Indian Summer

by Amy Elizabeth

  “Alec,” his mother finally said. “You’re not eating.”

  He couldn’t keep silent a second longer. “I saw you today.”

  “You saw me what?”

  He finally looked up from his plate. “In the meadow.”

  Julianne blinked several times, but she responded with perfect composure. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said breezily, raising her wine glass to her lips. “I had a migraine today. I’ve been inside all afternoon.”

  Alec narrowed his eyes. “Liar,” he hissed.

  His response brought all other conversations to a halt. Across the table, Charles stiffened and leaned back in his chair. Kim lowered her fork and followed his gaze, frowning at Julianne in confusion.

  The only person who didn’t look bewildered was Walter. “Son,” he said softly. “What did you see?”

  Alec turned to Shania’s father, who was growing paler by the second. “Ask him.”

  Walter’s eyes locked on Charles as he slowly rose from his chair. Julianne leapt out of hers like she was sitting on a spring. “Walter, don’t!”

  He stopped midmotion and turned to his wife. “Well, at long last. The truth comes out.”

  The color drained from Julianne’s cheeks. “We’re not going to do this here.”

  Shania scooted her chair closer to Kim’s. “Mom, what’s going on?”

  Kim didn’t respond. She stared fearfully at Walter as he drew in a long, pensive breath and relaxed his fist. “Alec,” he said.

  “Yes, Pop?”

  “I want you to take Shania and get out of here.”

  Alec swallowed hard. “Where do you want us to–”

  “I don’t care where you go!” he roared. “Just get the hell out of here!”

  Needing no further urging, Alec stood and grabbed Shania’s arm. “Ow!” she cried as he pulled her off her chair.

  He marched for the front door, ignoring her protests as he dragged her alongside him. Only when they reached the porch and he slammed the door behind them did he finally release her arm.

  “Alec, what’s happening?”

  He was too incensed to answer. He felt equally ready to cry or to scream, but he did neither. Instead he took her hand and pulled her down the steps, stomping down the hillside in the early evening light.

  By the time they reached the barn, tears were streaming down Shania’s cheeks. “What’s wrong?” she choked. “Why is everyone fighting? Why did your father yell at us?”

  His entire body trembled with rage as he leaned against the nearest stall door and slid to the ground. When Shania dropped to her knees and started to sob, the pitiful sound was almost more than he could bear. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and let her cry against his neck, but he didn’t have the heart to answer her question.

  She’d find out the awful truth soon enough.

  Alec didn’t know how much time had passed when a lone figure appeared at the end of the aisle. He glanced up to see Kim standing there, looking as haggard as her daughter.

  “Shania? I need you to come with me.”

  Shania sniffed and lifted her head. “Where are we going?”

  “We’re going home.”

  “No! We’re not supposed to leave ‘til tomorrow.”

  Kim let out a weary sigh. “Please don’t argue with me right now. Just go to the guesthouse and pack your things.”

  After another weak objection, Shania pushed herself to her feet and obediently exited the barn. Kim watched her go before she turned back to Alec. “It’s okay to go home now. Your father’s waiting for you.”

  He cringed when he saw how red and swollen her eyes were, surrounded by lines and shadows he’d never noticed before. It was as if she’d aged ten years in one evening.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

  He didn’t even understand what he was apologizing for; he just felt the need to say the words. Kim nodded and gave a painfully forced smile before she vanished into the twilight. With dread gnawing at his stomach, Alec stood and retraced his steps to the farmhouse.

  When he entered the foyer, he saw his father hunched over on the couch with his head buried in his hands. “Pop?”

  His head snapped up, and Alec winced when he saw his face. If Kim had aged ten years tonight, Walter had aged thirty.

  “Alec,” he said, quickly dabbing his eyes. “Come here, son. Come sit by me.”

  Alec’s chin trembled as he crossed the living room and took a seat on the couch. He’d never seen his father cry before. He didn’t even know his father was capable of crying.

  “I’m sorry I yelled at you,” Walter said, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “But I was very upset, and I didn’t want you and Shania to be here. And I’m sorry for what you saw today. I know you’re confused and you’re angry, and you have every right to be. It took a lot of courage for you to speak up tonight, but I’m so glad you did. You did the right thing, Alec.”

  He was silent for a moment. “Did you know?”

  In Alec’s mind, his father had always been a pillar of strength. He was startled, then, when Walter seemed to shrink right before his eyes.

  “I’ve suspected, yes. But I didn’t know for sure until tonight.”

  Somehow that made Alec feel even worse. “Where’s Mom?”

  “Your mother’s gone, son. She and Charles left half an hour ago.”

  “And she’s not coming back?”

  His father shook his head. “It’s just going to be you and me now, alright? But you don’t have to worry, because we’re going to be fine. I love you very much, Alec, and I’m going to take care of you. I promise that I will never abandon you.”

  One tear finally escaped Alec’s eye, but he swatted it away. “Can I say goodbye to Shania?”

  “Of course you can.”

  Kim was loading a suitcase into their sedan when he approached the guesthouse. Shania emerged from the passenger’s seat and raced over to meet him, throwing her bony arms around his neck.

  Over the top of her shoulder, he saw her mother give a dejected smile. “Say goodbye, Shania. We have to go.”

  Shania sniffed and pulled back to look at him. “We’re still going to see each other all the time, right?”

  “I don’t know,” he replied. “I hope so.”

  She turned and vanished into the car, slamming the door behind her. Kim opened the driver’s side door and turned her gaze to Alec. “Take good care of your father, Alec. He needs you.”

  With that, she climbed inside the car and started the engine. Alec stood in the driveway for a long time, watching until their taillights disappeared in the blackness.

  Chapter 13

  Life without Julianne was far harder than Alec or Walter could have anticipated. They burned dozens of dinners before they learned how to cook; they tossed out countless clothes that emerged from the washer with bleach stains; they accumulated a stack of overdue bills that they simply lost track of. It was a rough transition, but eventually they settled into some semblance of a routine.

  Alec thought about Shania constantly, wondering if she and her mother were faring any better than he and his father were. It wasn’t until halfway through his freshman year of high school that he received a letter from her:

  My mom finally agreed to let me write to you. How have you been? How’s everything on the ranch? I started showing a new horse named Clementine. I’ll try to send a picture of her soon…

  Their friendship picked up right where it left off. They wrote constantly through their teenaged years, until Shania was accepted into the biological science program at Northwestern University. Letters became phone calls; phone calls became intimate discussions that lasted late into the night. She’d tell him about Chicago and her classes and her latest boyfriends, while he’d keep her updated on the goings-on at the Flying W. Twice she made plans to visit during the summer, but both times her plans fell through.

  He was pleasantly surprised, then, when she called to announce that she
’d bought a plane ticket to Jackson. “It’s my graduation gift to myself. I’ve been stuck in this city for way too long.”

  “I can’t wait to see you,” Alec replied. “When do you fly in?”

  “May second.”

  He frowned as he studied the calendar in the kitchen. “That’s fine, but my father’s already made arrangements to move our cattle back on the third. We’ll be gone for probably two nights.”

  “That’s not a problem,” she assured him. “You two do what you need to do. I know my way around the ranch.”

  He’d barely slept since she called, and now that he was at the airport, he was so excited he couldn’t see straight. He paced anxiously around the arrivals terminal before he took a seat near baggage claim to scan the crowds for a face he hadn’t seen in eleven years. Eventually he noticed several men craning their necks around, all fixated on the same thing.

  He couldn’t help but stare, either, when he followed their gaze to the woman who was hoisting her suitcase from the carousel. Her jeans left nothing to the imagination, perfectly accentuating the contour of her hips and the long, lean lines of her legs. It wasn’t until she stood and tossed her hair over her shoulder that he realized who he was looking at.

  Slowly he rose to his feet. “Shania?”

  When she turned her head, her face split into a beaming smile. “Alec!”

  He stood frozen in place, trying to connect this stunning woman to the awkward, gangly twelve-year old from his memory. Her hair was still long–almost to her waist–but the resemblance ended there. She was nearly as tall as he was, and beneath the airy white fabric of her peasant top, he could tell that she’d filled out in all the right places. She laughed as she threw her arms around his neck, and when he smelled the vanilla scent of her perfume his knees nearly buckled.

  “I can’t believe I’m here,” she said, pulling back to smile at him. “Look at you. You haven’t changed a bit.”

  “I can’t say the same for you. You look incredible.”

  It was the biggest understatement of his life. In truth, Shania was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

  As if reading his mind, she grinned and shyly dropped her gaze. He knew he was staring, but he couldn’t help it. The last time he saw her, she was a skinny know-it-all with a flat chest and a mouthful of braces. As he studied her profile, he could still see that girl, the same girl who’d been his friend for so many years.

  At the same time, though, he was also looking at a woman he hardly knew…a woman he couldn’t take his eyes off if he tried.

  Alec took a moment to collect his thoughts before he motioned to her suitcase. “Is that all you brought?”

  “Yeah, that’s it.”

  He picked up her suitcase and she followed alongside him towards the exit. She surprised him by looping her arm through his, but there was nothing uncomfortable about her gesture. If anything, it felt perfectly natural.

  “So,” she said as they headed for his truck. “Is there a decent bar in this town?”

  “I don’t know. What’s your definition of decent?”

  “A pool table and plenty of whiskey.”

  Alec chuckled. “Whiskey, huh? That’s what you drink in that big fancy city of yours?”

  “No,” she replied, playfully flicking the brim of his hat. “It’s what I drink when I’m hanging out with my favorite cowboy.”

  Half an hour later, they stepped through the doorway of Last Call Saloon. He could have taken her to one of the touristy spots on the town square, but if she wanted to experience an authentic western bar, this was the place.

  The saloon had stood in this same spot for over a hundred years and was perfectly content not to compete with the town’s newer, trendier bars. Last Call was all ambiance–traditional oil lamps that provided just enough lighting, an old jukebox that churned out classics from Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash, and a tarnished mirror behind the bar that had reflected a century’s worth of drunken scuffles and broken hearts. Aside from the obligatory old-west décor–dusty saddles, antique handguns–the walls of Last Call were plastered with hundreds of photographs of the bar’s loyal patrons. Many of the photos dated back to the postwar years of the 1920’s–sepia portraits of soldiers, friends, and families that time had long since forgotten.

  As he’d hoped, Shania’s eyes lit up when she paused in the foyer to study her surroundings. “Neat place.”

  “You like it?”

  “I do.”

  The bartender greeted them with a friendly nod and spun two cocktail napkins in their direction. “What’ll it be, folks?”

  Alec couldn’t help but notice the low cut of Shania’s top as she shrugged off her jacket and settled in her bar stool. “Two shots of Crown, please,” he replied, easing into the stool beside her.

  When their shots arrived, she lifted her glass in Alec’s direction. “What should we toast to?”

  He mirrored her grin. “How about old friends?”

  “I like it,” she replied, merrily clinking her glass with his.

  They ordered two beers and a plate of chicken wings before Alec spoke again. “So how were the rest of your finals?”

  “Brutal. I think I passed organic chemistry by the skin of my teeth.”

  “But you passed?”

  “I did. I’m so glad to be done with it. For now, anyway.” Her shoulders sagged in relief before she perked up again. “Oh! I didn’t tell you yet. I got my internship all lined up with the Nature Conservancy.”

  “That’s great! Where are they sending you?”

  “Mexico. I’ll be on the Gulf Coast for six weeks studying whale sharks.”

  Alec felt a familiar twinge of envy. “Sounds amazing.”

  “I’m sure it will be.” She paused and leaned her elbows against the bar. “How about you? Have you thought any more about what we talked about?”

  He’d planned to wait until they were back at the ranch, but the letter was burning a hole in his pocket. Her eyes widened when he produced it from his jacket and handed it to her. “Is this what I think it is?”

  He gave a nervous grin. “Open it up.”

  Shania unfolded the paper and read the words he’d already committed to memory. “Dear Mr. Westin,” she began, “we are pleased to inform you that your application to the University of Wyoming’s Department of Veterinary Sciences has been approved for the fall term–”

  She squealed and jumped to her feet. “I’m so happy for you!” she cried, fairly tackling him in his stool. “How are you not jumping up and down right now?”

  He laughed as she resumed her seat. “I think I’m still in shock.”

  “Well, it’s time for the shock to wear off,” she replied, signaling the bartender for another round. “To the future Dr. Westin!”

  He couldn’t help but return her smile when she lifted her glass in another toast. “You have more than earned this,” she added. “Your father must be so proud of you.”

  Instantly Alec sobered. “Well…I haven’t exactly told him yet.”

  The smile dropped off Shania’s face. “You haven’t?”

  “I don’t know how to.”

  “But he has plenty of help now, right? You’ve had Roger for ages, and you said the new guy from Texas is working out well–”

  “Tommy,” he supplied. “Yeah, he’s only eighteen, but he knows his stuff.” He let out a heavy sigh. “It’s not that I don’t think my father can’t manage without me. I know he can now. I just don’t know how to tell him…”

  “That you don’t want to stay?”

  He didn’t have the courage to admit it aloud, so he nodded instead. Shania rested her hand on his, and he stared down at her bronzed skin, noting that it was several shades darker than his own.

  “Alec, a rancher’s life is not for everyone. No one can say that you didn’t give it a fair shot. You’ve been out of high school for almost six years now. And if you’re still this unhappy, then it’s time to do something about it.”

 
; “It’s not that I’m unhappy,” he said quietly. “It’s just not what I want to do with my life.”

  “So don’t. There’s no rule that says you have to. And there is nothing wrong with you wanting to pursue a different career.”

  “But it’s not that simple. I’m basically telling my father that what’s good enough for him isn’t good enough for me.”

  “No, what you’re telling him is that you are your own person, and what you want for yourself is different than what he wanted for himself. He made his choice, and you have every right to make yours. He’s a reasonable man, Alec. He’ll understand.”

  The bartender brought their appetizer, momentarily halting their conversation. They ate in companionable silence for several minutes before Shania cleared her throat. “Have you decided what you’re going to do about your mother’s wedding?”

  He nodded. “I’m not going to go.”

  Alec had seen his mother infrequently since the divorce, and only out of pure obligation. Her second marriage–to Shania’s father–had lasted all of seven months. He often wanted to ask her if their little fling was worth wrecking two entire families, but so far he’d managed to bridle his tongue.

  Now she was getting married for a third time, to some wealthy corporate lawyer in Las Vegas, and Alec wanted nothing to do with it.

  “I can’t,” he continued. “I can’t go down there and smile and wish her well when it would all just be a lie.”

  “Alec, you have to forgive her. It’s not healthy to hold on to all that animosity.”

  “It’s different for you, Shania. Your mother is happily remarried. The divorce all but ruined my father.” He gave a helpless shrug. “He acts like he doesn’t mind being alone, but I can tell it eats away at him. He’s never been the same since she left.”

  She frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “So am I.” Alec drained the rest of his beer and glanced out across the mostly empty restaurant. “Want to check out some of these pictures?”

  Shania nodded and rose from her stool, and he followed a step behind her as she began a slow journey around the saloon’s perimeter. She took her time examining the history on the walls, pausing occasionally to lean in and study one of the portraits more closely. Alec knew where the photograph was, of course, but he was curious to see if she’d spot it on her own.