CHAPTER 35
Nash
I haven’t heardfrom Magnolia in three days. She told the truth to Grandpa…and I haven’t had the chance to see her or speak with her. And she hasn’t reached out to me. As if ending our fake engagement severed her “real” feelings for me.
I don’t even know if we were breaking up. All I know is, I couldn’t protect her from this chaos. I’m a different person around this extended family.
Her words have replayed in my mind about a million times.“I never met your father, but I assumed you were just like him. I guess I was wrong.”
Dad left all of this behind. He chose my mom. He chose a life that he loved, not what was expected of him. And I now know that choice is harder to make when you’re the one living it. It’s hard to ignore those pressures and expectations—even if it’s coming from someone you love.
When I walk into the living room at Grandpa’s, I find him sitting in the high-backed, Victorian-style chair. He’s wearing a plush robe, smoke pouring out of the lit pipe dangling from the corner of his mouth.
If this were a painting, the title would beMan at Leisure.
Grandpa’s grin is almost as big as his chair. He doesn’t look like a man about to meet with his lawyer, but he does look very pleased with himself.
“I need to talk with you about something.” I sit down in a chair close to him.
The smile slips from his face. “All right. I’m ready.”
“I’m going to move to Pine Ridge and ranch full-time. Mom found herself a little house there, and she’ll be moving in four months. I want to be there when she does.”
“So, you’re giving me your four months’ notice?”
“Yes. It’s time. Magnolia was right. I’m the happiest there, working with my hands, dealing with cantankerous cows instead of people.”
Grandpa nods slowly. “I knew this day would come. It’s why I made the necessary changes to my will this week.”
We sit quietly. I don’t know what else to say. In my head I imagined this conversation being far more dramatic. I don’t know why it was built so big in my mind. I don’t know what changes he made to the will, but it honestly doesn’t matter. I’m ready to go back to a quiet life. And if I can get Magnolia to talk to me again, I’m going to tell her the truth.
I love her. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. Every other decision comes after that.
“Would you mind if an old man came out and visited often?”
“Honestly, I’d prefer if you came out and lived with me,” I say.
“That could be arranged,” Grandpa says with a bigsmile. “But your mom, she wouldn’t want me living with her.”
“She’s in the process of buying a house in the middle of Pine Ridge. She’ll be close, but not living in the same house.”
“Do you know that I apologized to her once?”
“Yes,” I reply with a chuckle.
“I probably still owe her big time,” Grandpa mutters.
“That you do.”
He scowls at me. “You’re supposed to help ease my conscience, notbemy conscience.”
“Sorry, I got my jobs confused.”
Our conversation is interrupted by the doorbell. Eli appears from the kitchen and goes to open the door.
“Wait, you have him acting as a butler now?”
Grandpa shrugs. “I gave him a raise, and he said he’d help until I got my energy back.”
