Page 7 of Ranch Life At Heart
It’s good I don’t have any crumbs left in my mouth because I would be choking all over again.
“Retire?” I croak and take the glass of water Anne offers me.
Here I thought my father wouldn’t ever retire, and why should he? The man has personnel to take care of the horses and the ranch and only has to make executive decisions when it comes to breeding.
My father reaches out for Anne’s hand. “I didn’t think it was something I wanted until recently. I’ve done a lot of thinking these past few weeks, and after the sudden death of Cecil Stellan right after the meeting we had three weeks ago, it made me realize time is precious.”
The flow of information keeps hitting harder. “Cecil Stellan died?”
He winces and releases a deep sigh. “Anna invited him over three weeks ago. We were discussing the pasture.” He waves his hand. “You know the one. Cecil was finally open to a solution which would benefit both of us when he mentioned he wasn’t feeling well.”
Yeah, I do know the one. The pasture next to my father’s has been an everlasting discussion between Stellan and Lavern where my father wants to buy, and Rosy’s father didn’t want to sell.
Anna covers my father’s hand. “We should have insisted he’d stay and call him an ambulance.”
My father bobs his head. “He brushed it off as heartburn. Said all he needed was his morning paper and a cup of tea. He was feeling under the weather and should have taken the day off. He did mention his daughter would call a doctor if he needed one later that day.”
“His daughter wasn’t home,” Anne whispers. “She was picking up a horse and came back the day after, only to find her father in his chair, passed away of a heart attack.”
“Fuck,” I mutter and rub a hand over my face.
“I heard his old horse passed away yesterday,” my father rumbles with a deep sadness in his voice.
Cecil and my father might have stood on opposite ends when it came to business, but they did have some sort of understanding. They were neighbors their entire lives, their fathers before them.
“Bronco,” I murmur, remembering the horse, because I grew up here as well. “He was a young stallion when I left.”
We all fall silent and it’s then I’m reminded of yesterday. Of my blissful night between Rosy’s legs. Her wild and carefree booze induced attitude is explained by the tragic losses hitting her full force. Here I thought her father gave her the night off. Fuck, what a mess, and it makes me feel like a selfish dick for wanting another night with this woman. All while she probably searched out a cock to get lost on.
“I decided not to spend the rest of my life worrying about business. From here on out I want to get up in the morning and do whatever I want. Why shouldn’t there be a good few years down the line if you’ve been working hard all your damn life? I’m taking mine. Anne and I will still be living here, of course. I like watching her fuss over the little shit on four legs.” My father grunts when his words end due to the smack on the shoulder Anne just gave him.
“Pete is not a little shit on four legs,” Anne huffs.
My father chuckles and gives her a tender smile. The interaction between them shows their deep connection. Theexplanation he just gave me is the reasoning behind it all, and even if I did come home with the resolution of not taking over the business, I know I will now.
“Okay,” I find myself saying, watching the joy in my father’s eyes light to full force.
In an effort to push the business discussion forward, I ask, “So, where’s the four-legged little shit Dad mentioned? What kind of breed is your dog?”
“Dog?” Anne sputters and my father laughs.
She gets up and dashes out of the kitchen. My father smirks at me and leans back to cross his arms in front of his chest while he waits. The sound of hooves on tiles catches my attention, and I turn just in time to watch a tiny as shit horse walk right into the damn kitchen.
“What the fuck?” I chuckle and grin at the miniature horse named Pete standing before me.
My father holds up a finger and I swear the tiny horse lifts his head and upper lip, showing me his teeth in a wide smile.
Another chuckle rips from me and I turn to face my father. “This is your way of retiring? Teaching your woman’s miniature horse tricks?”
The joy is still on his face when he states, “Enjoying life and love at my age is the cream in the cake they call life, son.”
Damn, that sounds as right as rain on a hot summer’s day.
CHAPTER FIVE
Two days later
– ROSETTE –
