Page 78 of Love Me Steadfast
“I think so?”
“I can stop by tomorrow and show you how it works.”
Relief fills his eyes. “Thank you.”
“How are things at the club?” I ask as he pulls into the feed store parking lot. He should be spending his day there instead of helping me, but Theo was right, the chores I need to do would be tough to manage alone.
He gives me a thoughtful glance. “Going okay, I think.”
I jump down and head for the wide, concrete stairway leading to the swinging double doors. William manages to catch up in time to open one of them for me.
Inside, the clerk behind the giant counter is ringing up another customer but gives us a wave. I head for the back, past rows of halters and rope and chicken feed and bins of squeaky toys and push out the back door, where they keep the ranch supplies.
“I have a new hostess starting tomorrow,” he says. “And I’ve coaxed Oscar to up his prices. I had no idea food costs were so high.”
“Just sell a lot of drinks, and it’ll even out.”
He smiles. “Have you talked to your dad much?”
“I haven’t talked to him at all,” I say as we pass the galvanized horse troughs. “There’s no cell service at his cabin.”
“Before he took off, I invited him to dinner at Zach’s tonight,” Will asks as the young kid stacking bags of feed saunters over to help us. “Think he’ll show?”
“No idea.” Dad looked so wrung out that day I saw him in The Limelight’s office. Like life was beating him down. Maybe a few weeks of fishing and pretty autumn sunsets will help.
Twenty minutes later, we’re back in the truck with the new padding loaded up plus the rest of our supplies.
“Are you still working for that professor?” Will asks as I search the radio for something decent.
“Henrik? Yeah.” A wave of sadness pulses through me. Of the two times I’ve been able to speak with him, he’s been confused, even agitated. His speech is getting worse.
“What happened to the summer youth symphony?” Will accelerates, the morning sunlight winking through the tall pines.
“Henrik isn’t well. He had to put a lot of things on pause.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” William glances my way. “Is he…getting better?”
I shake my head. “He has an aggressive form of brain cancer called GBM. For a while, the symptoms were manageable, but now…he’s declining fast.”
“Shit,” Will huffs, rubbing the back of his neck. “That’s awful. I’m so sorry.”
I focus on the golden aspen leaves flashing from the roadside as we pass. “It’s just so sad. He’s a wonderful man. Not just brilliant but caring too.”
“Sounds like you two are close.”
“He’s kind of like the grandfather I never had.” I soak in the pretty view. Henrik always loved these mountains. “It kills me that he’s suffering.”
“I’m sorry, Charlotte.”
We turn down Salt Creek Road, and Will slows the truck to navigate the potholes. I mentally add getting the road graded to my list.
The house comes into view, along with several trucks parked in the gravel turnaround. I recognize one of them as Henry’s work truck. “Why are the Huttons here?” I give Will a sharp look.
He shoots me a wink.
There’s another truck parked here too. A woman with a long braid jumps out, and my eyes flood with the tears I can’t hold back. Wren. She’s brought Denny, too.
He slips out of the driver’s side and adjusts his baseball cap.
