forever.
“I missed this.”
“Mis’t wah?” Chance responded, mouth full. Bradley chuckled.
“This. It’s nice living in a town like Abernathy, with more than a couple thousand people, but I forget how calming it is to be out here.”
“Yeah.” Chance’s voice was almost reverent as his eyes looked out over the land. “It is nice ain’t it?”
“I guess you get so wrapped up in making money and going out, you forget how nice a simple day on the trails can be.”
“Did you enjoy college?” Chance asked, offering the bowl of blueberries and sliced strawberries.
Bradley took a strawberry and popped it in his mouth before answering. How did he answer without seeming like he was making a veiled statement about Chance’s own situation? But all he could say was the truth. “Yes. I loved it. It was hard after the falling out with my dad, but there was nothing like standing on my own two feet, figuring out who I was and what I wanted from life without the pressure of people looking over my shoulders. At school, no one knew I was heir apparent to The Good Reverend.
“Most of the people I graduated with from Hope Springs have kids and a mortgagehad one well before me. But I just… wanted more. I was never going to take over my dad’s church and the ranch was never a functioning ranch, mostly just to show off Dad’s wealth.”
He glanced at Chance who was gazing somberly into the distance. “Must be nice not to have had it all planned out for you.”
Bradley huffed. “Oh, they all assumed I’d come back to Blessed Union. But I think my sister and I were behind the scenes as it was built, saw the hot air that went into being The Reverend Gerald Heart, Captain and Commander of Heart of the Heartland Ministries. It was all so much more bluster and profiteering than it was actual faith.”
Chance looked startled. Bradley had forgotten that was another way they’d known each other, Chance’s parents being church members, Chance probably having been baptized there. Bradley amended, “No, I don’t mean he doesn’t believe. He definitely believes in the things he says. Unfortunately, he went from pure faith to believing his own hype. So watching that kind of derailed mine and Heather’s faith.”
“I guess I never really thought about it.”
“Sorry, I know you probably still attend services.”
“Only every once in a while. Not like anyone notices anyways since there’s about two thousand people and all.”
“True. Anyways, yeah. College was good. I liked it. I made some dumb decisions. First and foremost being dating about a dozen losers. But I feel like I’m better for it.”
Chance grunted.
“You know I’m not… Chance I don’t think you have to date a million people. Look at all the people around here who’ve done just fine with the same way of life that’s been Hope Springs since it was founded.”
“I know. I didn’t think you were going on about me. Although it does speak to my situation.”
Bradley felt he had a much better grasp of Chance’s “situation” after today. It answered so many questions as to why the guy seemed like he’d lived in a bubble. Because he had . Yes he’d gone to public school. But his friends were all like-minded. His dad had kept him on a tight leash. He hadn’t done more than a couple years of community college and now, knowing he’d saved every penny by barely ever leaving the ranch, Bradley ached for all the guy had missed out on. But it was Chance’s life. And a good friend would let him figure out what to do on his own.
“So why aren’t you going ahead with the restaurant? I’ve not seen you that excited about anything. Ever.” Okay, so the guy could figure it out on his own, but a good friend could nudge a little here and there.
Chance’s sigh carried on the wind, sadly. “It’s not like I’d get to enjoy it. The point of having the restaurant
“I missed this.”
“Mis’t wah?” Chance responded, mouth full. Bradley chuckled.
“This. It’s nice living in a town like Abernathy, with more than a couple thousand people, but I forget how calming it is to be out here.”
“Yeah.” Chance’s voice was almost reverent as his eyes looked out over the land. “It is nice ain’t it?”
“I guess you get so wrapped up in making money and going out, you forget how nice a simple day on the trails can be.”
“Did you enjoy college?” Chance asked, offering the bowl of blueberries and sliced strawberries.
Bradley took a strawberry and popped it in his mouth before answering. How did he answer without seeming like he was making a veiled statement about Chance’s own situation? But all he could say was the truth. “Yes. I loved it. It was hard after the falling out with my dad, but there was nothing like standing on my own two feet, figuring out who I was and what I wanted from life without the pressure of people looking over my shoulders. At school, no one knew I was heir apparent to The Good Reverend.
“Most of the people I graduated with from Hope Springs have kids and a mortgagehad one well before me. But I just… wanted more. I was never going to take over my dad’s church and the ranch was never a functioning ranch, mostly just to show off Dad’s wealth.”
He glanced at Chance who was gazing somberly into the distance. “Must be nice not to have had it all planned out for you.”
Bradley huffed. “Oh, they all assumed I’d come back to Blessed Union. But I think my sister and I were behind the scenes as it was built, saw the hot air that went into being The Reverend Gerald Heart, Captain and Commander of Heart of the Heartland Ministries. It was all so much more bluster and profiteering than it was actual faith.”
Chance looked startled. Bradley had forgotten that was another way they’d known each other, Chance’s parents being church members, Chance probably having been baptized there. Bradley amended, “No, I don’t mean he doesn’t believe. He definitely believes in the things he says. Unfortunately, he went from pure faith to believing his own hype. So watching that kind of derailed mine and Heather’s faith.”
“I guess I never really thought about it.”
“Sorry, I know you probably still attend services.”
“Only every once in a while. Not like anyone notices anyways since there’s about two thousand people and all.”
“True. Anyways, yeah. College was good. I liked it. I made some dumb decisions. First and foremost being dating about a dozen losers. But I feel like I’m better for it.”
Chance grunted.
“You know I’m not… Chance I don’t think you have to date a million people. Look at all the people around here who’ve done just fine with the same way of life that’s been Hope Springs since it was founded.”
“I know. I didn’t think you were going on about me. Although it does speak to my situation.”
Bradley felt he had a much better grasp of Chance’s “situation” after today. It answered so many questions as to why the guy seemed like he’d lived in a bubble. Because he had . Yes he’d gone to public school. But his friends were all like-minded. His dad had kept him on a tight leash. He hadn’t done more than a couple years of community college and now, knowing he’d saved every penny by barely ever leaving the ranch, Bradley ached for all the guy had missed out on. But it was Chance’s life. And a good friend would let him figure out what to do on his own.
“So why aren’t you going ahead with the restaurant? I’ve not seen you that excited about anything. Ever.” Okay, so the guy could figure it out on his own, but a good friend could nudge a little here and there.
Chance’s sigh carried on the wind, sadly. “It’s not like I’d get to enjoy it. The point of having the restaurant
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