Page 41 of The Long Way Found

“Don't let him think it's more than it is.”

But what if it already was?

What if that was the problem?

CHAPTER 13

LUKE

Luke slept through the next day, and when he finally stirred around seven-twenty, he stretched in bed, his body pleasantly aching from yesterday’s exertions. The bedroom was colder than he usually kept it, but he stayed warm under the covers. He looked over at Marley’s sleeping spot and saw the dog comfortably curled into a ball. He must’ve stepped out the doggy door for a pee and then come back inside. No need to wake dad or go on a long walk today.

Thank you, Marley.

Luke stayed in bed for a few minutes, thinking about yesterday with Jack. A fun day of laughs, hot sex in bed, and family night with Mara and the kids.

Wow.

Full.

Was this what they meant by “emotional hangover”? Or was it just how it feels to be regularly getting railed by your long-lost first love with a big cock and perfect, dreamy lips?

Life had been so routine just two weeks ago, right before Hurricane Jack blew into town. So far, so good, but so much excitement could be as risky as the blues. He aimed to stay in the middle of the bed, so to speak.

He rose, prayed, meditated, journaled. He’d go to his normal Sunday meeting, too.

He looked outside and saw a good eight inches of fresh snow on the ground. It had stopped falling after blanketing his street in a dense quiet. Everything was so bright you had to squint even from inside.

It was the kind of dreamy white that shows up in tourism brochures and real estate listings: heavenly. It made Luke grateful, every time, that he’d come home to Calder Ridge instead of staying away.

After coffee, he’d make the neighborhood rounds to see if anyone needed help digging out, but this wasn’t much for the mountain folk of Calder Ridge, Colorado.

Dressed and layered up, he called Marley’s name at the door, but the pooch gave him a look of absolute disinterest.

Luke chuckled and headed out.

He checked with a few neighbors, and no one was worried about the snow, so he walked back home. He’d left his phone on the counter. Jack had texted sometime in the past hour or so.

“Good morning, Luke. You survive the snow?”

“Yep, all good,” he replied. “You?”

“Just shoveled around the hotel for Patty. That’s a lot of snow!”

“Great day yesterday,” Luke responded.

“Yes, it was, Uncle Luke.”

After the meeting, he drove over to The Ridge to check in. All good.

Feeling sated and content, he drove home and caught up on his favorite Housewives (Beverly Hills, natch) on the couch.

Marley settled at his feet, and Luke napped longer than he’d remembered in a long, long time.

He went to the farmers’ market for a few things and was surprised to see Jack there.

“Patty suggested it,” Jack told him. “I had no idea. This is great.”

The market was small—about a dozen vendors set up in the community center parking lot—but it served as the heart of Calder Ridge on Sunday mornings. Everyone came through eventually.