Hunter rolls his eyes. "Well there's your problem. Chocolate must be consumed daily." He winks at her. "You're welcome. I think you're worth it."
Although the late evening had been fun, reality was still in control, forcing the hands of time to turn too quickly. In obedience, Hunter and Katie were back on the road after finishing their treat. Hunter took the ride back a little slower this time. Rather than running away from something, he was returning to it, and that slowed his speed. As the lights of town came into view, Hunter again wondered if this was it. Was this just a taste of enjoyment that would not be again, or was it just the beginning?
As it turned out, Hunter would see Katie several more times. A week later, he called her for another late lakeside stroll. After that, she called him once and they again had dinner where talk mostly revolved around both of them venting but still enjoying each other's company. An afternoon at the lake would follow, along with an after-lunch ice cream another day.
Hunter knew he was walking a fine line with Jason in the background. Though he and Katie only met when Jason was busy, Hunter knew there was a chance that no matter how innocent his time with Katie was, it could potentially cause problems. But something about her kept his concerns at bay. She was fun. Quiet. Nice. In a way, she reminded Hunter of what he'd been missing out on - good clean fun. She didn't come on to him. She didn't expect him to spend the night at her place. She didn't go for the partying and drinking. Even when it was just the two of them, Hunter never had to question her intentions or motives. She was feeling left out and needed a friend. He wasn't feeling left out of anything, but did need a friend. Together they seemed to give each other what they most wanted for the time being - simple, plain companionship.
In the process, they naturally got to know each other more. Katie would tell him more about herself and he began to understand a little more about the whole connection thing with Jason. She continued to vent about Jason as well, and Hunter asked her again if she thought he was cheating on her, but didn't bring it up again when he saw how sad that thought made her. He shared more about himself and where he'd been since Break Out. He told her about how he'd liked Alice and why he'd been so upset with Kyle. And he apologized to her for hitting someone who was her friend.
Though unplanned and perhaps a little confusing, Hunter started spending a little less time with his buddies and more time alone. His pictures were finally added to his shelf and his box emptied. Now having Katie as a friend, that helped him avoid any more public disturbances for fear of the Elite arresting him again and Katie deciding she didn't want to see him. He still hung out at the races and frequented the bars though, still struggling to discover where he belonged. Perhaps his biggest struggle of all, though, was fighting what was deep inside of him - the desire to let go of his hurts and return to being the man he'd once been - the man with a heart for God, with conviction of right and wrong, with purity, and with integrity. But where he sat now was on the edge of a dangerous vortex. One wrong step would cause him to fall into a place from which there would be no return. And every day, he teetered precariously on the edge, despite his conscious gnawing away at his gut.
Jason stood at the porch screen door, his fingers hooked in his jeans pockets as he stared out at the rain.
"Earth to Jason..."
He turns quickly and grins at Sandy. "You guys decided or what?"
"UNO!" Rusty holds up a worn pack of cards as he, his girlfriend Theresa, and Will sat at the kitchen table of his house.
Jason rolls his eyes. "Do you know how much UNO I've played in my life?"
"Not enough, for sure," Rusty quips. "Come on. I'll let you win the first round."
Jason looks back at Sandy with wide eyes. "He really thinks I need his help to win."
"Apparently." Sandy laughs. "How about you prove him wrong."
"I'll say." Jason wanders back to the table and sits down, taking a sip of his pop. "Alright, Rusty. Deal 'em up." He'd taken an impromptu day off work today, starting out with the morning spent with his mom and Kaylee, then coming over to Rusty's for lunch and some games. He had vacation time piling up, so he'd been spending it little by little lately. Some days off were sick days when his knee didn't feel like cooperating, and other days off were vacation to spend with his mom, or his friends, though usually his socializing with friends came after work in the evenings. He'd spent time with them once or twice a week, usually just hanging out for pizza, games, or just sitting around and gabbing. It was relaxing for Jason - something that helped him get his mind off his everyday worries. Being around old friends was a little taste of what he'd had as a kid - it was like experiencing part of his childhood over again and he liked that. Maybe because he'd never been able to socialize as much as he'd wanted while in high school. He'd always been too busy with Austin and TJY. It almost felt like he was getting a kind of second chance to just hang out with friends. Texting Rusty and Sandy had become fun too, giving him communication even when he wasn't hanging out with them, and one of them always wound up making him laugh about something.
Every day Jason recognized his feelings a little bit more. It was slow, but he was beginning to finally realize Rick was right - it would just take time. He was feeling more positive things lately though, and that was encouraging.
As far as he and Katie were concerned, he really wasn't sure what to think. The last couple weeks, they'd seemed.... distant. He knew she was bothered by him spending time with his other friends, but he was just trying to find a piece of himself again and wasn't doing anything wrong. He wished she would understand that, but she didn't seem to. He knew she loved him and wanted to spend time with him, but somewhere along the way, he'd lost himself... his individuality. For so long he and Katie had been almost one... it was always the two of them... always the pair. Jason didn't feel like just Jason anymore, and getting out and doing different things was helping him find out who he really was again. It was a new experience, and something he hadn't realized he'd needed until now.
He loved Katie for sure, and didn't want things to change between them. He knew she was having a hard time with her own feelings too, so, in a way, he hoped that him spending a little time away from her would help her as it was helping him. They didn't talk about it though. It was just an unspoken topic that neither wanted to speak of, lest they feel more tension than they already did.
One thing that did bother Jason though, was knowing that Katie had seen Hunter several more times. Though he trusted her, he didn't like it. He was always with a group of friends... Katie was spending time alone with Hunter. After their first little tense exchange though, Jason had let it lie. Was something going on between her and Hunter? He hoped not. He didn't think so. He trusted Katie more than that. But it still didn't set right with him. She'd seemed to have pulled away from him a little bit lately, and deep down, he'd wondered if it had anything to do with Hunter. For now though, he just let things go out of respect.
It would all work out. Of that, Jason was confident. The more time that passed, the more they would feel, and the more they'd get themselves back on track. It would just take time. He would feel better. Katie would feel better. And they would come out stronger in the end.
...Right?
Carson fiddles with some numbers, leaning on the counter at Mom and Pop's. It was a strangely quiet day - maybe because of the rain. He wouldn't complain though - they'd had a good week so far and one down day wouldn't put them in a jam. For the moment, he was here alone. Aerith would be coming in later, and he'd let Dani go for a while since things were so slow. Now he was just catching up on some paperwork while thinking of the changes he wanted to make around here. Anything to keep his mind off less than pleasant subjects.
"I'll probably go home in a few days." Cindy sits in Con's cubicle, just taking a few minutes to talk with an old friend.
Con nods, balancing Kaylee on his knee. She was quite content to snuggle up to him, never fearing his size. "Have you seen Trey again?"
"No." Cindy sighs. "I... thought he might call me but he hasn't. I promised myself I wouldn't push him though so I've stayed back. It's been a good trip though. I needed some time with Jason and I had at least one good time with Trey so I can't complain. It's been nice getting away from the ranch for a while."
Con studies her face, only now realizing how tired she looked. These past few months had really done a number on her, and he wished there was something he could do. "Will you stay in Texas then?"
Cindy shrugs. "I'm really not sure. I have a house there... the ranch families are my family too now... but I don't like being away from Jason - and Trey now either. My house is full of memories I'd rather not face. I don't know if that will ever go away. But..." She takes a deep breath. "I owe it to myself and to Wes to at least give it a fair try. If after a while I just can't take it, I might consider moving back here. I'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime though, at least I don't have to worry about Jason dying or not knowing my other son."
"And Kaylee keeps you on your toes." Con grins and bounces Kaylee around, making her giggle.
Cindy laughs. "That she does."
It was Jared's turn to feel heat in his face, although he does laugh. "Now wait a minute," he chides Grace. "You gave me permission to flirt with you, but nobody said anything about the other way around."
He takes a sip of grapefruit juice and grimaces. "Okay - that one goes on the B list."
Eying Grace with amusement, his gaze roams her face until landing on her own eyes. "For the record, you can flirt with me all you want. I gotta have something to help me with my ego, right? I mean, that got run over by a bus too."
Taking a nibble of a chicken finger and murmurs his approval, accompanied by a sigh of content. "I think I'm in love. Can I take you home to be my cook?"
"Competition, eh?" Eric laughs. "You're not gonna get much from me, I'll tell you that right now. I've been the worst player in the family for years."
Dylan quirks an eyebrow. "Good, then maybe I stand a chance."
Surprised to hear any humor from Dylan, it takes Eric just a moment to laugh again. "I imagine you do at that. We should have teams just so I have a chance."
"Well you're not gonna be on mine." Dylan's mouth twitched. "I think Ashlee would have you beat hands down."