Josh shifted uncomfortably on top of his milk crate like he wanted to leave this conversation behind and go chop some more wood.

But instead of standing up, he asked, “Can I tell you something else I don’t want in any speeches? Something I never told anyone else?”

I nodded with clamped lips. I wanted to know him so badly, but I didn’t want to scare him away with any other pushy questions.

“I don’t…I don’t want to run for Senate. If it were up to me, I’d buy a cabin, just like this. Live out here in the woods. And I wouldn’t stop there. You asked what I’d do if my life weren’t already planned out. I’d build cabins like these. Places where guys who’d finished their last deployment could come and be at peace for a while. That’s what I’d do.”

I couldn’t help but get caught up in his vision. I unclamped my lips to add, “Learning to be alone with your own thoughts might be hard for some of the soldiers. Maybe you could add a central gathering place too. A wellness center where they could come and do activities that help with mental health. Like yoga and meditation.”

Josh gave me a grim look. But then, he said, “I do that. Yoga and meditation every morning. I was desperate, and I’d read an article about it helping vets who came back with…. issues. It does. But it’s not something I go around advertising.”

“The center could be low pressure, like a church. Come if you want. Don’t if you don’t want. It could just be there for them either way,” I answered carefully. But then I got too excited again. “I have a few contacts who could help you with this. Investors who would see its appeal….”

Josh held up both his hands, “Whoa, it’s just a dream. I’m not going to abandon my political career to make it come true.”

“Okay,” I answered, biting back the rest of my thoughts.

A smile played on his lips as he regarded me with a mix of wariness and amusement in his eyes. “But I liked the way you came right aboard. Like, my dumb dream was something that could come true.”

“It should come true,” I insisted because there was only so much damming my teeth could do when it came to words. “It’s a great dream. You’d help a lot of people if you made it come true. Including yourself.”

Josh set down his fork beside his empty plate. “I’d help a lot more people as a Senator. I should stick to the plan.”

Before I could answer, he rose from the table. “I changed my mind about the music. Why don’t you pick something out while I wash the dishes?”