“I don’t believe you, Mom. If it were Blythe doing this, I’d be all over her to straighten her shit out. It’s like my head knows I need to, but my heart won’t let me.”
“This is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do,” Billy said. “I wish I didn’t have to go home.”
“It’s okay. I’m happy you stayed as long as you did.”
Billy was feeling better about the two of them, so when he hit the seven-day mark, he decided to go home. He’d be back, with Willow, in less than three weeks.
His parents were coming to Crested Butte on Mond
ay, but he wanted to come the Friday before, so he and Renie had time alone with his daughter. He made arrangements to rent the same place he was staying in this week, that way if Renie was feeling too uncomfortable, or overwhelmed, he and Willow wouldn’t be staying in Ben’s house. She could escape if she felt the need to.
“You’re being so great about this, Billy. I don’t think I could be as great about it as you are.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re so patient with me. If I were in your shoes, I’m not sure I would be.”
He put his hands on each side of her face and looked into her eyes. “You are one of the two most important people on the face of the earth to me. I’ll do anything, anything, to make this work. I can be patient. But, I can’t be away from you for very long.”
Renie watched Billy drive away from the ranch house. She stood outside long after she couldn’t see his truck. A feeling of loss hit her almost instantaneously, along with a feeling of dread. The next time she saw him, Willow would be with him. She prayed she didn’t react to the baby the same way she had the first time she saw her.
“You should call her instead of showing up unexpected,” Tucker said to Jace while he was packing his bag. “Give her some notice.”
“Why?”
“Well mister cock-sure-of-himself, maybe she’s moved on. Got another guy.”
“Okay, I’ll call her. After I get home.”
Tucker and their parents were staying on two more weeks, but they’d be back in Aspen in time for Thanksgiving. Jace was hoping he could talk Irene into coming to his parents’ house for the holiday. If she wouldn’t, he planned to finagle an invite to Ben’s instead.
Renie pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, knowing it was Billy calling. As she hit the answer button, she glanced at the screen. It wasn’t Billy, it was Jace.
17
“Hello?”
“Irene! Hi, it’s Jace. How are you?”
“I’m good. How are you?”
“Happy to be back in the States.” Closer to you.
“I…um…wow. I didn’t expect to hear from you.”
“At all? Or this soon? Did you get my postcard?”
His postcard. She’d forgotten all about it. Her mother had mentioned it to her, but then she never thought about it again.
“I, uh, didn’t see it.”
“Oh, damn. Well anyway, it said that I was looking forward to seeing you. When can I?”
She didn’t know when, and she didn’t know how to tell him.
“How about later this week? What are you doing with yourself?”
Let’s see…she’d reconnected with the love of her life, they were trying to figure out how to spend their lives together, she was about to meet his one-year-old daughter, and she was even considering going back to school. It was a lot of information to tell someone she hadn’t been sure she’d ever talk to again.