Nerve

Jason flips open his phone for the umpteenth time, reading Katie's message yet again. He'd received it several hours earlier but still had not replied. If he wanted to be completely honest, he didn't want to reply. He felt badly for her and he was concerned about Jeff, but right now, he really didn't want direct communication with Katie. After all that had happened... after her possessiveness and jealousy... after her blatant rejection... no... he didn't want to text her back.

Sighing, he shuts his phone and just sits for several quiet moments. It was a busy morning at work. He should be concentrating on that instead of his personal life. Yet without having this settled, it made it nearly impossible to concentrate on his tasks.

Eventually, he picks up his phone again. Scrolling through numbers, he picks the one he wants and waits. 

"Hello?" 

"Hey, Eric? It's Jason." 

"Well hi, Jason. What's up?" 

"Got a text from Katie about Jeff - how's he doing?" 

"Ah. He's doing okay. It was a mild heart attack but he's sticking around the hospital a day or two. Doc says he was pretty lucky. As long as he doesn't get too worked, up, he's going to be just fine." 

Jason was relieved to hear that. "Oh, good. Glad to know it wasn't worse." 

"Yeah. Hey, did you want to talk to Katie? I think she's around here close somewhere with Hunter." 

Jason is taken aback. "Hunter?" 

"Oh, um.... yeah..."

"He came out there with her?" 

"Uh.... well... he just came yesterday." 

"I see." Jason's eyes narrow at the phone. "I need to get back to work. Thanks, Eric. Tell  Jeff I'm thinking about him."

"Okay."

"Bye." Closing his phone, Jason glares at his desk. Hunter. Hunter was in Texas at the ranch. And Jason was supposed to believe there really was nothing between him and Katie? Seriously? Apparently they really did know each other well. Better than he and Sandy, he'd be willing to bet. Yet Katie had been upset with him. She had more nerve than he'd thought.

Scoffing, Jason turns back to his computer. This really wasn't worth dwelling on any more. Work was more important.

"One cool glass of lemonade for one cool lady." Hunter grins as he hands Katie the sweating glass. He'd at least thrown some cold water on his face and washed his hands before coming out here. It was a far cry from a shower, but he did feel a little better.

Coming up to the fence and leaning back on it, he's greeted with the filly nuzzling and sniffing his shirt. He chuckles and reaches out to give her some loving scratching on her cheeks and down her neck. "Mmm, you're a friendly little thing, aren't you?" It had been a long time since he'd been around any horses, but he was not afraid of them. Cautious, but the big animals simply didn't scare him.

The filly bobs her head in pleasure at the attention then goes to rub her head on his shoulder. 

"Hey now," he chides, gently pushing her head back. "You're gonna knock me over." Taking a sip of lemonade, he smiles at Katie. "So... sounds like I can have more to do in the barn, but I wasn't sure when you wanted to go back to the hospital." 

Jay smiles at his sister and nods. "I'll be fine. You get some rest." He was... glad he was here too. 

Once Rosetta had walked away, his eyes move back to where he'd seen Katie before. He'd worry about getting his bag to the bunkhouse later. Wandering towards the fence, he still isn't sure who the young man is. Maybe he was a new ranch hand. 

Realizing they were talking, Jay comes up behind Katie but doesn't interrupt. Instead, he pats one of the yearlings' hindquarters and leans on him, just waiting until there was a pause or until Katie would turn around and see him. He hoped she would be as glad to see him as he was her. They'd had their rough times, to be sure. But at least their relationship was better now than ever before, even if they didn't see each other often.