. He thought he would find Reba in the kitchen, but she wasn’t there. Nor was she in the garden or at her cottage. He walked back inside and found Mike coming down the stairs.
“Hey, Val.” Mike glanced at Val’s suitcase, and his eyebrows lifted. “Are you leaving?”
“I need to get back to New York. Have you seen Reba?”
“She headed out with Ty to pick up pumpkins at some farm.” Mike frowned. “Maybe I should leave too. It’s pretty obvious she prefers Ty.”
Val didn’t know why Mike’s reticence pissed him off. Maybe because one man leaving Reba was more than enough for one day. Even though he and Reba hadn’t done anything more than share one kiss, he knew his leaving was going to hurt her as much as it hurt him.
“So you’re just going to let Ty have her, Mike?” he asked. “Or are you going to man up and stay and fight for her? Because if there was ever a woman worth fighting for, it’s Reba.” Truer words had never been spoken. As they rang through his head . . . and his heart, he turned and walked out of the boardinghouse.
When he got to the Double Diamond, he found Lucas sitting on the front porch with Holden’s new bride, Devlin. It looked like Boomer had finally run out of energy. The lanky pup was stretched out in the late October sun sleeping. Although when Val got out and slammed the car door, the dog popped up like a jack-in-the-box and scrambled to his feet as his entire backside wagged with excitement.
“Well, lookee who the cat dragged in,” Lucas said.
“Hi, Val!” Devlin greeted him with a big smile before she turned to Lucas. “What exactly does that mean, Lucas? A cat can’t drag a person unless it’s a lion or another large cat, and what does a lion killing its prey have to do with Val visiting?”
Lucas patted Devlin on the arm. “You think way too much, little gal. It’s just an expression when people come callin’ that you haven’t seen in a while.” He looked back at Val and scowled. “And why is that? I get that you’re workin’ on that book of yours, but family is family.”
“You’re right. I should’ve spent more time here at the ranch, but I promise I’ll do it next trip.” Although he didn’t know if he could ever come back if leaving was this hard.
Lucas’s scowl got even darker while Devlin just looked sad. “Oh no, you’re leaving?” she said. “Holden will be so upset. He’s enjoyed having you here. And so have I.”
“I’ve enjoyed spending time with him . . . and getting to know his beautiful bride.” Val glanced around. “Where are Holden and Chester?”
“Chester’s helping out at the Gardener Ranch. And Holden’s in town setting up for the big election that’s taking place next Tuesday. I don’t think people are concerned about who will be our new councilmen as much as