Every Storm Runs Out of Rain

Chapter 15

It felt right to pull into the driveway and walk up the front steps. It felt even more right to walk into his little girl's room and see her face light up. To feel her small little arms wrap around his neck in a tight embrace. What didn't feel right was the idea of leaving. He realized that he didn't want to go. And so he didn't.

He grabbed a pillow and a throw blanket from the couch and curled up on the floor next to Shay's bed. He fell asleep with Shay clutching his hand. He woke up at three the next morning out of habit and quickly realized that he had to get on the road or he would be late for work. Chance said they started a four. And he still had a forty minute trip ahead of him. He bent over to kiss Shay's head before making his way downstairs into the kitchen where he hoped to find his mother. Instead, he found Austin flipping through an old book. His brother looked up in surprise.

"What are you doing down here at this hour?" Stetson asked.

"I thought you were in Tyler." Austin said.

"I was." replied Stetson.

"Then why are you here?" his older brother questioned. Stetson shrugged.

"Shay needed a hug." Austin looked at him in disbelief. Stetson smiled as he shook his head. "I've gotta go now. Take care and watch out for that daughter of mine." Austin nodded and patted Stetson's back as he passed.

"Ya know...you could be the one to watch out for her if you stayed."

"That ship already sailed, brother." Stetson said.

"It's never too late, Stetson. You and Kyle could still work things out."

"I gotta go to work, Austin. I'll visit soon. Shay will be wanting to see me again I'm sure." Austin closed the book he'd been holding and sighed.

"See ya, Stet." Austin said.

"Stay outta trouble, big brother." Austin snorted and threw him a look of annoyance. Stetson smirked. He closed the screen door quietly. No sense in waking up the whole family. On the drive back, he thought about the past. Seems like it's all he thought about lately. Now the future? That was something he'd stopped thinking about. Hoping for. When did that happen? Did he even have hopes and dreams for the future? Not really. He pulled into Chancy's drive at 3:52. Still early. But just barely.

"Stet! That you?" Chancy's voice boomed into the darkness of the early morning.

"Yeah, Chance." he said.

"Are you ready to start work?" the rancher asked.

"Yessir."

"Alrighty then! Let's get goin'!" Stetson smiled at the older man's exuberance. He was so spunky. Spunk was something that Stetson had always liked. In the young and old alike. They loaded up in Chance's '97 Chevy dually and headed out to the upper pasture. The cows started moo-ing as soon as they heard the idle of the truck.

"Cows think they're getting fed." Chance's burst of laughter startled him. "What?"

"Aren't you Mr. Obvious this morning!" Stetson smiled.

"Somebody's gotta be." They rode in silence for a few minutes.

"Saw you leave last night." It was bait for a deeper conversation. Stetson took it.

"I had to go see my daughter." The mooing grew louder as they approached the upper pasture where Chance kept his second-time mothers. Stetson jumped out and opened the creaky old gate. Chance drove through quickly and Stetson jogged to shut the gate. Just in case one of the cows got antsy. Chance climbed out of the truck and blew out a breath which turned white in the chilly morning air.