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“Bye,” I say and then disconnect the call

Tapping ainst o for both Thanksgiving and Christmas I just need to let Kynan know soon so he can make sure to have my absence covered In fact, I could take several weeks off and just stay there the entire tiood bank with The Jameson Group, and I can easily afford not to work for a month or two

A soft knocking on my door startles me, and I turn to look at it It’s solid ith three sonal, but I can’t see who it is

I walk around lass, I can see Rachel standing on my front porch

An electric zap of adrenaline hitsie my life, one way or the other

When she told ht, there wasn’t an ounce of hesitation when I said I wanted that kid Even after a night of sleep and rued It would be hell todo it

I take a deep breath, let it out in a rush, and then open the door She’d been looking out toward the road and spins around to facein my own house I chalk that up to nervousness

“Hey,” I say and then step back, sweeping with my arm to silently invite her in

She crosses the threshold, her eyes roa the small interior of my house “You really live out in the boonies, don’t you?” she asks as she turns to face me

“Not a city boy,” I tell her “Like the quiet and solitude”

Which is why I bought this little Pueblo-style ranch house that sits without another neighbor in sight Nothing but scrubby desert as far as the eye can see with the Spring Mountains in the distance

“Because you were raised on a farm?” she asks

“Yeah, probably,” I say with a shrug, never having given it ht I just know I prefer open spaces and natural scenery to concrete, glass, and steel I like the sound of bugs at night versus honking cars