Space in My Heart For You
Nugget #3: Caleb and Nathan Talk
"Thanks for dinner, Lou!" Caleb calls out from the porch, holding the screen door open for Nathan and Amy.
"Thanks again," Nathan waves to Lou. "See you tomorrow."
Lou mirrors his simple gesture. "Bye, boys."
Once in the summer night air, Nathan takes a reflective deep breath, hoping to let go of the day's tension. He snaps back to the moment as Amy walks beside him, looping her arm through his.
He does a double take in surprise, looks at Caleb cautiously ahead of them, and then leans in closer. "Hey."
"Hey," Amy squeezes his arm. "I'm sorry about today. I should have told you where I was going and why—"
"You did. You told me you were doing a clinic."
Amy leans on his shoulder and looks up at him. He meets her gaze. "I didn't want to overcomplicate things. I didn't know how much to say."
Nathan stops walking and turns to face her. "You know you could have, right? If you wanted to."
"Yeah," she looks at him in awe. "I know. I would have—"
"Amy!" Caleb calls from his truck. "Do you have my cabin key? I think I forgot—"
"Yeah," she pulls the key from her back pocket and jingles it at him. Nathan chuckles. "You left it in Lyndy's room."
He walks back to them. "Well, I had to give her a kiss goodnight. I never see her anymore."
"Uh-huh," Amy drops the keys in Caleb's palm. "And whose fault is that?"
"Mine," Caleb's fingers curl around the keys and then scoops her into a hug. "All mine."
Nathan watches as Amy wraps her arms around him. She leans into Caleb for a quick moment before parting. "See you tomorrow."
Amy pivots from Caleb's truck to Nathan's, parked paralleled beside it. She steps towards him. Fighting the urge to reach for his hand, she tucks her hair behind her ear instead. "So, more cattle drive tomorrow morning and then we can still hang out afterward as planned?" Her reconfirmation statement felt more like a question than she would have liked.
"Yeah." Nathan notices her uncertainty and raises his hand to her shoulder. "Just as planned."
"Mm-kay," she smiles at him. "Goodnight."
His hand drops. "Goodnight, Amy," he whispers and watches her walk back to the house.
He turns back to find Caleb leaning against his truck, with a smirk on his face. Nathan freezes at the know-it-all sparkle in his expression.
Caleb speaks first. "I'm happy for you guys."
It takes a moment for Nathan to adjust himself. He situates himself against his own truck door, crossing his arms. "How did you—"
"Amy told me," Caleb clarifies. "On the way to the clinic."
Nathan nods in the information. He takes his time to speak. "We've been keeping it pretty quiet."
"Oh, I know. I'm not going to say anything," Caleb promises. "I think she just told me because I'm leaving after the cattle drive. We were just catching up."
Nathan recalls Caleb's morning declarations. "I guess I didn't realize you all were so close."
"Seventeen years is a long time…" Caleb nods slowly. "Listen…I never would have stood up to Tim like that if I knew there was a different dynamic in the room. I tend to speak before I think."
"That's okay," Nathan shifts from one foot to the other. "So…" Unsure how to start, he searches for words to convey the dozens of questions he had, but would not dare to ask. "Best friends with both Ty and Amy, huh?"
"Hmm," Caleb smiles to himself, lost in the memories. "I got lucky. Two of the best friends a guy could ask for." His words are met with silence, and Caleb kicks himself as he realizes the intent behind Nathan's question. "But you're not asking about me," he says, an apology appearing on his face.
Nathan waves him off with a half-smile. "No, you know what," he reaches for the truck door. "Maybe it's better that you don't say anything. I really don't know what to ask any—"
"He wanted her to be happy." Caleb jumps in, suddenly able to think fast. Nathan turns around, his interest piqued. "More than them being together. More than his own happiness. Ty was happy when Amy was happy and being herself and doing what she loved. He would sacrifice his happiness and their relationship if he didn't think she was happy."
Nathan shakes his head, still unsure what he wants to hear. "So, he puts Amy and her happiness before himself, sacrifices himself for her—all round great guy."
As if he didn't hear him, Caleb continued in the same reflective tone. Yet, he must have heard him, because suddenly, Caleb was answering the questions Nathan didn't even know he had. "Ty was jealous. There were times they weren't together, and even then, any guy that showed a hint of interest in her, he would go crazy on them. He was badass. He was restless. He couldn't stay still, always off on another adventure. He was overly protective. He was impulsive. He could be reckless. And those things were not a great combination, but his edges softened with time and with Amy. He was driven and passionate about what he did," Caleb paused, not sure of how much more to say. "Ty was a great guy, Nathan. Amy and Ty were great together. No one is going to tell you any differently," Caleb waited until Nathan looked at him to make sure he understood his point. "But they weren't perfect. They had their ups and downs. And since Amy's happiness really was the most important thing in the world to him, you don't need to worry about what kind of guy Ty was. It's more about making Amy happy." Caleb shrugs and pulls his truck keys from his pocket. "And she says you do. So—"
"She did?"
"Hmm," Caleb opens his truck door and then turns back to Nathan. "You don't know how lucky you are. Don't take that for granted."
"I won't. I don't plan to."
"You better not," Caleb warns. "If you hurt her, you're gonna be in big trouble—not just with me—but with Jack and Tim and Lou. Believe me."
"I know." Nathan takes his words as confirmation that he and Amy made the right decision in keeping their new relationship quiet. "If anything, I'm the one that's at risk for being hurt here."
Caleb steps into his truck. "Amy doesn't do that. She has a way of protecting people's hearts." He looks back at Nathan. "Even if things don't work out—she still finds a way to make everything right."
Nathan's forehead creases at Caleb's cryptic words. Before he can say anything, though, Caleb's truck lights beam through the darkness. As the truck backs up and turns towards the main road, Caleb raises a hand out the truck window as a farewell. "See you."
"Bye," Nathan nods back. He returns to his own truck, deep in thought. After one final glance towards the house, he follows Caleb out the driveway.
A/N: Thanks to SCR, abc123abc123, Guest, Ladybug, and Cindy for your thoughtful comments. The story will continue to build, so I hope you enjoy the journey as it goes. ❤