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“I haven’t had a chance to tell him yet,” I say. Then I walk out the door, shutting it softly behind me.
On my drive to Dirty Dicks, I make a mental note of all the things I need to do. Not only will I have to get Dad’s things packed, I’ll have to contact the medical equipment company and transfer everything to Sharon’s. I’ll also need to call the local community college and make an appointment with an academic advisor to find out where to start.
So many things to do, and I welcome the chaos with open arms.
When I pull up to Dirty Dicks, I see Tess’s car in the lot, as well as Claire’s. I climb out of the truck and walk in, waving to some of my regular customers along the way.
Claire and Tess are sitting in a booth along the back wall. They smile when I walk up.
“I ordered you a beer,” Claire says, handing me the brown bottle.
“Thank you.” I slide in the booth next to Tess, who’s looking at me funny. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe because I don’t think you’ve ever initiated a girl’s night out.”
“She’s right,” Claire says. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” I smile. “Maybe I just wanted to hang out with my friends.”
They look at each other and then at me. “Sorry,” Claire says. “Try again.”
“Fine.” I roll my eyes. “My dad is moving in with your mom. He’s giving me Animal Haven, and I’m going back to college.”
Tess throws her arm in the air, signaling the waitress. “We’re going to need more alcohol for this.”
Claire’s eyes are wide. “What do you mean your dad and my mom are moving in together? Are they…you know…sleeping together?”
“See, I told you we’d need more alcohol,” Tess pipes in.
“No.” I shake my head. “They aren’t sleeping together.”
Sean drops off another round of beers. Claire grabs one, takes a giant swig, and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand.
“Okay,” she sighs. “Start from the beginning, and don’t leave a damn thing out.”
“It’s a long story.”
“We’ve got all night.”
Rhett
I haven’t heard another word from Mo—not that night after I left her at Animal Haven or any other night leading up to my ride. It’s been almost a week, and I’m going out of my mind, wondering what she’s thinking and how she’s doing. Several times I’ve picked up the phone, wanting to hear her voice, but I can’t get myself to make the call. I miss her, more than I ever did when I left for Houston six years ago. How I went that many years without talking to her or seeing her beautiful face, I’ll never know. The dull ache in my chest is a constant reminder of how integrated into my life she’s become.
But I keep reminding myself: I told her exactly what I needed from her, so it’s up to her to come through.
By the time Friday night rolls around, it feels like an entire year has passed. My crew and I have worked around the clock, perfecting my movements and getting me comfortable on the bull again.
“You ready?” Dad claps my shoulder.
“Born ready.” I give him the same cocky grin I always do, and with Dad on one side and Linc on the other, we wind our way through the back pens.
“You scored an 89.87 on that last ride.” I punch Linc in the arm. “I’m proud of you, fucker.”
He grins but doesn’t say a word. He’s struggled the last few years, and he doesn’t like to talk about it. I make a mental note to celebrate his success tonight when we go out after the event.
If we go out after the event.
I had plans to celebrate with Mo, bringing her out with the guys, but if she doesn’t show up, I might be nursing a beer by myself in the hotel room.
