Chapter 16

Ethan was amazed at how modern and efficient the ranch was. The staff seemed friendly and professional, the wifi was super fast and there were baskets of fruit everywhere, filled with apples, bananas and pears on offer. Rob picked up one pear, pretending to shine it on his sleeve before tossing it to Ethan, who caught it with a grin. Ethan took a bite, groaning at how juicy and fresh it was. It reminded him that his last meal was a granola bar he'd shoved into his mouth while on the interstate.

Plus, of course it was so good to see Rob again. Ethan found himself constantly stealing glances, unable to believe just how much Rob had changed before his eyes. Although Rob seemed a little quieter now, his posture was ramrod straight, his walk much more confident. Back before Rob went to the ranch, he used to slouch all the time, averting his gaze from people and not looking anyone in the eye.

But now? Rob greeted the staff and other camp members with nods and a confident smile; for once, he didn't look ashamed of himself or his appearance. Ethan couldn't help the warm glow of pride deep in his heart. All his life, he'd always known Rob to be one of the best and kindest people he knew, and he always hated that Rob never believed that about himself. Now, it seemed to be coming true. Ethan was glad.

"Come on, this way to the gym. My friends should be there," Rob said, gesturing towards a long corridor filled with sunlight. This was another thing Ethan liked about the ranch: there were glass windows and skylights everywhere, showcasing the beautiful Montana scenery. They were on the cusp of summer now, and flowers were in full bloom everywhere.

Ethan's eyebrows jumped once Rob pushed open the door, bringing them both into the gym. It looked like the biggest dining room Ethan had ever seen, easily the size of a basketball court. It'd been repurposed into a gym, littered with treadmills, elliptical machines, stationary bikes and rowing machines. On the side nearer to the windows, that was where all the weights and squat racks were. Ethan could see a tall Hispanic man about Rob's size, his face reddened as he bent down for a set of deadlifts.

Although it had to be late morning, there were already a handful of other people in the gym. "Whoa, you guys weren't kidding when you said you spent all day here," Ethan marvelled, watching in amazement as people huffed and puffed on the treadmills. Everyone waved to or nodded at Rob, who smiled broadly as he brought Ethan around.

Ethan followed Rob as they made their way to a stair-climbing machine, where a short and stout middle-aged woman with dark curly hair was just stepping off. Her face was red with exertion, sweat pouring down her face. She lit up when she saw Rob. "Oh, there you are, handsome!" she exclaimed in a thick Texan twang, before her gaze fell on Ethan. "And I assume this is our guest of honour?"

Rob laughed, bending down to kiss this lady on the cheek. Hell, she was so short that the top of her head came up to his shoulders. "Yes Marnie, this is Ethan," Rob said, his smile widening as he draped an arm around Ethan's shoulders. "Ethan, this is Marnie, one of my best friends at the ranch."

"Hello Marnie," Ethan said with a grin, bending down with his arms outstretched for a hug. "Rob's talked a lot about you."

Marnie squealed in protest, holding Ethan out at arm's length. "Oh no, don't hug me! I'm all sweaty and disgusting."

"It doesn't matter, I already hugged Rob and he was also disgusting," Ethan joked, hugging Marnie as Rob said, 'Hey!' in the background, pretending to look offended.

"It's so good to finally meet you, hon." Marnie patted Ethan on the back in a motherly fashion before releasing him. "He talks about you non-stop, you know."

"Aw come on, Marnie." Now Rob was blushing, looking genuinely embarrassed. "You're making me sound like I'm obsessed."

To Ethan's curiosity, Marnie pursed her lips to the side, as though she were holding back something she wanted to say. She shot Rob a knowing look, but Rob was busy blushing furiously and staring at the ground again. Ethan wondered what the heck was going on.

"Yo Hutch." All three of them looked up as the Hispanic man that Ethan saw lifting weights earlier joined them. This guy was almost as tall as Rob and Ethan, although he seemed to weigh a bit more than Rob. "Is this your friend?"

Rob seemed glad for the interruption. "Yeah, this is my friend Ethan," he said by way of introduction. "Ethan, this is Carlos, my other buddy in camp."

Ethan shook hands with Carlos, who seemed to be sizing him up with a quick, assessing glance. "How was the drive up here?" Carlos said, mopping his sweaty face with a towel. "You drove from Idaho Falls, right?"

Ethan winced. "Yeah, I got lost a couple of times," he admitted with a shrug. "I had to stop and ask for help from this old farmer couple, they had to draw me a map like I was five."

Everyone laughed. "Yeah, I got lost too," Carlos said. "Anyway you're here now. Rob's smiling like he won the lottery."

Rob rolled his eyes even as he blushed again. "Man, why did I even bother introducing you guys?" he complained as Ethan patted his back in consolation.