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“Ryland hasn’t been home in two days. That boy is going to be the death of me.” Rose slipped into her jacket. “I’ve got two casseroles defrosting in the fridge, and I did a grocery run so you won’t have to bother yourself with any of that.” She winked. “I’ll see you in a couple of days.”
“What?” Startled, Cal’s eyes widened. “You’re not staying?”
“Calvin Strong Bridgestone, I got my own family to take care of. Charlene has three babies now, and with her teaching on the reservation, they take up just about all my time. I’m only helping out because Bent’s not here.” She reached up and kissed his cheek. “But don’t you worry none, I’ll be back on Friday to do some cleaning and any laundry you can’t get to.” She motioned toward the kitchen. “Nora’s schedule is on the fridge. She has ballet tomorrow after school, and that girl sure needs the discipline, so don’t you forget.”
“Ballet?” Visions of tutus and frills and nosy mothers filled his mind. “I thought she’d be riding.”
“Oh, she rides. Got her own pony, and she has her chores that she tends to. That’s something your brother made sure of. But Bent wanted her to have the best of both worlds, so she does ballet. Check in with Dal. He’s living in the foreman’s place. Anything that has to do with running this place, he can fill you in on.”
She stepped toward the door, a wide smile easing the lines around her mouth. “I know the life you’ve made for yourself is worlds away from the ranch. And I want you to know how proud we are. All of us. But I’m glad you’re here now. I made sure your old room was cleaned and there are fresh sheets on your bed. I’m sure it’s not what you’re used to, but then whoever said a body needed one-thousand thread count to get a good night’s sleep is just plain crazy.”
Cal knew firsthand that thread count made a difference, but no way was he arguing with Rosie.
“If you run into problems, give me a call. Number is the same.” Rose put her hand on the doorknob and paused. Her features shifted ever so slightly, and she opened her mouth and then closed it. After a few quiet moments, she spoke. “A lot of things have changed around here, Cal. But a lot have stayed the same. That’s the way of it in the valley. It’s not my business, and I don’t mean to butt in where I don’t belong, but while you’re here, I’d like to ask two things from you.”
Cal shuffled his feet, feeling like the kid she’d caught sneaking whiskey from his daddy’s cupboard all those years back. “Anything,” he replied carefully.
“Go see your father. He’s living out at Blue Ridge in the Founder’s Cabin.”
That surprised Cal. “He’s on the ranch?”
Rose nodded. “And promise you won’t get up in Millie’s business. That girl has finally found some kind of happiness. I’d hate for you to go and ruin it, because we both know you being here is temporary.”
“Rosie, I never meant…” He stumbled over the words, not finding the right ones. Regret had a way of doing that to a person. “I had to leave.” They were hollow, but they were all he had.
“It’s okay, son,” she said quietly, opening the door. “Not everyone or every situation is supposed to be neat and tidy. I know you’re not the mean-spirited type.” Her eyes softened a bit. “You don’t set out to hurt folks. Not on purpose, anyway. You’re just not the staying kind, and for most of us, that’s what hurts in the end. The fact that you feel the need to leave us while we want you here so bad.” She gave a small shrug. “But that could be us being selfish, so don’t pay it too much mind.”
With that, Rose headed out into the crisp winter air, leaving Cal staring at the door. He was glad Millie had settled into a life that made her happy. The fact that he wasn’t a part of it shouldn’t matter. Rosie was right. He was the leaving kind.
After a few moments, Cal trudged upstairs, following the still-chattering voice of his niece all the way to the end of the hall. It was much later when a little girl who’d eaten too much sugar finally fell asleep. He tucked her in, dragged his exhausted butt downstairs, and glanced around. The place was in darkness and eerily silent. He stood for a while in the foyer, unsure in a house that had been a home. A place full of memory.
He should go to bed. Get some sleep.
He thought about that for a while, there in the dark, but instead of heading to his room, Cal grabbed a bottle of Jack from the bar and settled onto a chair in the den. He turned off his phone, blown up with hundreds of text messages he had no interest in reading, and kept to the shadows. He decided to get good and drunk so he could forget. Eventually, he got to the point he couldn’t drink anymore…but the forgetting…that was something else.
Because the things he wanted to forget were here to stay.
CHAPTER4
“Where’s Uncle Ry?”The singsong voice woke him. Along with the pokes to his chest. And the tug on his nose.
With a groan, Cal eased off the chair and tried to shake the fog from his mind and body. His neck was sore, his back ached, and his arms and legs weren’t working too well either. He eyed the empty bottle on the floor with regret. His mouth felt like sawdust and tasted worse, and his head was home to a couple of UFC fighters kicking the crap out of each other.
“Hey.” Again with a poke, but this time to his thigh.
He closed his eyes for a few seconds and then opened them slowly, trying to focus. Nora stared up at him, big eyes shiny and questioning, her hair a mess of curls that needed a good brushing. She clutched a raggedy stuffed animal to her chest, a teddy bear from the looks of it, as bright pink as the nightgown she wore.
He let out a long breath. So. Much. Pink. Outside, it was light, but only just, and Cal had no idea what time it was.
“I’m hungry.”
The thought of food made him queasy, and he grimaced. “Yeah?” he mumbled, scratching at his chin.
“And Tabitha isn’t here.”
“Who’s that?” he asked, curious.
“She’s Daddy’s friend.” Nora turned in a circle. “Why did you sleep in here?” She didn’t wait for him to answer, but glanced up at him with a small frown. “You smell.”
