Page 150 of Dust Storm

“Medically speaking, I can’t be completely sure, but I believe he can hear you. Talk to him.”

I hung my head low. “Yes ma’am. Thank you.”

“Any family you’d like for me to bring back for you, Mr. Griffith?”

I thought over who to call first, but one name came to mind. “Cassandra Griffith,” I said, the white lie coming off easy. “And Claire Griffith. They’re in the waiting room.”

A few minutes later, a nurse escorted Cassandra and Mom to the room. I gave the run-down of the surgeries and diagnosis to them, then stepped out with Cassandra so my mom could have some time alone with Ray.

“You should have let Nate or CJ or your dad come back first,” Cassandra said. “I’m not family. Why’d you say I was a Griffith?”

“I needed you.” The knot in my chest eased when I pulled her into my arms. “I’m certain of a few things. I know the sun’s gonna rise tomorrow. I know that my brother’s gonna wake up. And I know that you’re gonna have my last name. I’m just letting you try it on for size.”

“Christian,” she whispered. “This—today—it’s not about me. Or us.”

“I know.” I pressed my lips to her forehead. “Thank you for being here.”

Cassandra wrapped her arms around me. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

We stood like that, holding each other, and simply resting.

“I gotta figure out what we’re gonna do. I don’t want to leave my folks out here alone. It could be weeks before he comes home… If…”

“Don’t think like that,” she said quickly. “When. Not if.”

“I don’t want people trying to go around Marty to pester my folks for statements, but I need to be back at the ranch. CJ’s gonna want to be up here too. Nate’s got the baby to think about.” I sighed and scrubbed my hands down my face. I wasexhausted.

Cassandra rested her palms squarely on my chest. “I’ve got it.”

I shook my head. “What do you mean you?—”

“I mean it. I’ve got it handled.” She gripped my collar and kissed me. “You don’t have to work through this. Stay with Ray and your parents.”

“Cass, I can’t ask you to?—”

“You’re not asking.”

“But the girls have school, and?—”

Cassandra lifted her chin and leveled with me. “I love you, and I’ve got it.”

31

CASSANDRA

There are certain soft skills that are universally imperative no matter what the job is. Organization. Discipline. Time management. Information literacy and research skills. Self-starting and problem solving.

I could handle washed-up starlets on benders. How hard could cows and a half-dozen ranch hands be?

Famous last words.

But there’s another quality that is imperative to success: being a stubborn asshole who refuses to fail.

That was my favorite thing about myself. I simply refused to quit.

Christian’s alarm clock blared at the wicked hour of four-thirty on the dot. I slapped the decrepit machine and shoved my head, face first, into the pillow.

It had been a week and a half since Ray’s accident.

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