Overslept

Hunter was determined to keep his eyes closed and just stay the way he was, but he couldn't help chuckling at Ryan's comment. Sighing, he lifted his arm and let her head rest on his chest instead. "Lumpy?" he muttered. "That doesn't feel like a compliment."

He slid down a little further, keeping his eyes closed even though he gave her a teasing squeeze. "Ten minutes," he repeated. 

Forty-five minutes later, Buttons' snorting woke Hunter with a start. Giving a jerk, his eyes flew open and it took him a moment to even remember where he was. Yawning, he checked his watch and blinked. "Ohhh... that was not ten minutes."

He wriggled his arm around Ryan. "Hey. Lumpy overslept." He cleared his throat, trying to clear his head too. It felt like he'd been sleeping for ten hours. His neck hurt a little, but it could have been from their little fall, rather than using a tree trunk as a pillow. He gently jostled Ryan again. "Hey... awake enough to ride back?"


Hal cocked his head and simply studied Sam's face for several quiet moments. "Maybe... But... One thing I don't quite get." He scraped the last bit of ice cream from his bowl. Sam had been sweet from the get-go. Caring from day one. Was it just her personality?

"Why do you care?" He shrugged. "I mean, most folks I work with are my friends and all but... you... are different." No one else had ever picked up on his discomfort, let alone asked him about, let alone understood and just wanted to help. 

He studied her eyes in the dim light, wondering what she might say. Was it her job? Did she have an ulterior motive? Or was she just that sweet by nature?


"So... I talked to Aunt Paula today..." Laura snuggled in next to Nate on the couch. Bryan was down for the night, Maggie was upstairs and Garret had gone to bed - or at least to his bedroom.

"And... She and Uncle Dan would be more than happy to take care of Bryan and Maggie for a week. So I was thinking... maybe you and I could drive up to that little place that rents out cabins. Stop by the farm on the way, drop off the kids, and go take some time away from all...this. Just... you and me."

She shifted to look up at Nate. "I've been saving some money... And Garret could just stay here... What do you think?"