Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 78227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Neither Jesse nor I have had the success we wished for at this point in our lives. We both do fine, make a decent living, but we’re not in front of audiences drawing huge crowds.
Jesse’s at least still singing. As a rocker, he can easily find gigs at local and regional venues. Not too many of those venues are interested in an operatic performance. I sing with his band when he asks and when I’m available, and it’s fun and I’m always well-received. A rocker at heart, though? That’s not me. At least, I never thought it was.
The nurse removes the tape holding the tube in place.
I jerk at how harshly she rips it off. My God, she must’ve taken some of Dad’s stubble with it. I desperately want to say something, but I keep my mouth closed. Surely she knows what she’s doing.
Dad’s eyelids twitch.
“Looks like he’s waking up,” the nurse says. “I’m getting this tube out of him right on time.”
With a brisk movement, she pulls the tube out of Dad’s mouth. I gawk at the sight of it, at how long it is. That thing was in my father.
Jesse and I still stand there as the nurse wipes Dad’s mouth with a moist cloth.
His eyelids flutter once more.
When he opens them, his gaze meets mine.
And his lips curve upward. Only slightly, but I notice.
“Hey, Daddy,” I say. “Don’t try to talk.”
“He’ll probably be hoarse from the tubes,” the nurse says.
“Hey, Dad.” Jesse smiles.
I don’t take my gaze from his as I squeeze his hand. “You’re okay, Daddy. Everything’s going to be okay.”
CHAPTER TWO
BROCK
“Hey, Donny,” I say into the phone after I call my cousin. “I just wanted to check in with you to see if you came up with anything for that number. The one who called Rory and said, ‘You won’t get away with this.’ With everything else going on, I forgot to ask you about it.”
“Nothing,” he says. “Totally untraceable, which is unsurprising. It’s obviously a burner phone. Why? Did she get another call?”
“No. Not that she’s told me, anyway. I just got a text from her. Frank is awake. Sort of in and out.”
“Yeah, I got a text from Callie with the same news.”
“Dad and I are taking a few days off,” I tell him. “Going to go back to Wyoming to check out Doc Sheraton’s land. Maybe talk to him if he’s there.”
“You want me to come along?”
“Can you? With Callie out of the office and you being the only city attorney right now, I’m sure you’re needed there.”
“Yeah… I guess I could ask Mom to come out of retirement and take over for me, but…”
“No, just do what you need to do, Don. I’ll keep in touch with you and Dale and let you know what’s going on and if we find out anything of importance.”
“Damn… I really just wish this would all go away.”
“Me too, bro. Me too.”
After ending the call, I pack a small bag for our trip. Dad says we may be gone for a few days. I got my cousin Dave Simpson to take care of the Pikes’ dogs, and now I just need to tell Rory.
She’ll understand. Still, I hate to leave her when she’s in Grand Junction with her father. I should be there, supporting her.
I sigh and tap my phone to call her.
“Hey,” she says into the phone breathlessly.
“Hey, sweetheart. How are you holding up?”
“I’m better now that that horrible plastic tube is out of his throat. Seeing him like that…” She laughs. Sort of.
“What?”
“I keep wanting to say that it broke my heart. But I swear I may never use that phrase again. Not when my father has a literal broken heart.”
“It’s not broken anymore, Rory. The doctors fixed it. He’s going to be fine.”
“I know. But a heart attack, Brock. My big strong father who eats healthy and hardly ever touches alcohol. I don’t understand.”
“Unfortunately, there’s a lot in this life none of us will ever understand.”
If that isn’t the damned truth.
“I’m glad he’s doing well,” I add.
“Thank you. Me too.”
“Do you need me there with you? Because I will drop everything if I have to, Rory. I will be there to support you.”
“I’m fine. My entire family is here, and I know you have work to do.”
“Actually, Dad and I have plans to be gone for a few days. We’re going to head back to Wyoming, maybe talk to Doc Sheraton. At the very least check out his land.”
“A few days?” Rory says.
“Yes.”
She’s silent for a few seconds, but then, “I understand. You need to go. The world doesn’t stop just because my father had a heart attack. I mean, we both have so much else to deal with.”
“Listen to me,” I say. “You deal with your father right now. He is your sole focus. I’m glad he’s doing well, and you stay with him as long as you need to. Anything you need, I will make sure you have it. The rest of this crap? Pat Lamone and everything else? You don’t need to give that a thought. You let me bear that burden for now.”