Nice Night

Only half paying attention to Misty as she approaches, her tone suddenly brings Rick's eyes around, and he senses this is something more serious than a casual conversation. Leaving his work be, he listens, his eyes growing wide. A grim spreads across his lips, and he reaches out to put a hand on Misty's shoulder. 

"Of course I'll help you out. This is big stuff, huh?" His grin evolves into a gentle smile. From what she was explaining, he was pretty sure that this was not something she'd been planning or expecting, and he knew that could be scary. "How about we get some blood drawn before you go home and I should have the results for you in the morning, okay?"

Setting aside his work, Reese listens quietly as Katie speaks. He'd been glad when she'd asked to see him - he'd been waiting. The last few days he'd been quite worried about both her and Jason. She'd suddenly asked for a couple days off, and Jason had been moodier than anything. He'd finally figured out that there was something going on between them, but hadn't been sure what it was. Now he knew and understood.

Hearing Katie's request, he lets out a long sigh. Not out of annoyance though... this was just a hard situation to respond to. Leaning back in his chair, he just studies her for several long moments. The father in him wanted to put his arm around her and tell her that everything was going to be okay. that she could have whatever she needed and as much time as she needed. The friend in him wanted to tell her that "fixing" something just might not be that easy... that there were things happening in her live that might not be able to be fixed - there were things that were permanent now, like the change between her and Jason and their connection. She could learn and grow, but she might find out that something just couldn't be fixed. The boss in him wanted to remind her how busy the Elite was right now, and being short-handed was not something he would appreciate. She had a job to do, and breaking up with her boyfriend was no reason to leave everybody else in a lurch. 

Reese eventually nods. "You may have a leave of absence. You have several weeks of pay and... should you choose to stay in Texas longer, then that's up to you." He pauses, pursing his lips. "I'm sorry you're going through this tough time, and I'm glad you've chosen a good place to go. Please just contact someone here if you decide to stay at the ranch past your paid days so we know what's going on and... we'll go from there. In the meantime, we'll fill in the gaps around here so you don't have to worry about a thing."

He offers her a smile. "Take care of yourself, Katie... I want to see that spark in your eye again."

"Hey now..." Eric chides Stacy as his face grows hot once again. "Don't bring up unpleasant memories of quick exits or tongue entanglement. It harms a man's ego." 

Grinning though, his hand slips over to hers to hold as they walk. "I guess we could call this a date, but it don't really feel like one to me. There ain't any candles or soft music or anything..." He pauses. "But I guess we're alone in the dark so maybe it still counts." 

Stopping and realizing what he'd just said, he wishes he had his hat to hide his face. "Not... or... I mean that didn't...." He coughs. "So it's a nice night, huh?"