He could not remember a time that he stopped in his own driveway and groaned in irritation at the sight in front of him. Normally, he loved the view and drive down his very own, long and winding driveway that flanked the 600 acres of Alberta ranch land that he treasured. Jack knew every ounce of the drive, every pothole, every dip and turn. Not much had changed over the decades he'd been traveling his driveway, maybe just the people who graced it, sometimes the vehicles that drove it. Today had been a good day so far, and as he laid eyes on the approaching vehicle, he was worried that was about to change.
As he pulled over to let the black luxury SUV pull up-because he was sure the vehicle would stop and not continue on-Jack took a deep breath. What did he want? A random visit from Jesse Stanton was never one that he welcomed. He hadn't welcomed him with open arms when Jesse had briefly dated Amy right around the time Marion had passed away, and over the years, Jack hadn't heard the best of Jesse and his business ventures. He knew he was finishing school to take over the family business, and Jack had a feeling his neighbor had some business venture he felt Jack was too stupid to understand. Jesse was a lot like his father, Jack having known him for years and years before he died. He was a businessman before he was a horse owner, valuing the dollar over relationships of any kind-with people or animals. Jack could read people well, or at least he thought, and Jesse had grown up to be just like his father.
"Jesse-" Jack started to say, but he was surprised as the window rolled down, and it wasn't Jesse, but Val. She had been in Florida for months on end, and the last Jack had heard, Val was thinking of staying permanently.
"Val!" Jack said with a much brighter smile on his face than he had previously schooled his features. He chuckled lightly at the dread he had felt in his stomach, most of it, but not all, disappearing as soon as he laid eyes on Val, not Jesse. He did not mind Val, most of the time. Sure, she was not someone he was attracted to, but she was a decent neighbor. They'd had their moments over the years-good and bad-but the last few, before she had left for Florida, they had gotten along pretty well, both personally and professionally. Things had been particularly tense after Marion's death when Amy and Ashely were in direct competition. Even for some time, the girls could not stand one another, but over the years, that changed, and the two had developed a strong friendship. The same had pretty much been true with Val; she and Jack had grown a lot over the years to become good friends and neighbors. Jack couldn't put his finger on what had changed, but he welcomed it. He did not like being at odds with anyone; it wasn't his style.
"Why, hello, there, stranger. Long time no see."
"I was about to say the same," Jack chuckled lightly, nodding at her as he rested his elbow on his sturdy, old truck. Val must have been watching his move because she grinned, nodding at him.
"You and that old truck. I suppose some things never change," she smiled warmly at him. "I might say I'm surprised it is still running, but you do have a way with your old trucks."
"I value my trucks as I do my friendships-long-lasting, dependable, and loyal."
Val threw her head back and laughed, which had Jack laughing too. She stilled her features and gestured at him, "On a more serious note, it is good to see you looking well, Jack. I heard about your heart attack. I wish I had heard sooner. I would have checked on you, so please don't take my lack of communication as disinterest. I really was shocked to hear it happened months ago. Sounds like you need some of that Florida sun during the winters like I've been enjoying. We'll have to talk about that for next winter, because I heard you took off for some time in Arizona, doctor's orders."
"I did travel to Arizona," Jack said, his facial expression tight-lipped now. He really did not want to talk about Arizona. The year had not gotten off to the best start, not at all with his heart attack in January, followed by the recovery, and then a month in Arizona. He had been miserable there for many reasons, some of which he was just now only coming to terms with. He had much higher hopes for now the second half of the year.
"Well," she gestured again, shaking Jack's mind from the wandering it was doing. He looked up at her again and saw her smiling tentatively at him, "How are you doing now? You look well."
"Oh, ahh, thank you," he said with a tight smile and a nod. "Never been better. Tip-top shape according to the new doc in town."
"New doc in town?" Val's eyebrows rose, and she frowned slightly. "I hadn't heard about a new doc. What's he like?"
"She," Jack corrected with a grin, "is very nice, very good at her job, Trisha Virani, is her name. Heck, you know if I'm seeing her, she's not terrible."
Jack could have sworn the coloring in Val's face drained, but she gestured toward him, "You're seeing her?"
Jack tilted his head and then nodded, "Just had a checkup last week."
"Oh, right," she chuckled lightly, and it was then Jack realized Val meant 'seeing' as in socially. He decided not to comment further, seeing as how she'd figured it out from his comments. His social life was something he did not want to discuss with Val at all.
"I suppose you might be wondering why I'm here at your ranch," Val said, a small grin on her face.
"Suppose I figured you were just dropping in to say hi now that you are back," Jack gestured. "I was in Calgary."
"I heard," she nodded, hooking her hand back toward the house. "Amy told me. I dropped off an invitation, and I won't take no for an answer."
"An invitation?" Jack shook his head, unsure of to what she was referring.
"My 50th birthday," she rolled her eyes and started to chuckle. "Hard to believe, right? Well, I'm trying to embrace it and celebrate. Life is short as we both know. Anyway, I am having a big party at my place. I expect you to be there, mister," she jokingly pointed at him. "You'll come?"
"Oh, ahh," Jack started to blush. He hated parties, especially fancy ones at places he did not normally frequent. "When is it?"
"12 days, Saturday after this," she explained. "Please, Jack. I want you especially to be there."
"Ahh, well," he started to say and sighed slightly, not loudly enough for her to hear, but internally, everything in his gut was telling him to come up with some excuse. The problem was he did not have one, Val probably knew that, and he was more than likely going to be hounded daily to attend her party if he didn't agree to do so right now. He knew Val. She would be relentless, especially over something like this, something for herself. He expected Val to have an extensive list of guests, but at the same time, he also expected her to have a very short list of "required" guests, and knowing Val, he was at the top of that list.
"Bring the family," she cut in, drawing him from his thoughts, and he turned to her as she finished her sentences, "anyone in your family is welcome. I'd love to see all of you. It's been too long, and really, we do have to celebrate each and every day, Jack. As you have faced first-hand, life is short. With my cancer in the past, I'm so happy to have made it to 50, and I really want you there to celebrate. Sounds like you need to be celebrating being here on this Earth too."
"So," Jack started but then sighed and finally just nodded, relenting, "ahh, sure, Val. I will have to double check my schedule, but if it's clear, yes, I'll stop by."
"No," she wiggled her finger, pointing at him, "not a stop and drop by, Jack, COME to the party," she grinned. Val winked at him, "I've been to my fair share of Heartland parties over the years, and I can't remember too many times you've been to my place. It's high time, don't you think?"
Jack really did not want to reply to that, his true feelings, that no, he was not keeping score and didn't feel some obligation to come to her house. He just gave her a nod, and Val added more, "Glad I caught you in person because I know that had I not, you would have tried to call with regrets. Well," she pulled down her sunglasses and smiled again, "this time I won't take no for an answer. You don't have some major social life that is keeping you next Saturday-I do know you that well. I asked Amy if there was any horse show or rodeo, and she couldn't think of anything, so no excuses-no horses to tend to, no cattle to move, just come to my party. That is your gift to me."
"I'll see what I can do, Val, as I said, I do need to check the calendar," he told her. Jack shifted his head from side to side, sighing slightly, but trying to keep Val from seeing the dread in his eyes. It really was the last thing he wanted to do.
"I should be going," she gave him a nod. "Calgary today, huh? You aren't much for a city."
"No," he dropped his head, chuckling lightly, before he looked back at her with a slight gesture of his hand on his steering wheel, "just had to run into the city, things to take care of, drop off, that sort of thing."
"Glad I caught you, made my day," she grinned, and Jack could hear her put the car in gear again. "Okay, I will see you before my party," she pointed again. "I can promise you that."
"Oh, I don't know-"
"Promise," she waved, and before Jack could even try to reply, Val had started to drive off again, leaving Jack sitting there in his truck, dumbfounded. Here he had been having a pretty good day, all things considered, and he wasn't even back to the house and had an invite-no a request, no a mandate to attend Val's 50th birthday party. He sighed to himself, put his truck in gear and rambled onward toward the house. The party was not for almost two weeks, and he already wasn't looking forward to any part of it.