Page 9 of Losing his Daddy

How something so small and plain could bring me to my knees was astounding. And that was only one tiny detail. There were a million places all around the ranch that held memories.

During another sleepless night, I decided to wander around the ranch instead of tossing and turning in my bed. It did me no good.

I let my feet lead me, my heartache easing the further I wandered from the main house. I knew the relief would be short-lived.

Passing all the buildings, I took off for the empty field. Once I was a good ways out, I stopped and stared up at the sky.

“I miss you, Clancy,” I choked out. “So fucking much. I don’t know how to do any of this without you. How am I supposed to even breathe without you here to help me?”

My knees went weak as I spoke. Sinking to the ground, I let myself lie back. The sky was clear, the inky night a familiar sight. A few stars twinkled, though I ignored them to stare into the void.

Because that’s what this felt like.

Like a void had taken over.

There was the man himself who’d left. And then there were the memories that remained. The places, the people, the habits — it all built and built until his absence was my own worst nightmare.

“Why did you have to go, Daddy? Why did you leave me?”

I whispered the desperate cry as tears poured from my eyes. The few stars I’d seen blurred until nothing was clear any longer. I let them fall, my body too exhausted to even reach up and wipe them away.

No reply came in the wake of my pain.

It only reminded me how truly alone I was. I might have had the others on the ranch who were my chosen family, but they were dealing with their own grief. I couldn’t burden them with mine too. Not when it was so fucking huge it felt like I was dying.

I’d just have to find a way to take care of it myself.

“Gerald? You there?”A familiar voice drawled over the line.

I leaned my head to keep my phone on my shoulder as I went over the checklist I was working on. “This is me. How can I help you?”

“It’s me. Lake Norton.”

The name explained why I recognized the voice. Lake Norton had been Clancy’s attorney for as long as I’d been around the ranch. He handled both personal and business legal matters.

I had to wonder why he was reaching out to me at all.

“Hello Mr. Norton. I’m surprised to hear from you,” I replied.

The other man hummed. It wasn’t really an answer though.

“I’m calling because I need you to come to the office. There’s a legal matter I need to discuss with you.”

“A legal matter?” I couldn’t fathom what it would be. I didn’t have any assets or anything to need protection. And if it were about Clancy, surely, he’d have already reached out.

Something didn’t make sense.

Panic clawed at my chest. Not because I was truly worried something horrible had happened. No, it was more that I didn’t like the mystery behind his request.

“Do you have time if I head in now?”

“Oh! Um, yes. Absolutely. I’ll let Kaylee know you’re coming. She’ll send you right on back. See you soon,” he said before disconnecting the call.

I stuffed my phone in my pocket, then took off to find someone to take over the list while I was gone. It wasn’t anything that couldn’t be handled by anyone familiar enough with things around here.

As luck would have it, Holt was striding across the yard when I stepped out. “Holt!” I shouted.

His head whipped my way. I jogged toward him hurriedly.

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