Page 76 of Heart Like a Cowboy

“He asked me to call his wife,” the nurse, Cora Kolstad, explained. “She didn’t answer, but I left a message for her. I’m sure she’ll call as soon as she hears the voice mail.”

Since Egan only had a couple of minutes, he didn’t waste that on speculation as to what Audrey might or might not do. He went to his dad and took hold of his hand.

“How are you?” Egan asked.

His dad wasn’t quick to answer. “Been better,” he finally said. He didn’t add anything else until Cora had walked away. “I had a gut feeling that something like this would happen.”

He wasn’t surprised his dad felt that way, and it was probably one of the reasons he’d been so down. “Dr. Abrams says you’ll get better,” Egan spelled out for him. “In the meantime, what can I do?”

Egan expected a pat answer like you’re already doing it, or maybe a request for him to contact his siblings or stepmother. But his dad shook his head and locked gazes with him.

“I know what I’m asking is huge,” his dad muttered. “But I can’t see another way around it.”

“Another way around what?” Egan questioned.

“I don’t think I have much time left,” he said, and he lifted his hand to silence Egan when he started to dispute that. “As soon as I’m able, I plan to join Audrey at wherever she happens to be stationed.”

Egan stared at him. And stared. He also had to do a couple of mental double takes to try to figure out if his dad had just said that.

“You want to be with Audrey?” Egan spelled out.

“I do.” His dad groaned softly but didn’t break eye contact. “It hurts to be at the ranch, to see, hear and be around all the things I can’t do.”

Egan wished he didn’t know how his dad felt. But he did. Because this was one of his own battles. Fighter pilots didn’t have lifelong careers. Sure, they could remain in the military for thirty years or more, but flying wouldn’t be their primary or even their secondary jobs. Far from it. Egan was damn close to that point now.

“I understand,” Egan muttered.

“Good.” His dad closed his eyes and gave a weary sigh. “I hate to do this, Egan, I just can’t do this anymore. The ranch is yours now.”

*

EGANTRIEDTOstay on autopilot while he sorted through the upcoming weekly tasks for the ranch. Something he’d already done for the things he had on his schedule for his job at the base.

Over the past five days since his father’s announcement that the ranch was his now, Egan had tried to adapt that autopilot mode as much as possible. Later, he’d have to process the emotion and the reality of it, but for now, he just kept moving.

He glanced over a proposal that Jesse had worked up for the purchase of some horses that would add some prime breed stock to the ranch. Unlike the invoices and such, this wasn’t mundane work. This was the heart of the ranch, and it could affect the profits and the ranch’s reputation for years to come. If he approved this new direction Jesse was suggesting, then...

Egan stopped short of mentally spelling out the impact, but he couldn’t deny the kick of adrenaline it gave him. Not exactly like being in the cockpit, but he could understand why this had been enough to keep his dad going.

Of course, that was no longer true for his dad, and before Egan could throttle back into autopilot, he went back through the other things that would be happening today. His dad would be released from the hospital this morning and then later in the day, there was Jack’s life celebration.

The hospital release was great news because it meant his dad was recovering on his new meds and monitor. The second event, however, could end up being a hornet’s nest. Egan was just hoping that Alana came through it unscathed.

He missed her. Bad. Not just the sex, either. He missed being with her. They’d managed a few short visits over the past five days, but their work schedules and Egan’s trips back and forth to the hospital had all but eliminated any free time. He hoped that changed after today.

Then again, a lot of things were going to change.

The latest email from Audrey reminded him of that, and he glanced through it to see if there was anything new. There was no firm date for his dad to join Audrey at her current assignment at the Pentagon, but his stepmom was onboard with her husband being with her. So onboard that she’d insisted she could arrange medical transport for him and could set him up with a new doctor at the top-notch medical center in nearby Maryland.

Egan responded to Audrey’s email with athanks for keeping me updated, and he checked the time. It’d be at least an hour before his dad was released, but he wanted to get there ahead of time since it would also be his chance to say goodbye to Blue. His brother had extended his leave an extra day but had to fly back to his base at noon.

He hurried downstairs and found Effie and Maybell, not having their usual morning coffee but rather sorting through the latest round of food that people had brought over. Both women immediately stopped and gave him long once-overs. Something they’d been doing since his dad’s announcement.

I just can’t do this anymore. The ranch is yours now.

Alana and Blue had done it as well, no doubt looking for signs that Egan was about to crack. There might be cracks, but he had no intention of even trying to deal with his own feelings until his dad’s release and the life celebration were behind him.

“Reba picked up your dress blues uniform from the cleaners,” Maybell let him know. “I figured you’d be wearing that to the festivities.”

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