A few days had passed, and Dana found herself sitting with her laptop at her favorite coffeehouse on a Saturday morning. She was browsing apartment listings online, struggling to find anything in her price range. Actually she had found several places she could afford, but they were either further away from Hollywood than she was okay with, or located in what she deemed to be a terrible neighborhood. There were also a few interesting ads for sublets and roommates, but she wasn't sure that she could deal with such arrangements at her age.

She sipped her coffee and allowed herself to daydream. Maybe visiting Nick in South Dakota was the right decision. She wasn't worried about imposing on him or anything of that sort, in fact she was sure that they'd both enjoy spending the time together. The truth was simply that she had trouble relating to him ever since he'd moved there. When he told her that he was leaving Ohio for South Dakota, and that he was going to become a full time writer, she thought for sure that he was just going through a phase, that it wouldn't last. Five years on, not only had she been proven thoroughly wrong, but she felt as though he only carried on the friendship out of politesse, not any actual desire on his part.

They had met in college, and bonded quickly. They took classes together, studied into the wee hours of the night together, partied together, gone on awkward double dates together... When Nick first met Rachel, Dana was forced into the background, something she never fully got over. It was petty, she knew, but she rationalized it as just feeling how she felt. She'd long dreamed of making it big in Hollywood like countless other would-be Midwestern starlets, and after two years of work as a corporate PR rep, she decided to chase her dream.

Nick and Rachel had relationship tunnel vision by the time Nick and Dana were set to graduate. Rachel still had two full years of school left. Feeling abandoned, Dana embarked on an unhealthy relationship with a guy she preferred not to think about anymore. At least she wasn't alone, with Nick being too busy to fit her into his life. Six months after graduation, whilst having a catch-up lunch with Nick, she realized just how unhappy she was with what's-his-name and her new career. It was that day that she decided to start saving up to make the move to California.

A year and a half later, she was doing it. In the intervening time, Nick had proposed to Rachel, but the wedding wouldn't be until after she was done with school. Dana had unceremoniously dumped her man exposing her lack of true feelings for him. And so it was that she struck out on her own, leaving friends, family, college, and a promising career behind for the sake of her shot at being the exception to the rule.

Despite promises made with the best intentions at heart, Nick and Rachel only managed to visit Dana in Los Angeles once. Dana's mother moved to Georgia, leaving Nick as the only person in Ohio she liked enough to visit. Life, having a tendency to get in the way of things, rendered return trips few and far between. Her first trip back was to attend the wedding. She could still clearly remember how she jealous she was of Rachel standing at the altar. She didn't want Nick as a romantic partner, there was no unrequited passionate love there, she just wanted that happiness, that wedding, all of it. Not having to play second fiddle for the attention of her best friend would be quite nice as well.

She still regretted feeling that way. It was so childish, and Rachel was a fine woman. Undoubtedly, Dana harbored the guilt because the wedding was the last time she ever saw Rachel alive.

That same Saturday morning, Nick was out with the dogs rambling over the prairie. He walked slowly, going nowhere in particular as the dogs ran in large circles around him. He wore a small canvas backpack containing a notebook, a few bottles of water, a collapsible dog bowl, and a survival/first aid kit should anything bad happen. These walks were common for him; he frequently used them as a means of tapping into his creativity. He muttered quietly to himself incessantly, exploring new and different ideas for plots and characters. If he came up with something he liked, he'd simply sit down and write it down in the notebook.

Generally speaking, five miles constituted a short walk to him and the dogs, such was the scope of their desolation. He had chosen this area because he wanted to be isolated. The last thing he wanted to happen when he moved here was to begin caring about new people. He just wanted to write and live simply. South Dakota offered what he considered to be the perfect mix of economical living, abundant hunting opportunities, and practicality vis à vis modern conveniences such as Internet and cellular phone coverage. Originally, he had chosen Alaska for his new start, but he felt as though that would be a bridge too far. Surely he wouldn't survive himself locked away in a frozen cabin during the endless night up there.

Prior to declaring himself a writer, he had used his innate business acumen to start his own small-business consulting company. Essentially, he provided small business owners and would-be entrepreneurs the combined services of an attorney, accountant, and mentor at a fraction of the cost. After two years in business, the company employed a dozen part time MBA and Law School students, with a senior staff of six experienced entrepreneurs who had either sold their businesses or chose to retire from running the operations. It was wildly successful, seemingly ensuring a financially stable future for the Nick and Rachel.

Nick walked westerly, chasing his shadow away from the still rising sun. Today, like most every day in August on the Great Plains, was going to be a hot one.

Bear had fallen to heel, panting heavily.

"Thirsty big fella?" Nick stopped and slipped the pack off of his shoulders. "Tris! Drake! Izzy! C'mon!" He stooped down and poured half a liter of water into the portable bowl. Bear shoved his snout in and eagerly began lapping up the water. The other three dogs were racing through the knee high grass towards him.

Nick fell back onto his rear end and sighed. He sipped a bit of the water from the bottle as the other three dogs arrived and attempted to displace Bear's massive body. At only three years old, Bear was the baby of the pack. It was an ironic joke that he should weigh one hundred and forty-five pounds, just shy of the combined weight of Drake and Tris. Nick had chosen a Newfie in order to have a sturdy winter dog, perfect for retrieving alongside Tris in icy duck ponds in addition to light sled hauling and other labor during the harsh winter months.

Tris was a great dog and a terrific retriever, but Nick found him to be bit too wily, and slightly more moody than he liked as a puppy. He simply couldn't risk having too headstrong dogs undermining his authority at every turn, so he opted for the more docile, considerably less energetic giant Newfoundland. It was perfectly suited for the winter weather, and was actually a stronger swimmer than the Chessie by a slight margin.

Considering he made the choice when Tris had only just matured into adulthood, he was now extremely pleased at his pack. Tris' temperament had softened with age, and he'd become a model citizen compared to his rambunctious adolescence. Izzy was a clingy, emotional mess most of the time, but when he put on that blaze orange denoting bird season she became a consummate professional and tireless worker. Drake had always been calm and steady, as is the nature of a German Shepherd, but with his seniority in the pack he'd contributed just as much to the training of the younger dogs as Nick had done.

And Bear, that gentle giant– Nick loved what that beast had grown to be. He was easily the most pliant, lowest maintenance dog Nick had ever had in his lifetime of dog ownership. Nick looked to his left to see the enormous black dog sitting at heel, his thirst quenched, while the other dogs awkwardly took turns dipping their tongues into the small bowl.

Nick noticed the degree to which his shadow had shrunk as the sun climbed higher in the sky. "We'd better head back, guys, before we cook out here." He announced to the dogs as he rose to his feet.

Next Chapter: Chapter 5