“I’m sorry—for both of us.” Cord thought he could understand a little of what she’d been through all those years ago. He felt his resentment begin to lift—it was almost a physical sensation.

“I’m also sorry I blamed your grandparents for never letting us regain contact.”

“You can’t blame them, Julie. They did what they thought was best for me.”

She sighed again. “I agree. You’re right. I was a mess, and I turned your life into a disaster with my neglect—until they came along.” Wiping her eyes, she said, “I should be, and I actually am, very grateful to them. And look at you now! You’re such a success. Eddie Gonzalez told me—and then I checked you out online. Didn’t have the nerve to do that before…” She smiled up at him. “Oh, and I like your girlfriend.”

“So do I,” he said, smiling back, not ready to explain the complexities of his relationship with Shallie. “Listen, we’ll talk more, lots more, but it’s getting noisy out here. Let’s go join the others.”

THE REMAINDER OF Friday and then Saturday didn’t afford many private conversations—a few brief ones, in which Julie discussed the details of her recovery and described her current job as an organizer with a charity that helped the homeless.

But their meetings and the opportunities they did have to talk felt like a genuine beginning. He needed a chance to absorb everything, these new experiences and feelings, and thought she did, too.

He and Shallie returned to her apartment Friday night, while Carly stayed with Kathleen. They’d spent the day together, doing whatever teenage girls did.

Saturday, they were all in a sociable mood, prepared to have fun. And they did.

Cord had been worried about too much intensity, but after that first hour with Julie, he was more relaxed than he’d expected. He invited the Daniels family to visit the ranch soon.

Carly and Kathleen took off for the afternoon and returned at suppertime with several of Kathleen’s friends.

That evening, Cord and Chris handled barbecue duty on the balcony of Shallie’s apartment, while the women made salads and dessert. Emma joined them, and the girls were fascinated with her work, admiring pictures of the horses.

Cord supposed that in some ways, it was like any other casual, pleasant summer get-together, and yet… It was and it wasn’t. Pleasant, yes, but very much not like other events.

He was genuinely pleased that the trip had gone so well, genuinely thankful to Julie and her family—and to Shallie and Carly.