Heartbreak Town (COMPLETED)

Chapter Three

     "What am I doing?" Renne repeated the same words for the umpteenth time that morning. She still hadn't found an answer to explain the reason why she was putting her suitcases in her truck and about to drive to Wyoming. Well, besides the fact that her sister was dying of cancer, Renne couldn't find an answer. Probably because there wasn't one.
     The sounds of spurs clicking against the dirt ground made Renne look over her shoulder. She squinted to try to see in the still, dark sky. It was before sunrise; Renne wanted to get an extra early start today because she had a long drive ahead of her. In the dark sky, Renne could still make out that the person walking towards her was Matt. She could see that his tanned skin was covered in sweat and dirt already and it was only seven in morning. His work ethic was definitely something that Renne admired about him. Every morning, he was up before the sun rose, hard at work far before anyone else. It reminded her of someone else in Wyoming that she also used to admire. Renne almost literally shook her head to get the image of Swayde out of her mind.
     Matt smiled at Renne beneath the bill of his dirty gray Stetson cowboy hat. Renne turned around fully to look at her boyfriend. She rested her arm on the rail of the bed of her old four door 1985 Ford F-250.
     "You sure that there's nothin' I can say to make you stay?" Matt asked, walking up beside Renne. He, too, rested his arm next to Renne's on the bed of the truck.
     "Trust me, the last thang I want to do is leave here, but I have to." Renne replied, straightening off of her truck. She tucked a piece of her shoulder length brown hair behind her ear. Shifting her weight, she looked at Matt. She was certainly going to miss those deep brown eyes, but it was only for a couple short weeks; that's it. No more then fourteen days. That's what Renne kept telling herself to try to better the situation. 
     "And you're sure I can't come with you?" Matt asked in that deep, Southern drawl. He stuffed his hands in to the pockets of his dark Wrangler jeans.
     "I really want you to, but this is just somethin' that I have to do on my own...I'm sorry. And frankly, I don't think that now would be the best time for you to meet my family." Renne repeated the same reason for the, at least, tenth time since yesterday.
     Matt sighed. "I know; I was just hopin' you'd change your mind."
     "I know..." Renne looked down at her dusty boots. "You'll be prayin' for me right?" Renne looked up at Matt. "I'm gonna need it. I mean, it's been five years since I saw them last and..." Renne chose her next words carefully. Matt didn't know why Renne left Wyoming in the first place, and now wasn't the time nor place for him to find out. "I'm worried how the return will go over. I'm hopin' everything will go okay. I mean...I'm not expecting open arms and 'welcome home's', but I'm just hopin' everyone will at least be cordial, ya know?"
     Matt nodded and opened his arms wide. Renne chuckled slightly as she stepped forward and fell against him in a hug. She didn't care that he was sweaty; she was going to miss him. "I know. I'll be prayin' for ya, Rein. I'm goin' to miss you like crazy, you know that, right?" Matt pulled back to smile at Renne. He looked down at her bright blue eyes.
     Renne rolled her eyes. "Don't make this any harder on me." She teased. Renne rested her head back on Matt's chest. Turning serious, she said, "I wish I didn't have to go."
     Matt let out a breath and rested his chin on top of Renne's head. "I know. I don't want you to go." Renne could feel Matt clenching his jaw. He was holding back something. She knew that he really didn't want her to leave as much as she wants to go, but there was something else that he wasn't saying.
     Neither Matt nor Renne pulled back from their tight hug until a beeping noise distracted Renne's attention. She let go of Matt's waist with one hand to pull her phone out of its leather hip holster. Pressing a button on the screen, Renne stopped the beeping. Looking back to Matt, Renne said quietly, "That's my alarm. I have to leave, Matt."
     Matt pulled Renne closer before tilting his head down to place a warm kiss on her lips. They tasted salty from the sweat that beaded his lips, but Renee didn't care. Pulling apart from the kiss, Matt placed a hand on Renne's cheek. He looked down into her eyes. "I love you, Renne Walker. You know that, right?"
     Renne leaned into Matt's hand on her cheek. "I love you too." She replied. It seemed like Matt only told her that he loved her when one of them was leaving for a time, but still, Renne knew that Matt meant it. Or, at least that's what she told herself. 
     Closing the gap between them again, Matt kissed Renne once more before letting her go. "Bye, Matt. I'll see you in a few short days." Renne said, only a few feet away from him.
     "Few short days." Matt replied. It was their typical send off. They had vowed a while ago that no matter how long they are apart, they will think of it as just a 'few short days' until they see each other again. It seems to help the time go faster.
     Renne stood up on tip toes to place one more kiss on Matt's cheek before turning and opening her truck door. With a hand on the open window sill, Renne took in a deep breath and took one last look around her at her dream ranch that she had built from the ground up. It was definitely not something that she could leave behind, but these were desperate times. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Before the endless blue sky could force Renne to stay, she slipped into her truck and closed the door behind her.
     Buckling her seatbelt, Renne started her truck and threw it into drive. She glanced in her rearview mirror one last time before starting her drive. Matt waved goodbye to her as he stood there in the center of the driveway, right where Renne had left him. Renne waved back, but soon, a cloud of dust filled her rear view mirror, and Matt escaped from her sight. "Just a few short days." Renne whispered the words, praying it was a promise that she could keep.