fixed my computer.â
The trace of awe in his tone was something Iâd heard many times before. The way computers worked was like magic to a lot of people. Being able to fix them made me a magician by default, although it was never that easy. If only I could banish viruses with a wave of my wand and a shout of â Expelliarmo Virioso !â But then, Iâd never received an acceptance letter from Hogwarts.
âThat was nice of her,â Calvin said. âGot her room ready?â
âYep,â Sonny replied. âClean as a whistle. Weâre just on our way out to bring in her stuff.â
I caught a whiff of cigarette smoke as Calvin sat down in a nearby chair, coughing until he was visibly winded.
âYouâve gotta quit that nasty habit, old man,â Dean advised him. âThose smokes are gonna kill you.â
âWeâre all gonna die someday,â Calvin said. âJust a question of when.â
My grandfather had shared that same attitude. Although heâd never explained it to me, Iâd heard somewhere that the most valiant soldiers were those who considered themselves dead even before they went into battle. At first, that mind-set seemed rather fatalistic. But if you had to rationalize risking your life to save the lives of others, what better way to do it than to deem it already lost?
What I didnât understand was why that outlook persisted even after the war had ended. Was it because theyâd convinced themselves of their death to the point they couldnât cope with survival? Grandpa had never listened to his doctors and only took his meds when I insisted. Perhaps heâd believed it pointless to try to save a man who was already dead and buried.
Shaking off my morbid thoughts had become increasingly difficult of late, and today was no different. Iâd been on such a roller coaster of emotions. One minute I was up, thankful that Grandpaâs suffering was finally over. The next, I was down, wondering how his life would have turned out if heâd been born on a different day and never been drafted into the Army.
In that moment, fatigue slammed into me like a runaway train, not creeping up on me the way it normally did. I was thankful for the bed Iâd been offered, although truth be told, I would have been perfectly content to sleep in my car.
Ophelia nudged my hand. No doubt she was as tired as I was. This was the letdown after the taut wire Iâd been stretched into finally snapped now that my tasks were complete. Silly. I was young enough to be able to handle the physical strain. It was the mental part that was sapping my strength.
âWanna watch a movie?â Dean asked.
I stifled a yawn. âSure. Although Iâll probably nod off before itâs over.â
What kind of movies would cowboys enjoy? Probably not Westerns. Like any romanticized group of people, their lives were nothing like those depicted on the silver screen. I knew the feeling. I had to laugh at the way computer geeks on TV instantaneously hacked into someone elseâs machine when in reality it was a fairly time-consuming process. The one thing the screenwriters did get right was the lack of romantic liaisons among geeks.
And then there was Wyattâs firefighter thing. I could think of at least one popular series he certainly wouldnât want to watch. I couldnât help wondering what the deal was with that, although I had an idea it was destined to remain one of lifeâs great unsolved mysteries.
I rose from my chair. âOphelia needs to go out.â To be honest, so did I. I hoped the foremanâs quarters included a private bathroom or this arrangement would end right quick.
âYou can show us what you want us to bring in for you.â Dean nodded at Nick. âCâmon, Nick. Letâs go get her stuff.â
âHold on a second.â I darted a look between the two men. âThis is voluntary, right? If I have to