The next morning, I drop Kacey off at the airport. I give her one last kiss.
“See you back in Mountain Time.”
She nods, fighting tears, then turns, heading into the airport. I watch her go, swallowing the lump in my throat before getting back in the truck with Trey.
Together, we drive back to the rodeo grounds.
Chapter 42
Kacey
The Ranch
Kacey
Have you heard if Dax is okay?
Knox
Yeah, I talked to him, he’s good. It split his ear open and he got stitches but he can ride again once the swelling has gone down enough to get a helmet on haha he might borrow mine since his is totaled.
Kacey
How are you laughing about this?! That was terrifying. He could’ve been really hurt.
Knox
Sorry, force of habit. He really is okay, thankfully it looked worse than it was.
I run my fingers through my hair, baffled by how nonchalant Knox is about Dax’s wreck. I know they see this stuff all the time, and I’m sure he was worried about him until he found out he was okay, but it’s still jarring to see him laugh it off. My anxiety has been off the charts since I watched that wreck, but clearly, he’s not bothered.
My fear for Knox isn’t getting better like I hoped it would. His words the night of his hangup were comforting, but not enough for me to move past this. I realize now it probably has a lot to do with my mom’s death. Watching June handle Dax’s situation so differently than I would’ve solidified that for me, but I still don’t know what to do about it.
I spent most of the flight planning what to say and how to ask my dad about the foreman job, so I was surprised yesterday when Carson showed up at the airport to pick me up. He told me Dad had a last-minute meeting with a potential meat buyer, so Carson volunteered to come get me. Grumpy Carson might not admit it, but I think he missed me.
We used the ride back to the ranch to catch up. It sounds like everything went smoothly without me and Carson asked me a few questions about life on the road. I was tempted to ask him about the foreman job—I’ve never understood why he turned it down repeatedly—but in the end I chickened out. This is a conversation I need to have with my dad, anyway.
So, as I make my way up the walk to dad’s house, I shove my nerves down and mentally recite what Knox said to me.
'Your dad loves you and wants the best for you. The way he talked to me about you when you weren’t around, he’s so proud of you. And I believe there is a reason for everything that man does. If he told you to come out here, he had a reason for it.'
When I open the door, Rein goes running in like she owns the place. Dad totally made her a house dog while I was gone. When I walk into the living room, I find her on a dog bed, next to my dad, who’s in his recliner. I give them both a judgmental look.
“Don’t give me that look; I got her a bed. She could be on the couch right now.”
He’s still in his work jeans and pearl snap with the DHR brand on it. I shake my head at them both and sit on the end of the couch closest to them. Dad asks me questions about the trip, what Knox’s upcoming schedule is, and how he’s feeling. After a few minutes, I take a deep breath and, apparently forget everything I rehearsed.
“Why did you hire Chet for the foreman job and not me?”
His eyes snap to mine. He runs his hand down his beard, contemplating his answer. “I wasn’t sure if you want it and—”
“Of course I wanted it,” I cut him off. “You know how much I love this ranch.”
He sits up in his chair and reaches over, resting his hand on top of mine. “I know you love it. It’s because of how much you love it that I don’t want you to run it. Not completely, and not by yourself.”
“Why? Do you not think I’m capable?”
“Bug, you aremorethan capable. You run circles around most of our ranch hands. I don’t want you to spend your life shackled to this ranch. When I was your age . . . .” He sighs, shaking his head. “I don’t want you to pour so much of yourself into this place that there’s nothing left for you. Or someone else who lovesyou. When was the last time you saw Chet take time off? If you were the foreman, there would be no roping with Carson, trips to Estes with Jessie, horse sales with me, or traveling with Knox. And that’s not the life I want for you. I want you to chase your dreams, do the things you love with the people you love. Not wake up every day and live your life on repeat.”
