Page 93 of Shattered Melodies
He nodded, his face creased with worry lines that seemed to have deepened overnight. “I know, Caleb. I know it’s been tough, and I’m sorry for putting all of this on you. It’s not fair, and it’s not right.”
I shook my head, feeling a surge of frustration. “It’s not your fault, Dad. You didn’t ask for mom to get sick, and you didn’t ask for the insurance to screw us over like this.”
He smiled, but it was a sad, tired thing. “Maybe not. But I still feel guilty, you know? Like I should have been more prepared, like I should have had a better plan in place.”
I understood where he was coming from. I had been feeling the same way myself, like I had let everyone down by not being able to fix this, by not being able to save the ranch.
But I also knew that dwelling on the past, on the things we couldn’t change, wasn’t going to do us any good. We had to focus on the present, on the future. On finding a way out of this mess, no matter how impossible it seemed.
“We can’t change what’s already happened,” I said, my voice quiet but firm. “All we can do is keep moving forward, keep fighting for what’s ours.”
My dad nodded, a glimmer of pride shining in his eyes. “You’re right, son. And I know that if anyone can find a way out of this, it’s you. You’ve always been the strong one, the one who never gives up.”
I could do this. Could find a way to save the ranch, to keep our dreams and our future alive.
But then my dad’s expression shifted, his brow furrowing with concern. “There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about, Caleb.”
I felt a flicker of unease, a sudden, sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. “What is it, Dad?”
He hesitated for a moment, like he wasn’t sure how to broach the subject.
“Your mother heard from Hank and told me that Liam’s been working on the farm for a couple of days now. How did that come about? And how are you with all of it?”
I felt my breath catch in my throat, my heart stuttering in my chest. Because the truth was, I didn’t know how to answer that question. Didn’t know how to put into words the tangled mess of emotions that Liam’s sudden reappearance had stirred up in me.
On the one hand, I was glad to see him. Glad to have him back in Oakwood, back in my life in some small, tangential way.
But on the other hand it hurt. Hurt to see him and know that he wasn’t mine anymore, that he had moved on and built a life without me. And most of all, it hurt to know the truth. To know that he hadn’t left me by choice, that he had been forced away by his parents and the narrow-minded prejudices of our small town.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I don’t know why he took the job here, Dad. But from what Hank told me, Liam wanted a change of pace. He’s only working part-time, but it is still strange, having him around again.”
My dad nodded, understanding shining in his eyes. “I can imagine. It must be hard, seeing him after all this time. Especially with everything that happened between you two.”
He was right. It was hard, harder than I had ever imagined it would be. But it was also exhilarating. Thrilling, in a way that I couldn’t quite explain.
My dad must have seen the conflicting emotions playing out on my face, because he reached out and squeezed my hand. “Don’t give up on him, Caleb. If you still love him, if you still believe in what you two had then don’t let him go again.”
I had let Liam go once before, had let my fear and my doubt and my own stubborn pride get in the way of what we had. And I had regretted it ever since. Had spent every day of the last twenty years wondering what might have been, if only I had been brave enough to fight for him.
I now had a second chance. A chance to make things right, to tell him how I really felt and see if there was still a spark between us, still a chance for something real and lasting and true.
Even if it meant risking my heart, meant opening myself up to the possibility of more pain and more heartbreak. Because Liam was worth it. Worth the risk, worth the fear, worth everything.
I was tired of running. Tired of hiding, tired of pretending that I didn’t still love him with every beat of my heart and every breath in my lungs.
“I won’t give up on him, Dad. I can’t. Not again, not this time.”
He smiled, pride and understanding shining in his eyes. “Good. That’s good, son. Because if there’s one thing I know about love, it’s that it’s always worth fighting for.”
After my talk with Dad, I needed some fresh air. I glanced at the clock, realizing I’d been cooped up in the office for hours. It was time to stretch my legs and clear my head.
I whistled for the dogs, their ears perking up at the sound. They knew what it meant - walkies. Their favorite time of day.
As we set out across the ranch, the sun warm on my back and the dogs bounding ahead, I felt some of the tension start to drain away. There was something about being out here, surrounded by nature and the steady rhythm of ranch life, that always seemed to put things in perspective.
I made my rounds, checking on the livestock and the fences and all the little details that kept the place running smoothly. Everything seemed to be in order, the animals healthy and content, the land thriving under the summer sun.
But as I walked, as I breathed in the sweet, clean air and felt the solid ground beneath my feet I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. Or rather, someone.
