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“Please don’t leave me when we get there,” I tell Walla Walla as I sit up and fix my hair. “I want to be strong like I was while riding the other day. Or how I am in bed with you. But those things only happen because I trust you’ll help me if I stumble. I can’t face Urick alone.”
“I’ll stick to you like glue.”
Forcing a smile, I lower the visor and check my makeup. “I’m nervous about seeing Peter. He’s never liked me, and I’m sure he’ll feel even more hostility now.”
“But he doesn’t know about the will.”
“No, but he might think I’ll show up and take charge.”
“Let me worry about Peter. You just talk with your dad and give yourself a break. Urick might be too far gone to even know what’s happening. This thing is about you and your happiness.”
Nodding, I feel the panic returning when I imagine seeing my once-virile father in a sickly state.
“I’m going to feel guilty for not visiting him sooner.”
“But I wasn’t in your life then. You need me when you deal with him.”
Smiling at Walla Walla, I know he’s absolutely right. I never would have considered visiting Urick if I hadn’t gotten through the last week with this powerful man at my side.
Walla Walla is my prize. Though he might be satisfied with the weaker version of me, he deserves the best I can be.
I feel calmer yet unsteady as we arrive at my father’s ranch. The beauty of this place fills me with both longing and fear. I try to avoid looking at the barracks, where those men attacked Hunter and me. My gaze locks onto the training ring. Two white Arabians stand near Mack as the SUV parks on the circular driveway in front of the brick-and-white estate.
Walla Walla leans over and kisses my lips. His affection is the sexy pep talk I need. As our lips part, I stare into the eyes of my future. If I want everything we’ve talked about—a healthy relationship, children, a beautiful home, a new business, and a stable filled with horses—I can’t hide anymore.
“I’m ready,” I tell Walla Walla who hesitates before nodding.
Despite exiting the SUV at the same time, he’s somehow immediately at my side.
Mack meets us at the front steps. He gives Walla Walla a curt hello but offers me a warm smile.
“I didn’t say anything to Urick, in case you changed your mind,” Mack explains.
As we step inside the foyer, I hesitate while struggling with old memories. This house was my playground as a child. I’d run down the hallways, hooting and hollering while wearing my little cowboy hats.
Feeling those memories consuming my confidence, I reach for Walla Walla’s hand.
“What’s he like?” I ask Mack.
“Urick was groggy this morning. He kept asking about the ranch hands. He thought they just left for Banta City. But at lunch, he understood how they were dead. He also talked to the doctor about Erik. I haven’t spoken with him over the last hour, but he was alert when I last saw him.”
His words should get me moving. I can picture my father’s den with its large windows overlooking the golden meadow where I used to ride. His walls were covered with pictures of his family, favorite horses, former wives, and himself as a young man traveling the world. I would sit in there with him, reading while he made phone calls.
With Walla Walla and Mack waiting for me to do something, I force my feet to start moving. I walk the halls I loved as a child. Not much has changed all these years. The walls are still a bright white. The western artwork remains the same. The wood floors look rougher as if they haven’t been refinished in a while.
My thoughts return to the last dozen years. Urick kept tabs on me, but I didn’t do the same with him. Did his business suffer? Has his health been poor for a while? Was he lonely over these years? Is there another woman in his life?
I suspect Urick returned to his old habits of collecting bad men and relying on Mack to keep them in check.
Entering the den, I find my father staring out the window. His once thick, blond hair has grayed and thinned. His skin lost its tanned shine. He looks smaller than I remember. His shoulders are slumped forward. He seems lost in his mind.
I feared I wouldn’t be able to stomach seeing him this way. As if it would break my heart. However, seeing him broken strips the fear from me. I feel strong, while he’s weak. I’m at the prime of my life as he faces his end. The power has shifted between us, and I’m not one to gloat.
Walking past Urick’s caretaker, Mack sets a chair close to my father. “You have a visitor.”
I release Walla Walla’s hand and walk to the chair. Settling into it, I smile at Mack. My gaze flashes to Walla Walla for reassurance. His blue eyes hold such affection. I feel him touching me even from across the room.
“Dad,” I say when Urick remains lost in his thoughts. “It’s Austen.”
