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He stares at me for a second. “You’re what?”
“I’m selling the cattle,” I repeat, my voice shaking a little. “I don’t want to run the ranch anymore. I want to start an animal sanctuary.”
For a moment, he’s just frozen. “An animal sanctuary?”
I nod. “Yes, sir.”
My dad sets down his glass of whiskey and gazes across the yard. “Since when is this something you want to do?”
I take a deep breath and gather my thoughts. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while now. After working to save Fletcher’s Pond and seeing what can be done, I knew it was something I had to do.”
I wait for him to explode, to tell me that I’m being selfish and I’m throwing away his family’s whole legacy on a silly dream.
But instead, he sits back down. “I figured it would come to this one day.”
I can hardly believe my ears. “Excuse me?”
He shakes his head. “I know you’re not cut out for ranching, Josh. You never have been. I just figured… Well, I thought you would come to love it eventually. I was wrong, though.”
Sam and I exchange a quick glance, and he looks as surprised as I feel.
My dad takes another sip of his whiskey. “You’ve always been sentimental. But I can’t fault you for wanting to help animals. I’ve seen the way you care for them, even if you’ve always been a bit too attached. Starting an animal sanctuary might be the best thing for you.”
I feel a weight lifted off my shoulders. I never thought my dad would understand, let alone support me. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate it.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” he says, his tone serious. “This isn’t going to be easy. You’ll need money, resources, and a lot of hard work. It won’t be like running a ranch.”
“I know,” I say, trying to keep the excitement out of my voice. “But I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”
He nods, and for a moment, there’s a rare hint of pride in his eyes. “I always knew you had a good heart, Josh. I never thought it would lead you down this path.”
I smile, feeling warm in my chest. “Thank you.”
Other than that, I don’t know what to say. Things are working out for me today, and I’m starting to feel like I’m on top of the world.
My dad stands up and heads towards the house. “I’ll make some calls and see if I can get some contacts for you. You’ll need all the help you can get.”
“Thank you,” I say again.
As he disappears into the house, Sam claps me on the back. “Man, I can’t believe it. I thought he was gonna blow up.”
“Me too,” I admit, still feeling a little stunned.
“But hey, this is great news. You’re really gonna do it, then? Start a sanctuary?”
I nod, feeling more sure of myself than ever before. “I am. And I’m gonna make it work, no matter what.”
I nod to myself, my excitement and confidence surging. It’s crazy; all this time, I held back when it came to doing what I wanted because of my father’s response. And it turns out that my assumptions about him were wrong anyway. The obstacle that I thought was there was only in my head.
It makes me think about where else I messed up. Where have I seen challenges when they didn’t really exist?
I don’t have to think for long. I already have a good idea.
“Come on.” I jog back to the truck.
“Where to?” Sam follows.
“I’m dropping you off.” I slam the door and grin at him. “And then I have some business to attend to.”
