‘That’s unfortunate.’ May wiggles in her seat on the porch like a fifth-grader forced to sit through a PG kiss at the end of a coming-of-age movie. ‘Where’s this going?’

‘Well. It’s going … maybe this is a good point for me to ask, you know, for the sake of being a better fake boyfriend or whatever, why …’ The words tumble out of my mouth, completely out of my control. ‘Why did you hate me so much for leaving Prosperity?’

This is the question that’s been on my mind since the day she shot me that death glare in the stands when I walked in on practice. Now, though, the question is, will I get an answer?

‘Right now, you’re here. You saw what just happened to everything within twenty damn miles. This ranch, this place; it’s been in the family for generations. It’s all my bisa, my great-grandma, had when she came here. She built that barn with her two hands and a couple of stable boys. It’s where she got married. Had my ’buelo – grandpa. Then he got married here, Mumma and Papa got married here. I’ve spent my whole damn life here.

‘And even then, shit’s always been ebbing and flowing. Gotta pay the ranch hands. Never know what a given month of pay cheques will look like. And this weather … it can take away everything you’ve ever known in seconds. If I’m not here … who’ll be?’ With a shake of her head, she takes a sip of her beer. ‘We don’t get lucky here, Colt. We have to suck it up and dig our boots into the dirt. You … you left, and you don’t have to do that any more. I get it. You have a good thing in New Haven. But I gotta provide before I think about up and leaving.’

I wait for more, but that’s that. It sounded like there was a thought there – envy, maybe? – but it ends before it’s fully formed, and she moves on to the next. ‘There’s also the slightly important fact that friends don’t leave one another, turn their back, go radio silent, and then suddenly show up again with a sorry and a smile.’ She shrugs, the liquid in her bottle sloshing, and my stomach churns as it sinks into my shoes. Looks like I definitely just got an answer.

‘I …’ I wince. No easy way to sugar-coat this. ‘I really left you high and dry in the middle of Tornado Alley, didn’t I?’

May snorts, and then laughs, for real, out loud this time. Her eyes squeeze shut, and she covers her mouth. ‘Okay, Wizard of Oz.’