Awkward

Reese frowned at Nate's reasoning, but didn't argue. He was too tired. The fact alone that Nate didn't tell him something because he knew he'd disagree was irritating though. Had he chosen the wrong man for this job? Should he have made someone else Garret's handler? Garret seemed to respond well to him though, so surely it had been the right choice. But why did Reese feel like he was losing his grip on what was really going on? Why did he feel like Nate wasn't telling him enough about what was happening? It didn't feel good, and after trying to move on from their previous disagreements, this just made it all the harder.

He was ready to just let Nate go, when he was hit with the last bit of information. "Excuse me? And when did you find this out?" He cocked his head, knowing that it hadn't just been today, and simply stared at Nate for several long, tense moments. Finally, he threw up his hands before starting to sift through yet another mountain of paperwork. "You know what? Just...go home for the day, and feel lucky you're not somebody like Gunner, who I'd probably suspend for not having told me something like this the moment you found out." There were so many things he would have handled differently, had he known Victoria was a Medridge.

He took a moment to take a deep breath before glancing up at him one last time. "I'm sure it did just slip your mind, and I'm sure you're acting on everything you feel is right. And I can appreciate that - really. I just thought we were over this little thing of pulling in opposite directions, but I guess I was wrong." He returned to his paperwork. "I'll see you tomorrow. Shut the door on your way out, if you would, please. Thank you." This conversation was over for now. He had too many other things to worry about.


Hunter grinned and leaned down to give Katie's neck a soft kiss. "Well, I wouldn't want you to wind up dead...that would be so tragic." He started to laugh though, and gave her another squeeze. "I think I can be satisfied with just part of the day. So a date it is then. And bring your jacket...we'll take my bike."


That evening, it was Wyatt who went home with Jason to keep an eye on things. They didn't know what to look for or when someone might strike, but Reese was taking no chances. Most likely, the evening shifts would vary between several of the guys, but Reese was putting his foot down about using Katie during the day, whether Jason liked it or not...

"Mornin', Katie." Jason had just gotten to work the next morning after juggling a new routine with Wyatt around, and his hair was still wet from his rushed shower. Trooper was also by his side - an addition he himself had decided couldn't hurt, and at least Reese was allowing that as long as the huge canine behaved.

Jason slipped into the cubicle and straddled an extra chair backward before sighing. "I...need to talk to you."

Trooper wandered in as well, even though there really wasn't room for him, and set his chin on the desk, eyeing Katie lazily.

"Get out of here, ya big brute," Jason chided.

The dog glanced over at him and huffed a sigh, then gave Katie a slobbery kiss before turning and leaving to lie down outside the cubicle.

Jason rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to the task at hand. "Um... there's sort of a hit out on me. It's the Agency. So Reese wants me to have a shadow. Again. I'm working nights out with the guys, but...daytime shifts..." He scrunched his nose and grimaced an apology. "Reese wants you back on bodyguard duty." He leaned his arms on the back of the chair. "I'm gonna talk to him about making sure we're at least on the same cases so if we gotta go out, it'll be together anyway, but...yeah."

He paused, just studying Katie's face. Would she find this uncomfortable or awkward? Would she hate it? Would she feel put out? They'd made such a good team before...but they'd been dating. Now she had someone else. Someone else to see after hours. To have lunches with. To have a life with, besides work. And now she'd be tied down to spending much of her day with Jason instead. Would she resent that?

"I, um..." He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. I guess all I can offer is if you've got plans or something sometime, just tell me, and I can make sure I've got someone else to cover for you those days. I don't want this to be a pain in the neck for you."


It was late. Stars dotted the clear, black sky and a chilly breeze caressed the night air. All was quiet, except for the peaceful sounds of horses in the barns. The last couple weeks had been happy. Stressful. Fun. Upsetting. Inspiring. And tiring. Two new mouths to feed seemed a relatively small thing. But along with them came emotional stress, construction on Eric’s bunkhouse, and a very vague future. Family, though…that’s what counted here, just like it always had. From day one, the two families had been a team, and that’s what they would always be. 

In the back room at Angel’s office, a small lamp provided soft, warm light. For now, this was the babies’ room until Eric’s addition was finished. And most nights it was Eric’s room as well, except for when someone volunteered to take over for him. But most of the time, he insisted he stay.

Leaned back in an easy chair with his feet up, Eric was sound asleep, exhausted from another long day. Curled up down by his hip was one girl, while the other was snuggled up nearer his chest, his arms keeping both of them close under a now-haphazard blanket. For as much stress as all this had caused…right here and now there was peace. Peace in this little family. With Eric, Harmony and Melody.


Three weeks. Three weeks and two days to be exact. And though more settled now, it really didn’t feel all that much better. 

Rosalyn picked up another vase to dust, careful to clean around all the little knick knacks on the bookcase. Mrs. Jargen liked her things to be dusted just so, as Rosalyn had learned early on. It was one of five different houses she was cleaning now, which provided enough money to get by. There were no luxuries, but without her own car, and being able to split rent three ways, things seemed to work themselves out.  

She saw Clint at least twice a week when he’d come to town for supplies, for which she was grateful. He was the only one who had the landline number to call and keep in touch, so getting together for lunch was easy. She wondered if he really needed supplies that often though, but she never asked – it felt good that he at least cared enough to keep an eye on her. He never badgered her about her lack of communication with anyone else, and only gave her messages when she asked. And at least she was able to hear all about how his and Wendy’s baby was doing – she just wished she were there to spend time with her new niece. 

Then there was Chad. Rosalyn hadn’t contacted him since the day before she’d left the ranch – and she had not told him of her move. She’d left her broken phone with Clint, saying goodbye to all communication with the man who caused her heart so much turmoil. The stress and the emotions were too much to handle. Being on her own for the first time, thrown into a completely foreign part of life, sharing a house with two friends, unable to really communicate with her family anymore…it was all so overwhelming that handling any additional emotions seemed an impossible feat. And Chad certainly created additional emotions. She couldn’t handle it all. She just couldn’t. It was better to just make a clean break and move on, rather than trying to figure it all out. 

It was just one big mess, and Rosalyn felt so badly, but she didn’t know how else to handle it. Even if she wanted to communicate again, she couldn’t tell Chad she’d left behind all she loved. She couldn’t tell him she cried herself to sleep most nights. She couldn’t tell him that even though there was part of her that enjoyed this new life, there was also a part of her that was miserable. She couldn’t tell him because he didn’t deserve to share in this grief. He didn’t deserve to have to deal with all her problems or feel responsible. He deserved more - plain and simple…


“…Oh, this came for you today.” Lizzie tossed a box to Rosalyn in the kitchen. “Hannah’s been dying to see it.”

“Have not!” Hannah defended as she took a pizza out of the oven. “I’ve just been…curious.”

Rosalyn laughed as she opened up the box that her new cell phone had come in. “I have to admit, getting a new phone is always rather exciting.”

“A great excuse to celebrate.” Hannah licked some pizza sauce off her finger. “Mmm…perfect.” 

“So…” Lizzie leaned on the counter to get a closer look at the new phone. “Who’s getting your new number?”

Rosalyn smirked to accompany her sigh. “You guys, of course. And…my brother. And…maybe my mom…if I think my dad won’t interfere, which is still up for debate.” 

“And….your boyfriend?” 

“He’s not my boyfriend.” Rosalyn unwound her phone’s cord so she could charge it. “You know I haven’t talked to him in over three weeks.”

“Which I still don’t understand!” Hannah retrieved some paper plates from the cupboard. “From your description, he seems like a dream.”

“Mmm…yes. But I need more than a dream right now. I’m too involved in stark reality to try and figure out whether or not he’s part of my future or just part of a distracting fairytale.” 

Lizzie rolled her eyes. “I could do with a handsome, distracting fairytale right about now.”

Rosalyn grinned, but shook her head. “I’ve spent all this time trying to figure out my own reality, and the fact is, I am too wrapped up in trying to figure out me to try and figure out if Chad an I have anything more than a fairytale going. I need something solid. Something…real.” 

“So why on earth don’t you tell him that instead of leaving the poor guy hanging?” Hannah scolded.

“Because…it’s all bigger than just that. It’s…it’s… complicated.”

Lizzie grabbed a can of coke from the fridge. “It’s ‘cause she can’t bring herself to out-and-out break up with him, ‘cause she’s really in love with him but would rather not admit it.”

Rosalyn’s jaw dropped. “You’ve got some nerve tonight!”

Lizzie laughed. “As if that’s an oddity.” 

“Yeah, well…maybe I do have feelings for him. But he doesn’t deserve my current mess. I’m an emotional basket case, he’s too far away to do anything about it, and I don’t want him dragged into the middle of it.” Rosalyn plugged in her phone before flipping open the user manual to scan all the features. “He’s the kind of guy who needs someone stronger than that…someone with more guts…more experience…more confidence in who they are. He…deserves more than what I have to offer..” 

“So…you’re doing this for him?” Hannah had come up beside her at the counter. “Wouldn’t it still better to tell him rather than just making him think you’re dead or something?”

“Yeah. It would be,” Rosalyn admitted. “But he won’t think I’m dead because my brother would have told him, and he knows that, and even if he didn’t, he’d call the ranch and find out I simply left. And…Lizzie’s right. I just can’t bring myself to actually  tell him to lay off. Besides, the last time I did, it didn’t work anyway. If he thinks I’m mean for just shutting him out, then maybe he’ll get the message. He…probably already has, and already has another girl on his arm that actually has her act together.” The only thing she could do was get used to this. Chad would figure out that she no longer wanted to communicate, and he’d move on. And it would be better all around. Except…for the deep ache in her heart that kept reminding her how much she was still in love with him.