Page 74 of Losing his Daddy

“It all began with Clancy.” I watched Atticus as he heard his father’s name. There was grief there, but also a hint of something else. Regret, maybe?

Gerald continued with, “I’d been drawn to him almost instantly. He’d offered me a job when I had nothing else. And then he mentored me as if I were his equal. Falling for him was easy.”

I’d heard the story once before, so I tuned out as I watched the men around us hear Gerald’s tale. There were no questions, no interruptions. They let him speak until he ran out of steam.

By the end, more than one man was in tears. Atticus, in particular, looked gut punched at the truth of it all. Or rather, at Gerald’s side of things. We’d never get to know Clancy’s point of view.

After he was done, I pulled him from his chair and into my lap. I pressed a kiss to his head, then whispered, “You did it, Precious. The hard part is over now.”

In my focus on the man in my arms, I missed the sound of the others moving. It wasn’t until I felt arms wrap around us that I felt the shift.

Every man on the ranch surrounded us, the group forming a giant hug around me and Gerald. The man in my arms fell apart once he realized.

His tears tore at my soul. I longed to get them to stop, while also knowing he needed to set them free.

The other men were openly crying too now. Not a single one was able to hold back anymore.

“We’re so sorry, Gerald.”

“We love you.”

“I’m here. We’re here.”

“We’ve missed you.”

Their promises rained over us in hushed tones. I could feel the weight around us lifting as love flowed through the group. Whatever pain and resentment that might have been lingering at our arrival was long gone.

We only pulled back at the sound of another car approaching.

“What's Robin doing here?” I heard from Atticus.

Corey answered with, “Maybe because that’s his brother wrapped around Gerald.”

Before anyone could comment further, I heard Robin’s voice shout, “Weston! Wes!”

I lifted an arm as the crowd parted. “Right here, Ro. Long time no see.”

He fell to his knees by my chair. “No shit, brother. I’m so glad to see you.”

I watched him take in the form in my arms for a second, then he was leaning to wrap us in a hug. I chuckled at how he’djumped right into things just like the others had. He didn’t have all the details, but he didn’t need them. My brother’s heart was just that big.

That was when my own tears came. I couldn’t hold them back any longer. I had the man I loved in my arms. We were surrounded by his family. And now my brother had shown up as well.

Everything was just how it was meant to be.

Chapter Thirty

Gerald

Our hug-festand my breakdown wore me out after so many hours of buildup. Sir explained to the others how I’d been worried about the visit and that I would likely need lots of sleep before we could talk more.

Atticus was quick to offer us space in the main house or the bunkhouse. We had our pick of whatever we wanted. My old room was even preserved just how I’d left it.

Sir decided it was best for us to be in a familiar space. He made sure we had everything we needed, then he tucked us into bed while the others went back to their bonfire. Part of me hated missing out on time with them, but I knew that I wasn’t worth anything in this state.

Eight hours later, I felt like a new man.

Sure, I was still a little tired, and my eyes burned from all the tears I’d cried. That wasn’t all bad though. Holding it in for so long had been.

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