Page 35 of Heart Like a Cowboy

Remi didn’t want any BS about it and thought she’d get the truth from Audrey, but she also didn’t want any potential bad news upsetting her grandmother. Remi had already fulfilled her quota on people overhearing stuff that could send them into an emotional spin.

Audrey and she weren’t exactly best buds, and Remi never thought of her as a mom. She’d had one of those even if she couldn’t remember her. She didn’t actually think of Audrey as a stepmother, either, even though she’d been around since Remi had turned six. In the grand scheme of things, Audrey was first and foremost her dad’s wife. Then, a high-ranking military officer. And finally, a woman in power who Remi respected. It was because of their relationship that Remi thought she might get the truth.

And she did.

Mercy, she did.

“Your dad’s not doing as well as he’ll tell you he is,” Audrey spelled out as they took a slow walk to the stairs. “That’s why Egan had that installed.” She pointed to the chair lift that was now on the railing.

“Oh, Dad wouldn’t have cared much for that,” Remi muttered.

“He didn’t object as much as I thought he would,” Audrey said. “In fact, he doesn’t object much at all.”

That didn’t sound good. Her dad would have usually fought such things tooth and nail. She recalled when Egan had tried to talk their dad into getting an office assistant to help him with the paperwork and such, and Dad had shut that right down, insisting he could handle anything and everything to do with the ranch.

“Derek’s supposed to be taking it slow,” Audrey went on, “and the doctor didn’t think that should include trips up and down the stairs. Effie said she’d trade rooms with him since her suite is downstairs, but Derek wanted to stay put.” Audrey shrugged. “I guess he didn’t want her to go to any trouble.”

“How long is he supposed to take it easy?” Remi asked.

“We don’t know yet,” Audrey supplied without hesitation. “I had long talks with both of his doctors before I even got here. Your dad will be able to tackle walking up and down the stairs soon, but he has coronary artery disease. There’s no cure for that, but he can minimize the risk of another heart attack and more damage by changing his lifestyle. That includes eating better and not working every waking hour.”

That explained why Alana was around with recipe books. It explained, too, why Egan was burning up his leave to be here 24/7. Remi got a punch of guilt over that, but she couldn’t take the kind of time off that Egan could. Added to that, she wasn’t stationed just an hour away. Still, she hated that the bulk of these lifestyle changes would impact Egan the most.

“I’ll be leaving soon,” Audrey said, checking the time and continuing the pokey pace for their trek upstairs. “I’ve stayed as long as I can and have to get back to Germany to put out some fires there.”

“I understand,” Remi muttered. And she did. Remi was sort of in the same boat since she was within forty-eight hours of her next deployment.

Audrey made a sound that could have meant anything. “I believe you do understand,” she said. “But maybe not your brothers.”

Probably not. Audrey wasn’t talking about her job now but rather her not making more trips to the ranch. After all, general officers accumulated thirty days of leave each year just as other military ranks did, but before this visit, Audrey had spent only two days out of the past three years with her husband.

And that had been Audrey’s choice.

The woman hadn’t used her superiors as an excuse for the lack of time spent here. Audrey had admitted that her job was her priority and that she intended to give it whatever she felt was needed. Remi and her brothers felt the same way about their jobs, but their dad had a better visible spot on their radars than Audrey had of him on hers.

Audrey came to a full stop at the top of the stairs and looked at Remi. “In hindsight, I could have done a better job of mixing the two worlds, especially earlier on in my career when I didn’t have as many responsibilities. It feels right when I’m in uniform. But this feels right, too, when I’m here with Derek at the ranch.” She paused a heartbeat. “I don’t think Egan believes it for a second, but I do love your dad.”

Remi didn’t intend to speculate about Egan’s feelings, but she thought Audrey might possibly be right. Not because Egan didn’t believe Audrey should have a career but because Audrey herself had hit the nail on the head when she admitted to not doing such a great job of mixing these two worlds.

Of course, at the mention of Egan’s name, she thought about what might be going on between Alana and him at this very moment. Remi hoped Egan had managed to catch up to Alana by now and was smoothing things over. Well, as much smoothing that could be done, anyway.

“I’ve already told your dad goodbye,” Audrey went on, getting them moving again until she stopped outside their bedroom door. “So, I won’t go back in there. I’m just glad you’re here to give him a lift.”

Audrey gave Remi’s arm a squeeze and headed back to the stairs, moving much faster and with plenty of determination. Remi took a deep breath that she figured she’d need, knocked once on the door and then went in to see her dad.

The rain had already started and was pinging against the large bay window of the suite, but he wasn’t at the window, taking in the incredible views he would have had of the ranch. Views that possibly would have allowed him to see Alana speeding away and Egan going after her. Small mercies that he’d avoided that.

Instead, her dad was in a reading chair in the sitting area of the suite, and he was looking at a thick book. No, not a paperback but a photo album, she realized.

For an unguarded split second, she saw the weariness in him that seemed to go all the way to the bone. Of course, he shut that down fast enough and plastered on a smile. Perhaps it was even a genuine one. But genuine or not, it didn’t cover up the fact that not only had he been through a scary medical crisis, he was still in the throes of it.

“This is a nice surprise,” he said, standing and setting the album aside.

Without trying to make it too obvious, she hurried across the room so that he wouldn’t have to go to her. She pulled him into a hug, knowing she was being way gentler than she usually was. Knowing, too, that he would be well aware of that. He did tighten the embrace, but it wasn’t as strong as usual, either.

“I didn’t see you drive up,” he said.

“Because I was being stealthy.” She eased him back into the chair and plopped down on the arm so she didn’t have to fully end the embrace. “I parked by the gates and made my way through the pasture. Beautiful horses, by the way. Your purchase or Egan’s?”

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