Page 79 of Losing his Daddy

Clancy Coleman had loved me in his own way. It wasn’t the best, nor did he treat me exactly how I needed to be treated, but that doesn’t mean he never cared.

In his wake, I hit rock bottom and climbed out of the dark to find a new life. To find a new home.

And to find love again.

His letter meant more now than it would have if I’d read it right after the funeral. It took going through what I did and finding love again for me to believe what he’d written.

“We need to get back,” Sir said after several long minutes of quiet.

When I raised my head, I noticed just how close to evening it was. The sky had dimmed dramatically. It wouldn’t be long before darkness swept in. Atticus and the others were probably even worried about us.

With that knowledge, I wiped the last of the tears from my eyes. Pushing up with Sir’s help, I faced the marker again.

“I love you. Thank you for my letter. I did find someone to love me right. I hope you’re at peace, Daddy.”

Sir tucked me to his side, then walked us over to the truck. He drove us back to the ranch with my guidance.

“How do you feel, Precious? Tell me what you need,” he said.

I turned to face him. This beautiful, loving man was too good for me. He’d taken time off, driven us down here, and read a letter from my deceased lover just to help me through my feelings. If that didn’t express the depth of his love, I didn’t know what would.

“I feel… peaceful, Sir. Like everything is going to be ok now.”

His responding smile was worth every tear, every hopeless night. “That’s good. Let’s get inside. I’m sure you could use some food and maybe a hug or two.”

So we did. I went inside with him. I ate Harlan’s amazing food. I hugged all the guys and talked about the things I’d missed. I allowed myself to be happy without any guilt or shame or longing for ‘what if’ anymore.

My name is Gerald Grimes.

I’m an addict.

I’ve had love, and I’ve lost love.

And somehow, amidst it all, I’ve still gotten my happily ever after.

Epilogue

Weston

Our adventure passedin the blink of an eye. One minute we were pulling up to the ranch, both of us nervous for what lie ahead. The next we were packing our bags and making promises to come back during the next market day.

“We could always use the extra hands,” Jackson joked as he clapped me on the back.

I grinned at him. “Don’t know if I’ll be that much help, to be honest.”

“Aw, come on. You did pretty good with the horses.” Bobby Allen strode over to chat with his boy Elton beside him.

If I hadn’t known the Daddy kink anomaly that was the Coleman Ranch before coming, I’d have clocked it within minutes of my arrival. There was something in the air here. It reminded me a lot of Club Deny, just with more rural vibes with all the animals and fresh air.

My brother even managed to show up to wish us off. Of course, catching a bit of the conversation meant he had to come over to give me hell.

“This guy hates getting dirty. I’m surprised he’s still here after all this time.”

I let my gaze move to Gerald where he was talking with Atticus and Sean. “Love will make you do things you never imagined. I’d have rolled around in a mud pile if it made him happy. You’ll understand one day.”

Robin shook his head. “Not so sure about that. For now, I’ll be the single guy of the friend group. Definitely means I can get more dates since there’s little to no competition.”

“Sure, that’s it,” I said as I tugged him into a forceful hug. We might not be as close as we once were, but a relaxing weekend on the ranch had turned me into the annoying older brother I used to be quick enough.

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