I'm a Good Person (Book 4)

Chapter 12

The summer felt as if it would never end in the best possible way. Laura had never enjoyed a period of time as much as she had this summer in Wyoming, never imagined she ever could. Each morning she awoke excited to see what she and Robert would explore. And even when Robert had been busy working on his school work, working on the range or fishing with Lee, Laura found herself enjoying getting to know the rest of the family... her family.

Thinking of them as family still felt somewhat unnatural, it was something she really had to remind herself of, though everyone else was quick to remind her it was so. In a way, she felt somewhat guilty thinking of them that way when she still disliked her own blood relatives so much and had yet to feel even the remotest pang of grief in regards to her parents.

As June seemed to melt into August seemingly out of nowhere, Laura found even her guilt was beginning to subside as she acclimated to life on the ranch and felt as if "real life" was worlds away despite the waning weeks of their vacation. Robert's school work backlog had been completed back in July and ever since Robert and Laura were allowed to do as they pleased, so long as they were home in time by sunset each day.

The two had spent some days in town here and there, but overall, they enjoyed spending time on the range. By this point in August, they had settled on a routine. They left early, around seven in the morning, packed lunch and rode out to Lee's favorite spot, the canyon with a river flowing through it. It was a beautiful place Laura was amazed by and could never seem to get enough of. They stayed there through lunch. On especially hot days, which were few and far between, they even waded into the river where the canyon wasn't quite as severely sloped. The rest of the afternoon was usually spent riding aimlessly or lazing about in whatever spot they picked to settle. It was about as perfect a routine as Laura could have asked for and she felt she could have gone on with it forever.

Lately though, Robert had been pushing their adventures earlier and earlier. He had never given an explanation for this shift in habit and Laura hadn't found a good way of asking, instead going along without making a fuss, as Robert seemed to need her company more than wanting it. Outwardly she couldn't see many signs that something was bothering him, not in the way she had been able to tell even a few months ago, where his emotions had shown plainly on his face. Now all she could see was darkening circles under his eyes, he seemed tired, though that was hardly a surprise and Laura assumed were a result of his increased physical workload, especially considering how much downtime he had gone through recuperating.

Being tired on its own wasn't really a cause for concern, though Laura began to see other symptoms emerging a they entered mid August. Robert was more quiet and less willing to talk about what he was thinking, offering fewer explanations. He had also begun falling asleep during their periods of relaxation after lunch. These things too, in of themselves, weren't all that alarming. It was summer, relaxation often led to sleeping.

Then, Robert went a step farther.

Laura was jolted awake by a knock on her door, followed by quiet footsteps approaching her bed. She turned to look at the clock on her end table, which she could hardly make out because the room was hardly illuminated by the still rising sun. Knowing who it was and what was coming, she let out a long sigh when she finally saw the time.

"Bob, it's 5:15," she whispered groggily.

"I know, but it'll be light by the time we get our things together and I can't sleep anymore."

As much as Laura wanted to say something sarcastic, she realized Robert clearly needed her, so she sat up and began rubbing her face to try and wake up, "alright. Get our saddlebags and start packing them while I get dressed."

"Already done," Robert said.

Laura grabbed her book off the end table and handed it to Robert, "put this in mine, would you?"