Page 69 of Saddles and Snowstorms
Dolly’s expression softened. She reached across the counter and patted my hand. “Honey, I’ve known Brooks Callahan since elementary school. He was a year or two behind me. That man doesn’t let people in easy. Never has.”
“Yeah, I noticed,” I said, unable to keep the bitterness from my voice.
“His folks died when he was just a kid,” she continued, lowering her voice though there was hardly anyone to overhear. “Then old Joe, their ranch hand who took him in, passed too when he was just eighteen. Brooks has been alone a long time.”
I swallowed hard. “He told me some of that. Never mentioned how any of it happened though.”
“Did he now?” Dolly’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Well, that’s somethin’. Brooks don’t share his business with just anybody.” She took a deep breath, leaning down close. “It’s not my place to say, but his folks… well they didn’t just get sick or somethin’. We had a bad flood one year, one of those that jump up out of nowhere without warnin’. And his folks… well, they was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Their car got swept away and by the time the police found it… the coyotes hadn’t left much to identify.”
My stomach churned at the image. God, no wonder Brooks was so afraid of loss. “And Joe?”
“Heart attack. Right there in the barn. Brooks found him.” Dolly’s voice was barely above a whisper now. “That boy was barely eighteen, all alone in the world with a ranch to run and no family left.”
The coffee in my cup suddenly looked as black as the hole in my chest. Everything was starting to make terrible sense. Brooks pushing me away wasn’t about me at all. It was about his fear that history would repeat itself. That if he let himself love me, I’d be taken from him too. He’d mentioned it more than once, but I didn’t know howsevereit was. That kind of trauma… it ran deep.
“I need to see him,” I said, standing up so quickly I almost knocked over my mug.
Dolly caught my arm. “Hold up now. I didn’t tell you all that so youcould go rushing off half-cocked. That man’s skittish as a wild stallion. You push too hard, he’ll bolt.”
“But—”
“Sit your ass down and eat something first,” she said firmly. “Then we’ll figure out how to handle this.”
I sank back onto the stool just as the cook slid my plate across the counter. The smell of fried chicken and mashed potatoes wafted up, but my appetite had disappeared. Still, I forced myself to take a bite, knowing Dolly wouldn’t let me leave until I’d eaten something substantial.
“You’re right,” I admitted between mouthfuls. “Rushing over there in a tizzy won’t help anything.”
“That man’s spent his whole life building walls,” Dolly said, refilling my coffee. “You can’t just tear ‘em down overnight. Gotta chip away at ‘em, brick by brick.”
I nodded, pushing potatoes around my plate. “I just... I thought we had something real, you know? Then my old boss showed up talking about this job in Austin, and Brooks just... shut down completely.”
Dolly’s eyes narrowed. “And were you planning on taking that job?”
“No! I mean, I don’t know. Maybe? I just wanted to talk about it with him first.” I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. “I wanted his input because what we have—had—matters to me.”
“But did you tell him that?” Dolly asked, her voice gentle but pointed.
“He… He didn’t give me a chance.”
Dolly nodded. “That sounds like Brooks. He’s puttin’ distance between you to make himself feel safe.” She tapped her acrylics on the counter thoughtfully. “Are you plannin’ on leavin’?”
“It’s a great job offer… and the one I dreamed of all through vet school.” I paused for a long moment, then shook my head. “No. Not if it means losing Brooks. I like it here. I’ve got no reason to leave.”
“Well… why don’t you prove it to him then?”
“Prove it to him?”
“That you belong here in Sagebrush. That you’re not goin’ anywhere. Tie yourself to this place. Make it impossible for you to leave.”
“I already own a vet clinic. How much more tying down do I need?”
Dolly smiled knowingly. “Honey, you’re a good vet, but you’ve only been here, what? Two months? That’s not long enough for Brooks to believe you’re stayin’ put.” She leaned in closer. “When folks have been hurt like he has, they need more than words. They need action.”
I pushed my plate away, my appetite suddenly returning as a plan began forming in my mind. “You’re right. I need to show him I’m not going anywhere.”
“Now you’re thinkin’,” Dolly said with a wink. “But I don’t want you to do all the work either. He shouldn’t have run off on you like that, even if he is hurtin’. Show him you mean business, but you make damn sure he apologizes to you too. Ain’t no man his age should be actin’ like that.”
I nodded, feeling a spark of hope for the first time in days. “You’re right, Dolly. I’ll make him see I’m here to stay, but he’s still got some explaining to do.” I paused, looking up at her. “I really love him, you know?”
