Dr. Rhodes nodded once. “Alright then. We’ll need to run a few more tests to check on the status of your heart and get a better idea of what’s going on there. And I’ll have to ask these lovely ladies,” he said, gesturing toward us, “to ensure you stick to your diet. I have a hunch you haven’t been as strict as you should be. This is your health, Mr. Hayes. No more red meat. No more bacon.”
Dad huffed. “Might as well take me out to pasture now,” he mumbled.
The doctor smiled. “I know that isn’t what you wanted to hear, but the good news is that we can get you out of here within a few days, depending on the test results.”
“Really?” Mom asked.
“Really,” Dr. Rhodes said. “I won’t lie, it won’t be all rainbows and sunshine. There’ll be restrictions, and you’ll need totake it easy for a while. Unfortunately, that’ll be non-negotiable.”
“I’m a rancher,” Dad said proudly. “I can’t just take days off. This little vacation alone is gonna put us behind.”
“I understand that. I respect it, even. I grew up on a ranch not far from here, so I’m not a stranger to the hard work and dedication it takes to do what you do, but can I be frank?” Dad nodded, and Dr. Rhodes quickly looked around the room before answering. “You’re going to have to make a decision, Mr. Hayes. You can take my advice and live out the rest of your days with your beautiful family here, or you can tell me to go to hell and get back to work, in which case I’d wager you’d only have six months.”
I squeezed Josie’s hand as though that could change his words.
“Six months?” Dad asked. There was a tremble in his voice that hadn’t been there moments ago.
Dr. Rhodes pursed his lips. “It doesn’t have to be that way, but like I said, I have first-hand experience with how difficult the life of a rancher is. You’re up before the sun, working hard to provide for your family and taking care of animals that are helpless without you, and then you don’t walk through the door until night falls. The job is stressful and isn’t for the faint of heart—which, unfortunately, you now are.”
My parents looked at one another, a lifetime’s worth of hard work and memories between them. They were locked in a silent conversation as the gravity of the situation came into focus.
My dad could choose his passion, the career he’d worked his ass off for, and the empire he’d built brick by brick. Or he could choose to live out the rest of his life by retiring and leaving the work to the next generation.
It would either be him or the ranch, and I hated not knowing what he’d choose.
Dad pulled his gaze from Mom’s, taking a moment to look ateach of us standing near the end of his bed. His bottom lip tensed for a moment, and I knew him well enough to understand how difficult his decision would be. He’d always said he’d rest when he was dead, that the devil himself would have to tear him from the saddle to reap his soul.
As a kid, I remembered being so captivated by his dedication. Dad loved that ranch with everything he had, and he’d given more than his share of blood, sweat, and tears to turn it into what it was today. I’d wanted nothing more than to follow in his footsteps. I wanted to have something I was proud of. Something I never wanted to leave.
“I’m not ready to go yet,” he said, looking down at his hands. “And if that means I gotta give some things up to make sure I’m around for a little bit longer, I guess that’s what I’ll have to do.”
I closed my eyes, letting my forehead rest against Josie’s shoulder. I heard Cleo’s sniffle from her other side. It was the best and worst case scenario happening all at once. None of us wanted to see our father walk away from something he loved, but we damn sure preferred that over spreading his ashes in the wind.
“I was hoping that’d be the case,” Dr. Rhodes said. “I’ll order the tests now to get the ball rolling. We’ll start in a few hours, after you’ve gotten to catch up with your family and get some food in your system.”
“Thanks, Doc,” Dad said, reaching out and shaking Dr. Rhodes’s hand.
“Just doing my job,” he said before heading toward the door. He stopped and tapped the frame. “Keep it quick in here, though. I’m already breaking the rules by letting everyone in here. Fifteen minutes, okay?”
“Of course,” Mom said, wiping away her tears. “Thank you.”
Dr. Rhodes dipped his head and closed the door behind him, leaving us all in relative silence.
“Well, that fucking sucks,” Dad said, sinking back into his pillows.
For the first time in twelve hours, I laughed. Considering where we were and the news we’d just gotten, it felt wrong but I was also wildly happy that this wasn’t the end. Josie and Cleo joined in, and it wasn’t long before everyone in the room followed suit.
“Douglas Hayes,” Mom chastised, tapping him lightly on his arm. She wiped the tears from beneath her eyes.
“Well, it does,” he grumbled. “I wasn’t planning on being forced into retirement. There’s a lot of things we’ll have to rethink. We’ll have to hire more hands, and?—”
“We’ll take care of it, sir,” Bishop said, stepping up. “We’ve got a good crew now, so it’s nothing we’ll have to rush to figure out.”
Dad was quiet for a second. “You’re gonna need some help, Bishop. You can’t run this place on your own.”
“He won’t be alone, Daddy,” Josie said. “When I get back, I’ll still run the books and schedule while Lincoln takes over the training schedule full-time. We don’t have any clinics until the beginning of the year. Besides, y’all were already planning on having him cover the smaller seminars. It’ll be fine.”
Lincoln nodded, placing his hand on Josie’s shoulder. “Hell, yes, it will. Like Bishop said, you’ve built a damn good team here. I’m happy to pitch in with whatever you need.”
