Page 54 of Heart Like a Cowboy

Maybell sighed. “I knew you’d be rattled. That’s why I told Noah to tell you nothing was wrong. Your dad just wants to talk to you, that’s all. No hurry, no fuss.”

Yeah, right. If there hadn’t been a hurry or fuss, Maybell wouldn’t have asked Noah to meet them in the barn.

Maybell took out a can of Cal’s favorite soda, Pepsi, from the fridge and handed it to him. “I’m supposed to tactfully find a way to keep you occupied so you won’t think there’s any trouble brewing,” she added to Cal. “Because there isn’t,” she was quick to assure him. “It’s just your dad has some ranching stuff he wants to talk over with Egan.”

Cal’s gaze met Egan’s, silently questioning if he had any idea what this was all about. Egan didn’t and shook his head. And then it hit him. If his dad had gotten any whiffs of what was going on with Tilly, he’d want Egan to fill him in on the problem.

“You were always my favorite kid, you know,” Maybell remarked to Cal.

Even though there was still worry in his eyes, Cal smiled. “I’ll bet you told Remi that.”

“I did,” Maybell admitted, “but I was fudging the truth there. I swear, you’re my favorite.”

Maybell continued talking while Egan left Cal and her in the kitchen, and he hurried upstairs. His dad’s bedroom door was open, and when he stepped in, Egan spotted him in the reading area. Again, he was looking through old photo albums. Either he’d found more, or he was repeatedly going through the same ones since this was how he was spending his days.

Egan had tried to engage his dad by bringing in copies of prospects for both sales and purchases of some of their livestock, but if his dad had actually read them, he hadn’t mentioned it.

“How was your ride?” his dad asked.

Maybe he’d known of the ride because of what had to be Egan’s ripe smell or because Maybell had told him. It likely wouldn’t have come from his dad personally seeing Egan from the window since he rarely sat there these days.

“It was good,” Egan said. Sort of a lie. The ride itself had been amazing. The thoughts that’d come with it, not so much. “How about you? It was probably good for you to see Cal.”

“It was,” his dad verified, and there seemed to be a lie somewhere beneath that response. Not because he hadn’t wanted Cal there. He would have. But maybe he hadn’t especially wanted Cal to see him this way.

“I was thinking about asking Dr. Abrams when he thought it’d be okay for you to go outside and see the new horses,” Egan said, testing the waters. “Especially since he allowed you to make the trip to the diner.”

His dad nodded, but he didn’t show much enthusiasm for the idea. “My ribs are still hurting quite a bit. Even a little cough hurts like the devil. And no, I’m not going to take the pain meds. People get hooked on those.”

Egan didn’t push on the meds because it was actually good to hear his dad take a stand on something. “I’ve had a few cracked ribs over the years.” Some he’d gotten from being thrown by horses. And others when Jack had been killed. “It takes a while to heal, but you’re coming along.”

That was perhaps wishful thinking on his part since his dad didn’t seem to be improving much.

His dad nodded but then added a weary sigh. “Every time I have a pain, I wonder if it’s another heart attack,” he muttered.

Well, hell. Of course, he’d think that. This was a form of PTSD, and with those cracked ribs, the pain would happen often, maybe with every single move. No wonder his dad had mentally corralled himself into his bedroom with the old family pictures.

Egan went closer, taking the seat across from his dad. “I’m listening,” he assured him.

His dad looked up, and despite burying the weariness that was also in his eyes, he managed a thin smile. “Yeah. I know.” He reached over and patted Egan’s knee. “You’re a good son.”

“You’re a good dad,” Egan quickly assured him.

His dad didn’t outright agree with that, but his smile faded. “You’re worried about me.”

“I am,” Egan admitted and then went with a full disclosure since they seemed to be on the verge of a potential heart-to-heart. “But I have some other things on my mind, too.”

“Yeah,” his dad repeated. “I got a call from Parker Freeman at the newspaper, and he said Tilly demanded that your photo be taken off the website. I’m guessing that’s because Tilly has a beef with you and not because you convinced her to have it taken down.”

Even though the timing wasn’t great for this, Egan didn’t want to risk his dad hearing about it from Tilly. Or from someone else that Tilly might tell.

“I told Tilly that the reason Jack died was because I asked him to meet me,” Egan spelled out. “I put Jack in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

His dad nodded, but it didn’t seem to be in agreement but that he was merely processing it. “Guilt,” he muttered. “I know a bit about that. I didn’t push your mom to get treatment sooner so her dying is on me.”

“No,” Egan was quick to argue.

He was about to launch into a spiel about it being the cancer that’d killed her, but he could see the point his dad was making. Still, it wasn’t the same. His mom had already had the cancer in her before there’d even been symptoms. Jack had been in solid health when he came to see Egan.

---