Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 105(@200wpm)___ 84(@250wpm)___ 70(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 105(@200wpm)___ 84(@250wpm)___ 70(@300wpm)
Chapter 4
Lila
I watch Ace walk away. He seems off his game a little today, and I hope it doesn’t have anything to do with my problem with Jessy. The truth is, Jessy and I only went out a few times. It was a couple of years ago, and it was one of those times where I was trying to get over my crush on Ace. At least, I’d convinced myself it was a crush. After this many years of longing, I know it’s more. But it wasn’t serious with Jessy, and when I found out he was hooking up with other women, it was an easy out for me. Ace shouldn’t be stressing out about it because I surely am not.
“How’s work?” my dad asks.
“It’s good. Same ol’ same ol’.” I turn and smile at him. “You know my friend, Nikki?”
He nods because duh, of course he does. She’s younger than me, but when she came to work at the hospital, we became instant friends. She’s even been out to my dad’s ranch a few times to ride with me. We’d probably spend more time together if she didn’t live in Whiskey Run and me in Whiskey Valley, but we always make a point to get together once a week. “Well, she and Ethan are back together.”
My dad slaps his hand on his knee. “Well, hot dog, Ethan finally got his shit together, huh?”
There’s no way I’m going to tell my dad that Nikki sort of pushed his hand with some kind of auction. “Yep, I guess you can say that. But yeah, they’re together, and Nikki is so happy.”
Dad must see the envy in my eyes. “You’ll get that, honey. One day you’ll find someone that knows how special you are—”
I cut him off with a roll of my eyes. “I know, Dad.”
I’m watching Ace again. He bends over to talk to a little boy, and I sigh out loud. It’s no wonder women throw themselves at him. He really is a good man.
“You know this is going to be hard on him, right? Leaving the circuit when it’s all he’s ever known...”
I nod, not taking my eyes off Ace. “I know it is, Dad.”
My dad claps his hands and rubs them together. “Well, he’ll be in Whiskey Valley. You have to nearly drive right by his ranch when you go to the hospital.”
I don’t say anything. I know what he’s hinting at. He wants me to check in on Ace, and it wouldn’t be so bad, I mean the idea is appealing. But who knows? If he has a girlfriend or some buckle bunnies dropping in, do I really want to see all that? Definitely not.
When I don’t answer him, my dad continues. “I just owe him so much... I want to make sure he’s okay.”
His words surprise me. I mean, no doubt Ace has always been good to our family, but my dad trained him. He taught him everything he knows and helped him get to where he’s at. “What do you mean, you owe him?”
He drags his eyes off Ace and looks out at the arena. I lean forward to block his vision. “Huh, Dad? What are you talking about?”
He shakes his head but won’t quite meet my eyes. “Nothing. It’s nothing for you to worry about.”
I put my hand on my dad’s shoulder until he looks at me. “No, Dad. What does that even mean? You’re obviously weirded out about something. Why do you owe him?”
He takes his hat off and traces the rim with his fingers. “You’re not going to like it, Lila. You won’t like it one bit.”
I straighten my shoulders. My mind starts to whirl, but for the life of me, I don’t have a clue as to what he could be talking about. “Quit bullshitting me and just tell me. What is it?”
He lifts his shoulders. Finally, he lifts his eyes to meet mine. He looks so vulnerable. More vulnerable than I’ve ever seen him in my life. “Years ago, the ranch wasn’t doing so well. I had broken my hip and couldn’t compete. I was working to make ends meet and to get you through school. Ace helped me out.”
I know this kills my dad’s pride. Not only that he had to ask for help but also the fact that he is now having to talk to his daughter about it. I put my hand on this forearm and squeeze. “Did he loan you money for the ranch?”
He scrunches his nose up. “Not exactly.”
“Uhhhh,” I start, and he covers my hand with his.
“I needed to pay your tuition or get the tractor and a hundred other things fixed at the ranch... I couldn’t do both.”
I jerk back. “He paid my tuition?”
He nods his head. “Yeah.”
I try to do the math in my head. “Dad, I was eighteen when I started college. I’m thirty now... I mean, you paid him back, right?”