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“What?”
“I don’t think you understand, Livy. I don’t assume this is free. I assume you’ll need a salary and a place to live. I’m assuming there will be equipment needs. I’m also assuming my brother trusts you. And I know Layton is worth fighting for. I’m fighting his demons the only way I know how… by calling on someone he trusts, who is skilled, who cares that he is well. He needs someone who knows the real him and will be vested in his well-being.”
“You’re asking me to give notice to my job, to uproot my life, to abandon my home in the hope that Layton is willing to do the work. You do see what a risk you’re asking of me, don’t you?”
“I do. If I were to double your salary and offer you a place to live here free of charge with free veterinary care for Kyle, would that help your decision?”
Well, it doesn’t hurt.
“It’s a heck of an ask, Braxton. I can’t say yes. But I won’t say no yet either. I’d like to think about it.”
“Thank you. If I can be so bold, think quickly and say yes.”
Definitely a Ranger, that’s for sure.
“Just out of curiosity, how do you plan to offer free vet care? Kyle’s healthy, but that seemed to be an easy fix for you.”
“Did Layton tell you at all how we grew up?”
I think for a moment. “No. He didn’t mention his childhood, though he did mention your dad once.”
“Ah. Layton never wanted to be a part of the family business. As in never. He did what he had to growing up, but this wasn’t his thing. We have a ranch. To be more precise, we’re horse breeders. My sister is a vet, albeit she specialized in large animal medicine instead of companion animal. That said, she handles her dogs in addition to our horses. Kyle would be in good hands. He would, for as long as you’re here, have horses to mingle with and her two errant pups to play with. We also have a menagerie of barn cats, but they’re not domesticated. They’re for mice.”
The picture he paints is as foreign to me as the wheat fields of Kansas. I know the Delaware shore. I lived in big cities—Boston, Pittsburgh, and Miami. Now I’m outside of the hustle of metropolitan life. I can’t imagine horses in Texas, other than things I’ve seen in Westerns.
“I thought Kentucky was the place for horse breeding.”
His deep chuckle rumbles through the line, and I imagine a man as big as Layton on the other end as well.
“Kentucky is okay, Livy, but it doesn’t have shit on Texas. What do you say?”
I hedge. I can’t make this decision right now. As intriguing as the offer is, I can’t say yes.
“I’ll need some time. And I’ll need to know that Layton wants to be well.”
A sigh drags across the line. It’s not exasperation, but something else I can’t place.
“I know it’s a risk. I know it’s barely reasonable. It’s my baby brother, and I have to do everything I can for him. For my family. Thank you for considering this.”
My family was frustrated I wore the wrong clothes on a billboard, at least in their estimation. And this man called a perfect stranger to beg for help.
“I certainly will. Have a good night.”
“You too, Livy. Talk to you tomorrow.” With that, he hangs up.
Tomorrow? As in he’ll call again tomorrow?
Immediately, a text comes through. It’s Braxton Ranger’s contact info. I follow the web link to the ranch site and am floored.
I don’t know a thing about horses or breeding them, but I’d pictured something I’d seen in the movies as a kid. This is state of the art and huge.
Braxton Ranger is the CEO and looks like an older, less angular version of Layton. He’s handsome, but not in the way Layton is. There’s no mischief in his face. He’s all business.
What this man is requesting is one hundred percent reward with the potential for absolutely zero risk. The reward for him, for his brother, for his family is worth it.
For me, those scales are flipped the opposite direction. All risk. It’s the loss of the security of everything for a potential. But what potential?
Layton’s health can be achieved. Will he ever be a wide receiver again? No. Can he regain his body? I’m sure of it. It’ll be harder this many months later for sure. A dark room with no human contact means he didn’t do any of the needed things to protect his body, and I can only presume that’s gotten measurably worse since the surgery.
