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“Savannah left L.A. because she found out she was adopted, her parents told her they didn’t know anything about her birth parents so she came here for some space from it all and…” She stops like she isn’t going to continue.
“Maisie,” I warn her not to hold out on me.
“Well, Dan did some digging.”
“Oh, good old fuckin’ Danny boy strikes again.” I shake my head and try to stay calm.
“Fuck you, Cole, this isn’t a fuckin’ pissing contest. Which, by the way, he would be winning right now beca?—”
“Just tell me what he found out.” I acknowledge how pathetic I’m being so she can get back to her point.
“He found her birth father.” She bites her lip awkwardly. “Savannah’s got a name and an address and she really wants to meet him, but she’s scared.”
“Scared? Who is this guy?” I try to catch up with everything she’s telling me.
“Not scared of him, Cole, she’s scared of the answers to all the questions she’s got for him.”
I can feel myself getting drawn in, and I can’t allow that to happen. So I take a breath and pull myself right back out of the situation.
“I don’t know why you came here with this, Maisie. It don’t sound like something that involves me.” I head for the door and open it for her.
“I came to you because as much as you try to hide it, I know that you care. Stop lying to yourself, Cole.” She scolds me with her eyes as she leaves to get in my brother’s truck, making sure she skids up the dirt as she pulls away.
There’s nothing like a few hours sitting in misery and a cold shower to sober a man up. Once it’s past nine and I know everyone will be finished in the yard for the day, I jump on Rebel and ride back to the Ranch so I can grab the ropes I’ll need for a day of catching strays tomorrow. I try to stay quiet while I rummage around in the stable and when I finally find all the stuff I’m gonna need, I load it onto Rebel’s saddle and lead him back out onto the yard. I notice Savannah sitting out on the porch as I head for the gate, and although my head is ordering my feet to keep moving they remain rooted to the ground. I know I’m gonna regret it when they start taking a different direction, redirecting me and Rebel toward her.
“I heard about what happened with your folks.” I speak up, hating how sad she looks when I get a closer look at her.
“Full of surprises, aren’t I?” She laughs sarcastically and takes a sip from the crystal tumbler in her hand.
“You gonna go meet him?” I ask.
“I’m catching a plane to Salt Lake City tomorrow,” she informs me.
“By yourself?” I frown, not liking the idea of that at all.
“Yeah, Garrett’s leading that cattle drive so Maisie has to look after the babies by herself, and Leia has a doctor’s appointment. I’ll be fine.”
“Surprised Dan ain’t going with ya, I heard he’s still in town.” I don’t mean for that to come out all sarcastic and bitter, but I’ve learned that when it comes to her I’m shit at hiding my emotions.
“He offered but I turned him down, he’d wanna spend the trip talking about us and I can’t face that right now.”
Savannah looks nothing like the girl I’ve got to know over the past few months. She’s quiet and withdrawn. I wanna shake the life back into her body and scream for the girl with the clever mouth and annoying smile to come back to me.
“Would you turn me down, if I offered to take ya?” I ask, feeling like my pride could get a serious dent if she gives me the wrong answer.
“No.” Her eyes look up at mine as she shakes her head. I get the sense she’s as mad at herself for the answer as I am with myself for askin’ the damn question.
“Well that settles it then, be out here ready to leave at 6am.” I don’t know why I’m doing this. Yeah, I got a thing for inflicting pain on myself, but this is unfair to her. It’s false hope, and yet there’s no way I can let her do this by herself.
“The flight isn’t until lunchtime.” I see a glimmer of my girl come back into her eyes, and I like that I’m responsible for the tiny smile that lifts up her lips.
“You can get me to Salt Lake City, but you ain’t getting me on a plane. It’s my way, or you're flyin’ solo, Red.”
“I didn’t know you were scared of flying.” She stands up and leans over the railings, pulling the blanket she has around her shoulders a little tighter.
“There are plenty of things that scare me that you don’t know about.” I’m staring one of my fears in the face right now.
“6 am.” She nods her head before finishing the last of her drink.
