taken running to a new level. One day, when Shane had been ten, his dad had kissed his wife goodbye, bought a trailer and disappeared with his girlfriend. Neither of them had ever been seen again, though the rumor was that they’d gone to Mexico to live on a beach. Shane suspected his dad had probably started a cattle ranch. He couldn’t picture his dad on the beach, and ranch land had been cheap in those days.
Shane’s younger brother had followed the pattern on the day he’d turned eighteen. He hadn’t gone to Mexico, though. He’d gone east somewhere, though he hadn’t been specific about his destination. He’d just…disappeared. After that betrayal, Shane had never bothered looking for him. If Alex wanted to be gone, he could stay gone.
Shane had stayed, but it had felt like a fragile truce with his life, even before all this.
When Merry said, “Okay,” under her breath, he looked over to see that she’d drained half her beer, too. Her shoulders rose on a deep breath, and then she smiled at him and grabbed the iPad. “The brochure! You have to be honest, all right?”
“I’ll be happy to be honest, but I don’t know anything about this kind of stuff.”
The front of the brochure appeared on the screen, the background a black-and-white shot of the long street, buildings marching down on either side of it. The Town of Providence, the title read. Established 1884. Abandoned 1901 .
Even to him, the words were powerful, promising angst and drama, but it was nothing romantic to him.
Still, it was nicely done, and he told her so.
The next page was titled The History of Providence. He skimmed it, not needing to know more than he already did. On the third page was a picture of the saloon.
“Obviously I’ll take a new picture when you’re done with the work. It’s going to be amazing, Shane. That building is so perfect. People love a saloon! Look how popular the Crooked R is.”
“To be fair, that saloon still serves liquor.”
“I know, but it’s the possibility. The strangers that came through. The adventurers and outlaws.”
Shane smiled, remembering his own childhood imaginings.
“And people are fascinated that their great-great-great-grandparents hung out in bars. They drank beer and whiskey. Maybe there were even prostitutes!”
He looked at the small, inset photograph of the saloon that was taken at the turn of the century. A man in an apron stood on the porch, a towel clutched in his hand. “I don’t think my… I don’t think the women of Providence were the prostitute type.”
“I don’t know.” She stared at the far wall. “I’d bet there might have been a lonely widow or two who got tired of sleeping alone. Women have needs, too. And there were all those lonely cowboys.”
“We still talking about Providence, Merry?” he asked.
She choked on laughter and smacked his arm. He tried not to look at the bounce of her breasts under the T-shirt. She wasn’t that kind of girl. She was goofy friend Merry Kade, who didn’t even realize that the press of her hard nipples against cotton could drive a man to distraction or she’d go put on a damn sweater.
“So you started this job when I wasn’t in Jackson. When did they bring you in?”
“I’d been watching job listings for the area. I’ve missed being near Grace and it’s so beautiful here. It just felt right when I visited, you know?”
He’d heard so many compliments about Jackson Hole over the years that he just nodded absently. It was beautiful, yes, but beneath the surface, it was no different than any other place, as far as he could tell.
“When I found this ad, I thought it was perfect. I had a little experience, and I thought I could really make a difference. I thought…”
“You thought what?”
Her brow tightened. “I thought I’d truly be needed.”
“But you are, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know, Shane. I mean, I feel like I’m needed. But it turns out…”
Shane leaned forward, his eyes
Shane’s younger brother had followed the pattern on the day he’d turned eighteen. He hadn’t gone to Mexico, though. He’d gone east somewhere, though he hadn’t been specific about his destination. He’d just…disappeared. After that betrayal, Shane had never bothered looking for him. If Alex wanted to be gone, he could stay gone.
Shane had stayed, but it had felt like a fragile truce with his life, even before all this.
When Merry said, “Okay,” under her breath, he looked over to see that she’d drained half her beer, too. Her shoulders rose on a deep breath, and then she smiled at him and grabbed the iPad. “The brochure! You have to be honest, all right?”
“I’ll be happy to be honest, but I don’t know anything about this kind of stuff.”
The front of the brochure appeared on the screen, the background a black-and-white shot of the long street, buildings marching down on either side of it. The Town of Providence, the title read. Established 1884. Abandoned 1901 .
Even to him, the words were powerful, promising angst and drama, but it was nothing romantic to him.
Still, it was nicely done, and he told her so.
The next page was titled The History of Providence. He skimmed it, not needing to know more than he already did. On the third page was a picture of the saloon.
“Obviously I’ll take a new picture when you’re done with the work. It’s going to be amazing, Shane. That building is so perfect. People love a saloon! Look how popular the Crooked R is.”
“To be fair, that saloon still serves liquor.”
“I know, but it’s the possibility. The strangers that came through. The adventurers and outlaws.”
Shane smiled, remembering his own childhood imaginings.
“And people are fascinated that their great-great-great-grandparents hung out in bars. They drank beer and whiskey. Maybe there were even prostitutes!”
He looked at the small, inset photograph of the saloon that was taken at the turn of the century. A man in an apron stood on the porch, a towel clutched in his hand. “I don’t think my… I don’t think the women of Providence were the prostitute type.”
“I don’t know.” She stared at the far wall. “I’d bet there might have been a lonely widow or two who got tired of sleeping alone. Women have needs, too. And there were all those lonely cowboys.”
“We still talking about Providence, Merry?” he asked.
She choked on laughter and smacked his arm. He tried not to look at the bounce of her breasts under the T-shirt. She wasn’t that kind of girl. She was goofy friend Merry Kade, who didn’t even realize that the press of her hard nipples against cotton could drive a man to distraction or she’d go put on a damn sweater.
“So you started this job when I wasn’t in Jackson. When did they bring you in?”
“I’d been watching job listings for the area. I’ve missed being near Grace and it’s so beautiful here. It just felt right when I visited, you know?”
He’d heard so many compliments about Jackson Hole over the years that he just nodded absently. It was beautiful, yes, but beneath the surface, it was no different than any other place, as far as he could tell.
“When I found this ad, I thought it was perfect. I had a little experience, and I thought I could really make a difference. I thought…”
“You thought what?”
Her brow tightened. “I thought I’d truly be needed.”
“But you are, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know, Shane. I mean, I feel like I’m needed. But it turns out…”
Shane leaned forward, his eyes
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