I finally make it back up to the house, parting ways with Jason at the barn. It was a silent ride back, and Jason's expression seemed to mirror my own thoughts. We had found the driver alive, but he was in bad shape. Not just physically, but mentally, too, going on and on about the girl that was supposedly with him.

Jesus, I hope we didn't miss something. The thought gives me a horrible sinking feeling.

But there had been no sign of another person. The only other sign of life had been those giant hoofprints left by the stallion. Maybe the guy was just imagining things. Or maybe he was delusional.

Or maybe he did something to the girl and was trying to cover it up. You never really know what people are capable of.

Jill and Earl are talking in the kitchen when I come in, and I quietly close the door behind me, hoping to make it back to my room without being noticed. Jill, especially, is kind to me, but she can be kind of suffocating. I'm not used to such open displays of affection without some expectation of something in return.

"Miranda?" It's too late. Jill's caught me.

I turn to go into the kitchen, where Jill has a pot of coffee on the stove, along with hot chocolate. It's tempting, I've got to admit. Jill greets me with a relieved smile. "You must be freezing. Sit. I'll get you some hot chocolate."

Normally I would prefer coffee, but the moment Jill places the mug in front of me, I let out the breath I wasn't even aware I was holding before taking a sip.

"Think I'll turn in." Earl rises and drains his coffee cup before bending down to kiss Jill on the top of her head. "You girls enjoy your chat."

No sooner is he gone than Jill lets out a long sigh. "Earl said you found the driver."

I nod, setting down my mug and wrapping my hands around it, absorbing its warmth. "Pretty sure it was him. He left pieces of the trailer all down the road."

Jill's eyes go wide. "Oh my."

I tell her about the piece of the trailer emblazoned with the word "HOPE", how I took it as a sign that we would find the driver alive. How we found him down in the ditch on the county road, the truck looking as if someone had bashed it over and over. But yes, the driver was definitely alive. "He kept talking about this girl. Insisted she'd been right there with him."

"You didn't find anyone else?"

I shake my head. "Just him. And the horse's hoofprints, of course."

"Oh dear." Jill's forehead crinkles with worry. "You don't suppose something happened to the girl, do you?"

I question myself again before shaking my head in response. "No. No sign of her in the truck, no sign of her outside the truck. No footprints, nothing. If she was there, she disappeared into thin air. I think he just imagined her."

Jill nods at that, though the worried expression never leaves her face. "Do you know where they took him?"

"Sheriff's deputy said he'd be in touch if the guy was connected with the horse."

Jill sighs deeply. "I hope he's okay. I suppose they'll contact his family. You didn't happen to get a look at the plates on the truck, did you?"

That hadn't occurred to me. In the moment I was just worried about him. He looked so scared and hurt, so upset about the girl. "I didn't."

"That's okay." Jill assures me. "I'm sure they'll identify him at the hospital."

We chat idly for a while as we both sip our cocoa. She asks about the song I've been working on, and I find myself talking about how I'm stuck on one part. I can't seem to make it click, and it's maddening. "I think maybe I'll put it aside for a while, maybe work on something else."

"What you have so far sounds lovely." Jill replies. "It's so nice to have music in the house again."

I can't help smiling a little at that. "Maybe I'll work on it a while before I go to bed."

Jill smiles in response and picks up both our empty mugs. "Don't stay up too late."

I'm tempted to point out that it's practically morning as it is, but don't bother. Instead, I nod as I rise from the table and make my way to my room.

It's funny how this ranch has become home in such a short time. This place is unlike anywhere I've lived, warm, welcoming. I haven't felt that sense of place since I lived with my grandfather on the Crow reservation, before I bailed out and headed to Billings with Eric.

We were going to start a new life together, Eric had said. A life far away from the rez, a better life. But it wasn't long before we realized life was a hell of a lot harder in Billings than it ever had been on the reservation. At least there I had my grandfather. In Billings, there was no one but Eric.

He'd had trouble finding work and had connected with a high school friend of his who promised him quick money. Before we knew it Eric was dealing drugs, low level stuff at first, just pot and pills. It wasn't long before he got into harder stuff, and soon enough we were both using.

If it hadn't been for Jason, I don't think I'd be here now. He was running the streets of Billings, just one stop on his hitchhiking journey. He'd been everywhere, had done and seen a lot in his short life. And God, he was gorgeous. Tall, with long, dark hair, dark eyes, high cheekbones, a knapsack always slung over his shoulder, always wearing that Army surplus jacket no matter what the weather.

Imagine my disappointment when it turned out he wasn't all that into women. But he became a good friend, with connections to better drugs. Eventually he decided it was time for him to move on, and we figured we'd never see him again.

I didn't think about him again until a few months ago, when we ran into each other. He had been virtually unrecognizable, with short hair under a cowboy hat, a denim jacket in place of the Army surplus jacket, jeans, and cowboy boots. Turned out some rancher had picked him up hitchhiking and offered him work if he could get clean.

I didn't know it then, but when Jason returned to the ranch after our encounter, he had asked Earl and Jill if I could come out there. Jill, apparently, had jumped at the chance, and it wasn't long before Jason was making regular trips to Billings to seek me out.

I was out on the street the last time we saw each other, exhausted, strung out, desperate. Eric had taken off, owing his dealers a bunch of money, and those people were now trying to come after me. I let Jason bring me back to the ranch, and I swear I slept for days afterward.

I didn't have much to bring with me, just one bag, and I had shoved it into a closet. Later, when I was looking for something, I found a guitar case. My natural curiosity had gotten the better of me, so of course I had to take it out. Sure enough, there was actually a guitar in there.

It had been ages since I'd played, but once I got the damn thing tuned up, the music started to flow through my fingers, taking me back to my grandfather's house, his voice in my head reminding me of the finger placements for each chord.

"That sounds lovely." Jill had poked her head in.

"Sorry. I'll put it back."

"Please don't." Jill had answered, a sad smile on her face. "It's nice to hear someone play it again."

That conversation stays with me, even now, as I pick up the guitar and start to strum, a new song I heard on the radio. I don't quite have the chords down yet, but I'm getting there. I hear Jill humming along on her way to bed, and the house finally goes dark.

I'm alone again, just me and my guitar, and I can't help thinking about the guy in the truck. God, I hope he's okay. And I hope he finds that girl.