Page 102 of The Long Way Found

"Make it thirty. I need to stop at the store."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "You cooking?"

"Don't sound so shocked. I can handle pasta."

Luke got into his truck and rolled down the window. "Don't burn the house down."

CHAPTER 39

LUKE

By the time he left The Ridge in the late afternoon, Luke was so excited to see Jack that night that he surprised himself.

Can't help it, don't care. This feels good.

He had one more errand to run, driving out to Dale and Evan's place. They were going to take Marley for the night, and Luke was going to help them put away their snow-removal equipment for spring. The drive out was beautiful. Spring was coming on fast, with the valley turning green and snow melting off the high peaks.

Dale and Evan's property sat at the end of a long gravel drive, surrounded by ponderosa pines. The house was modest yet well-maintained, with a barn, a greenhouse, and what looked like at least twenty acres stretching toward the mountains.

When Luke pulled up, Dale was already outside, waving. Evan appeared from the barn, moving more slowly but steadily. Luke inhaled the smell of pine and wet, freshly cut grass.

He was happy to help, but they'd never asked him for anything before. Were they getting to a point where they couldn't manage like they used to? They were both strong at the gym, but he made a mental note to keep an eye open.

"You're sure it's not too early to put all this away?" Luke asked them. "We could still get another good snowfall."

"Probably will," Evan said cheerfully. "But Dale's got his reasons."

Dale shot Evan a look that said shut up, but there was warmth in it.

They worked together for the next half hour, hauling the plow attachment, organizing chains, and storing shovels. Luke watched them move around each other with the ease of forty years. Evan talking, Dale listening, both knowing exactly where the other was without having to look.

At one point, Dale reached for a chain at the same moment Evan did. They touched and took a moment to squeeze each other’s hands.

"Still handsy after all these years," Evan said with a grin.

Dale smiled and kept working.

When Dale went inside for a moment, Evan told Luke the real motivation.

"It probably will snow again, but I need to make room for this," he told Luke, showing him a photo of a big blue Ford F-150 pickup. "For our anniversary."

"Sweet!" Luke said. "He's gonna love it."

"I don't trust his old Dodge anymore. If it's not the brakes, it's the transmission." Evan pocketed his phone. "Forty years. Figured he deserves something nice."

"Forty years is... that's incredible."

Evan looked at him with those quiet, assessing eyes. "You planning to stick around? With Jack?"

The question caught Luke off guard. "I... yeah. I hope so."

"Hope's good. But it takes more than hope." Evan picked up a coil of chain. "It takes showing up. Every day. Even when it's hard."

"You guys make it look easy."

"It's not." Evan's voice was matter-of-fact. "But it's worth it."

Luke nodded, and Dale came back out with two beers and a Diet Coke. He handed them around.