~Chapter Two~

February 16, 2016

Colten frowned at the envelope his personal assistant, Jerry, had handed him at their meeting earlier in the day. Colten had been on a film tour promoting his new movie out of the country and hadn't been able to collect any mail or correspondence. He immediately recognized the name of his old hometown, Missoula, Montana and he noted the date from three weeks ago. What he didn't recognize was the name of the attorney in the upper right corner. Sitting in his home office, Colten grabbed a glass and his whiskey decanter filling the glass half way. He knew anything regarding his hometown wouldn't be the best of news.

Opening  the envelope slowly his frown darkened when a check fell out.  Reading the letter his face reflected all the emotions that were currently dancing in his mind. Anger, confusion, hurt, and a deep sadness were tumbling through his thoughts making his frown deepen. Picking up the check he read the amount with some shock. Setting the check to the side he read the letter again, his hands running through his hair. After a minute he sat back and stared blankly at the office walls. Finally, after a half hour he grabbed his glass and took another gulp of whiskey. Without even thinking he quickly reached for his phone dialing a number he knew by heart but hadn't called in ten years.

"K Rocker Ranch," a child's voice answered. "How can I help ya?"  Colten's morose thoughts were interrupted by the cheerful voice and he had to chuckle at the little voice that answered his impromptu phone call. He couldn't help but remember how many times had he and Justin answered the ranch's phone just like that for his dad.  A small bittersweet smile played on his lips at his memory.

"Is this Michael," Colten responded to the young voice without thinking.

"Yes sir," the voice he now knew was Michael responded. "What's up?"  Once again Colten found himself chuckling at the little boy. Just as he was about to answer he heard another voice in the background, a voice he hadn't heard in over ten years but knew immediately.

"Who's on the phone, Mike?  Is it Charlie Gibbs about his hay order?"

"No Daddy," Colten heard Michael respond still talking into the phone. "I forgot to ask who it is. Hey Mister, who are you?"   Before he could answer he heard Justin chastise the boy.

"Michael, phone manners. What would mom think?  Here give me the phone and go check on the twins, they're supposed to be feeding their 4-H calves." Justin responded taking the phone from his son. Colten could hear the laughter in his tone and knew he really wasn't upset with his son. After some shuffling Colten heard Justin speak. "K Rocker, this is Justin"

Colten gulped. He couldn't do this. He looked at his phone and He almost hung up. Taking a deep breath he began.

"Justin," he responded his voice sounding hoarse and foreign to his own ears.

"Yes, this is he," Justin answered with a slight pause. "How can I help you?"

"Justin," Colten just replied his ears ringing. "It's me, Just."

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Justin replied. That hurt Colten more than he realized, of course he had no one to blame but himself, he's the one who left and never returned any calls or correspondence.  Taking a deep breath he calmed himself and finally spoke again.

"It's me, Justin. It's Colten". This was met with Justin's sharp intake of breath and silence. Colten counted the seconds, praying his brother wouldn't hang up on him. Exactly 128 seconds later he heard Justin clear his throat.

"Colten," Justin all but whispered into the phone. Clearing his throat he spoke a little louder. "I um, er I um take it you got the letter?"

"Yeah, I did" Colten replied. He honestly didn't know what to say.

"Okay then," Justin responded clearing the knot that was forming in his throat. "Okay then. Um, yeah. So um, yeah. Okay. Well, all I need you to do is sign the papers and send them back to Ted, he can handle everything else. If you think the price is too low we can negotiate on that some, but."

"No," Colten cut him off, his voice wavering and thick with emotion. "No, the amounts more than fine. But," Colten paused drawing a deep breath, his voice sounding shaky to his own ears as he fought to quell is emotions. "Is it true?  Are you really?"

"Yeah," Justin responded. "We haven't told the kids and Katie isn't taking the news all that well, but the cancers back and its spread."

"Oh," was all Colten could think to say. He was honestly at a loss. The letter and news it contained had totally blindsided him.  This was Justin, his big brother. This was his hero. This was the one person who had been a constant in his life, even when he didn't want him to be. How could he have cancer?  While his mind raced with he finally caught onto what Justin had said. "Wait," he exclaimed the shock evident in his tone. "Did you say it's back?"

"Yeah," Justin sighed. "I fought it a little over six years ago. We had hoped," Justin's voice broke a little and Colten heard the strain and maybe a little fear. "We had hoped it would stay gone, but well. Yeah"

"Oh, I didn't know," Colten's voice shook. And he hadn't known. But then again, how could he? He didn't know what his brother had gone through. He didn't know what his Katie, if he could even call her that, had gone through. All because he left. He had distanced himself, and for what?  How much had he missed because of his pride, his arrogance, his need to succeed at all costs?  It was silent for a minute before Colten could speak again. "What treatments are you doing?"

"None," Justin responded, his tone sad almost resigned sounding. "It's spreading too rapidly to really do much. It's already in my spinal column. The doctor thinks I've got six months, so I'm doing what I can to get everything ready for the boys and Katie."

"Oh, okay," was all Colten could think to say. "I um, I need to think about everything. I'll be in touch." Colten stated looking at the wall in front of him not seeing anything.

"Yeah, sure," Justin replied not sure what to expect from his long lost brother. Finally Justin whispered, "It was good hearing from you Colt. Hope to talk to you soon."

Colten nodded before he realized that Justin couldn't see him. Not knowing what to say he just offered a sad sounding goodbye and disconnected the call.

"That sounded intense," a voice standing in the doorway of his office startled him out of his thoughts. Glancing up he saw Ava standing there watching him, her face in the unreadable mask she often adopted around him. He hated it.

"Yeah," Colten nodded. He watched her closely as she came and sat down in the chair in the front of his desk.  Things had been strained with them lately. The couple had married after a whirlwind romance and had a hot and cold relationship. Sadly more days were cold than hot. Today looked like another cold day. "It was my brother. He's offering to buy my half of the ranch."

Ava snorted. "Well, you're going to accept it right?  Why do you need to be a part of that hick life anyway?"

Colten gasped, he was a movie star, yes, but he was also a cowboy at heart. The ranch was his home. Even if he hadn't stepped foot on it in ten years, it was still the place he grew up. It was still the place that held his heart. It was still the place that life was real to him, more

than the life he was living in Hollywood.

"I don't know." He answered watching Ava's mouth turn down in disgust. "I've always loved that place, but now," he sighed glancing down at the letter.  "I just don't know,"he finished on a whisper.

"Well, what's there to know?" She responded glancing at the check with calculating eyes. "Your life is here, not Hick Town USA. Honestly, why would you even need to think." Colten's fist slamming on the top of his desk stopped her one sided conversation.

"This is something I have to work out on my own. I just got some bad news and I need to figure out what to do about it." Colten told her in a stern voice. Ava's eyebrows rose at his tone. She wasn't used to hearing him be so stern and from her body language she didn't appreciate it.

"Don't talk to me like that!" Ava all but exploded at him. "I don't care what your bad news from hick town was, you won't talk like that to me!" As she yelled at her husband, Ava pointed a perfectly polished red fingernail are herself.

"Ava, please not now," Colten began only to be interrupted again.

"Yes now," she all but screeched at him. "God, Alex was right about you." She stopped suddenly as if she realized what she had just said.

"Alex," Colten asked anger lacing his tone. "I thought you weren't talking to him anymore. You know how I feel about him. You promised after I found you two you wouldn't see him or mention him again."

"Please," Ava responded venom now lacing her tone, her beautiful face transformed into an ugly scowl. "I'm with him every chance I get. Like you," Ava scowled her voice dripping with pure hatred while she pointed a finger at Colten's chest "Barely a man, a little hick could ever fully satisfy me."

Get out," Colten said in anger pointing to the door. "Get out of my office and out of my house."

"You can't kick me out!" Ava screamed. She was in a rage, looking for something to throw at him.

"Yes, yes I can. We made a deal Ava after your last indiscretion with Alex. You signed a contract. You've broken that deal. I'll be calling my attorney."  Colten responded in a calm manner, his face giving nothing away as he watched his marriage fall apart right before his eyes.

"This. Isn't. Over!"  Ava all but screamed at him and turning on her heel she slammed his office door as he left.

Sitting back in his chair, Colten ran his hand over his face suddenly very weary of the life he was living.  Picking up his phone he dialed Jerry, his personal assistant and requested for him to contact his attorney and set up a meeting. He also reminded him to get the pictures that they had of Ava and her lover. He knew that she was going to fight dirty and he needed to be prepared.  Hanging up he sat back in his chair and closed his eyes.

Colten wiped his face, not even realizing he had tears falling. He had missed so much with Justin and Katie, and now he was told that his brother, his only blood relative was dying and that his wife still chose another man over him. Colten cried for the first time in a long time, finally taking a good hard look at himself and the life that he had chosen. Finally, looking at the paper packet, he knew what he had to do. Once again, he grabbed his phone and dialed the phone.

"Justin," Colten breathlessly stated, his voice choked thick with emotion after hearing his brother answer the phone. "I'm coming home."