Page 19 of Rafe

“I’m sorry, Nate. I guess I don’t really want to be here,” Rafe admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Do you want to go?” Nate pressed gently.

“Not yet. Let me just relax for a little longer,” Rafe replied, his eyes fixed on a spot beyond the bustling scene.

“Alright. Uh, oh. Here comes a couple of women,” Nate observed, lifting his beer to his lips with a spark of mischief. Rafe couldn’t help but smile, as Nate’s hidden grin was revealed by the playful glint in his eyes. The women continued walking toward them until Rafe looked at them and shook his head, then they turned and walked away into the thick, lively crowd, leaving the two friends enveloped once more in the soft murmur of the evening.

After what felt like endless hours in the dimly lit bar echoing with the low hum of conversations and clinking glass, Rafe wasdesperate to escape. He wasn’t itching to return to his empty home, yet lingering here was equally unbearable. Rising from his seat, he motioned Dixie over with a wave and settled the bill for both him and Nate.

“You didn’t have to pay mine,” Nate remarked with a trace of disbelief in his tone.

Rafe waved off the comment with a dismissive grin. “I practically ran you in here for nothing. It’s on me.”

Concern etched on his face; Nate’s brow furrowed. “I’m worried about you. I’ve never seen you like this.”

Dixie returned with a hand full of bills, which Rafe casually waved aside as if dismissing an inconsequential worry. She offered a soft, grateful “thank you” before slipping back into her duties behind the counter.

“Let’s go,” Rafe declared with quiet urgency, nudging his way through the throng of patrons clustered like a living, pulsing mass.

Outside, the night air and the distant hum of Main Street greeted them. The two men paused, standing shoulder-to-shoulder in a loaded silence that spoke volumes. Rafe’s eyes flickered under the streetlights as he signaled Nate silently to follow him. Together, they made their way to Rafe’s truck, parked right next to Nate’s.

They leaned back against the truck’s front, arms casually folded, the silence between them laden with unspoken questions. Rafe was well aware that Nate was waiting for him to bridge the chasm of his feelings with words. If nothing came, Nate would simply let the silence hang as a question in the night air.

Rafe exhaled deeply. “Maggie and I…” He trailed off, shaking his head as if trying to discard the weight of confession.

“You and Maggie, what?” Nate pressed, his voice a mix of curiosity and concern.

Rafe met his gaze steadily. “Had sex.”

The confession hung between them, suspended by the night’s air. When Nate remained quiet, Rafe searched his friend’s face for any sign of judgment or shock. Instead, he saw a hesitant shake of Nate’s head before the words tumbled out.

“I’m sorry. Did you say you and Maggie had sex?”

Rafe nodded slowly. “Yeah. She invited me to go riding, and I couldn’t say no. We stopped at the pond by the edge of the field and… well…” He shrugged, the gesture raw and uncertain.

“So, now what?” Nate’s question was soft but insistent, seeking clarity in the haze of Rafe’s admission.

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing,” Rafe replied, his tone betraying a wistfulness that belied his words.

“Rafe, I know how you feel about her. Ever since the day you met her, you’ve wanted her.”

“She was married,” Rafe murmured.

“Yes, shewas. But she isn’t now,” Nate countered.

“I don’t think Fred would appreciate it. I mean, he still sees her as his daughter-in-law.” Rafe’s words spilled out with a mix of caution and sorrow.

“But she’s not really. Besides, I think Fred would be delighted to see two people he cares about come together,” Nate reasoned.

Rafe turned toward Nate. “And if I hurt her? Then what? Fred wouldn’t be happy, especially after everything she endured with Junior.”

Nate’s laugh was soft and understanding. “It wouldn’t be the same sort of hurt. You’ve never even thought about laying a hand on her or any woman.”

“There are other ways to cause pain, Nate. Besides, she’s just so far out of my league,” Rafe admitted with a shake of his head.

Nate laughed. “Oh, let’s talk about leagues for a minute. Take Markie, you know, theveterinarian. I’m just a humble ranch manager, yet we love each other. That’s all that matters.”

“I don’t think I want to risk it. If Maggie and I got together and then, for some reason, drifted apart, it wouldn’t just break her heart, and it would shatter Fred’s. He has seen what she’s been through. To see her hurt would be like watching a part of him die. She’s like the daughter he never had. Frankly, she means more to him than Junior ever did.”

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