I will be adding chapters each day - this only needs slight revisions.
It had been a cold and dreary winter and Chris Larabee thought it was fitting the ice on the trees matched the ice in his heart. Christmas had always been hard for Chris, knowing how much Sarah and Adam had loved it, and this year had been the hardest of all. No one in the ATF building had dared wish any of Team 7 a Merry Christmas and their office was the only one conspicuously free of decorations. If the term silence is golden were real, even Ezra would be rich beyond his wildest dreams in the past few months since that fateful day in October.
Chris wiped his eyes, staring at the scenery that was beginning to show signs of new life in the trees, flowers and greenery on the ranch. He took it as a personal affront to see the beginnings of new life blooming in defiance of the long, cold winter.
The rest would be coming soon, the first gathering since St. Patrick's Day, in which they all got drunk on green beer and became so loud and rowdy that most ended up in a fight with some other celebrants and Inez, in exasperation, threw them out, albeit as compassionately as possible. Except for Buck. Buck, who had broken down and was weeping uncontrollably into his mug had been taken home by Inez and missed the next three days of work.
Chris' phone vibrated, breaking his reverie and he looked at the message with a large sigh. Mary. Mary had refused to be rebuffed, had done everything possible to comfort him; and Chris had done nothing but push her away since that day in October. That was how Team Seven thought of it – that day in October. Earlier in the day, Chris, looking through his top drawer for a pair of socks had pulled out the small jewelry box he had totally forgotten about and fingered the diamond and ruby engagement ring he had shoved in the drawer after that day. What a fool he had been even thinking of marrying Mary Travis. Happiness was not meant for him.
Chris walked sluggishly into the kitchen, grabbed three beers from the bare refrigerator and went to sit in his favorite chair, gazing into the distance. He didn't wait long. A solitary rider, light brown hair blowing in the breeze, rode up, dismounted and after taking care of his horse walked to the porch and sat down beside Chris. A quick nod was the only acknowledgement as the man gazed off in the distance.
Chris held out one beer and Vin took it, popped the top and drank it with one fluid motion. Vin glanced at the other beers and then at Chris.
Chris smiled faintly. "No," he said to the unspoken question in Vin's eyes that asked if Chris had been drinking heavily.
Vin nodded and took the second beer. "Thirsty."
Chris raised a slight eyebrow.
"Puked a lot of green beer on St. Paddy's," Vin reminded Chris.
"Wasn't the only one," Chris said matter-of-factly.
"Buck sure looked a sight with his moustache painted green," Vin remarked with a slight smile.
"I thought Inez's eyes were going to pop out of her head at the sight of him."
Silence and then a tiny sigh from Vin. "What's this gathering all about, Chris?"
Chris' gaze was steady. "I don't know, Vin. I'm not sure I want to find out."
TBC