Chapter 87: Epilogue

A handful of dry brown leaves scuttled across the nearly empty parking lot as Cole pulled his silver pickup into a space in the small shopping plaza. Tulare County didn’t really have fall like places back east did, but the gentle October breeze still picked up a few loose leaves when it could.

He shifted the truck into park and buzzed down the windows before shutting off the engine. He knew he was early, but he’d waited at home for as long as he could. A dozen pink roses rested on the passenger seat. Jenny preferred wildflowers, generally speaking, but this was a special occasion.