Chapter 16: Home Again
August 31, 20—
It’s good to be home for the silence, Appaloosas, my family, and the smell of fresh air, which all welcome me with a soothing embrace. I have dinner with Mama and her current boyfriend, Ty Meed, who is a banker with six boys of his own. We have husked corn and potatoes on the grill, medium-rare steaks, and cold bottles of beer. The picnic area is shaded behind my ranch house, and there’s a warm wind that I’ve become acquainted with, and enjoy. The horizon speaks of a soft night of healthy sleep, and a promise of morning sunshine.
Mama says, “Everyone in town is asking about you. Where is Gage? What is he doing now?” She looks like my brothers with her flaxen-blonde hair, beautiful blue-pearl-colored eyes, and narrow lips.
Ty says, “You’re a popular
