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brother's death. Two months of sorrow and discontentment roaming the farm. He barely spoke with Zane, who had a worse temper than before Jimmy died. He knew guilt ate at Zane. Ignoring the pain and torment Zane was experiencing ripped him up inside, but trying to talk with him wasn't going anywhere either. Nothing worked. He lost one brother in death and he was losing another in life.
    ***
    "Hey, Old Betsy's calf looks good, don't ya think?" Austin asked Zane, who looked lost in thought as he shoveled one of the pig stalls out.
    "Quit calling her Old Betsy. She's not a damn pet."
    "I think Eleanor wanted some goat milk. You want me to get it or do you?" Austin tried again, ignoring Zane's angry response.
    "Sure."
    "Sure you'll get it, or sure I get it?" Austin asked for clarification.
    Zane looked at him finally, almost throwing a pile of manure his way. "Whatever, Austin. Get the damn goat milk."
    Austin sighed, almost walking away, the silence between them hurting him inside like nothing else. "I tried calling Ava again to see how she is. She was hurt badly. I—"
    "Get the hell out of here. I don't give a damn about that woman. She should've died for all I care. Don't ever speak her name in front of me again." Zane threw the shovel over the pigpen, climbed out, and stomped away, leaving Austin in the same state he had walked in with.
    ***
    His other problem had been Ava. He hadn't seen her once since it all happened. Though, it had nothing to do with his lack of trying. He had been consumed with arranging Jimmy's funeral to not making Zane mad that he never visited her in the hospital. Once she awoke and went home, she hadn't wanted to see him.
    It hurt a little, but he understood. He even tried calling, with her not returning his calls once. That hurt, too. His worry increased each time he hung up the phone. She was going through something, just as he and Zane were.
    Her connection with Jimmy had been strong when he was alive. It magnified tenfold when he decided to risk his life. He wanted to make sure she was all right. He struggled with helping his brother, so he decided to focus on someone else—Ava. See if she even needed help since he hadn't spoken to her.
    "I'm so sorry for the wait. I was on the phone with the Mayor and couldn't tell him to bugger off like I wanted to. This seems more important than him," Peter said as he stood in front of Austin.
    Austin looked up in surprise. Talk about being lost in thought. He stood up and shook hands with the commissioner. "It's no problem. I did come unannounced. I appreciate you seeing me like this, Commissioner Rainer."
    The first time he met Ava's father, he had been intimidated. A tall, burly man with silver-gray hair and striking brown eyes that exuded confidence, strength, and wisdom. He dressed meticulously that shouted he was a man of great importance. Austin grappled with his emotions, why he even felt intimidated, because her father had been heartbroken and remorseful for losing Jimmy the way they did. Briefly reminding him of his own father for a moment when he touched his shoulder in a sympathetic gesture. Perhaps the mere title of Commissioner frightened him, or the plain fact, he was Ava's father. He didn’t understand it or even try to understand. It hadn't mattered in the long run.
    "You're always welcome here," Peter said with a genuine smile and gestured for Austin to follow him into his office. He closed the door behind Austin and took a seat on the couch that sat positioned along the left side of his office, instead of behind his desk that sat centered in the middle. He put out a hand for Austin to take a seat as well.
    "How are you doing, Austin? And your brother Zane?" Peter asked concerned.
    "I wish I could say good. Zane's still taking it hard and I'm walking around trying to fix it and can't. I'm worried about Ava, though. She won't talk to me. I was wondering how she's doing," Austin said, getting straight to the point.
    Peter inhaled deeply and