“The thought of moving is my problem, but not just moving out of the bunkhouse,” she admitted. “I’ve tried to make up my mind about something for two days, and I’m no closer to making a decision than I was when you were gone off to Dallas with your dad.” She took a deep breath and let it out in a whoosh.

“Whoa! Let’s just have a silent grace so we can both say our own individual prayer before we talk,” Cody suggested.

Stevie bowed her head and closed her eyes. Lord, she prayed silently, please let me make up my mind before I raise my head. It’s not fair to Cody, or anyone else for that matter, for me to sit on the fence about it any longer, and besides, this indecision is driving me crazy, and about to ruin whatever hope we have for a relationship.

When she finally raised her head, Cody was staring at her. “You want to eat or talk or both?”

“Both,” she said. “I’m hungry and this looks delicious.”

“I’ll go first,” Cody said. “I accused you of being cranky, but after I said my prayer, I realized that I haven’t been easy to live with lately either. Remember me talking about my friend Nate?”

“Yes…love.” She squirted dressing on her salad, then loaded her plate with pot roast and vegetables. “I couldn’t forget good old Nate and his British accent.”

“Well, he called and asked me to come to South Africa with him to help out at a new clinic.” Cody loaded up his own plate. “I told him no right off the bat. I don’t want to look back someday and regret not spending as much time with my dad as I can.”

“I understand.” Stevie took a drink of her tea. “I wish I’d had more time to spend with Mama before she died. You’ve got an opportunity that I didn’t have. You know that Sonny isn’t well, and that things will gradually get worse. Mama told me about her cancer, I moved home, and she was gone not long after that. But I also understand wanting to go follow that dream and be a part of something that would help others.”

She opened her mouth to tell him about the job offer from Australia and the one in Oklahoma City, but took a bite of carrot before she said a word. She had to make up her mind, act on her decision, and then never look back with regrets, like he talked about, before she opened up to anyone.

“But that doesn’t stop me from wanting to say yes,” Cody admitted. “After traveling like I did for all these past years, I get the itch to go back where I can be a real help.”