Page 12 of Meeting his Daddy

He pulled back, squinting at me. He shook his head, then leaned to give me his other ear. I repeated the words, to which he nodded quickly.

“Is anyone else going to ask what this is? I’m curious to know why a stranger shows up acting like he knows you so easily when you’ve never mentioned him.” Holt was always a skeptical sort of guy. He and Travis had been in their happy little bubble most of the time, but I could see how someone of Ashley’s stature might be intimidating. I’d have wanted answers too.

Turning to face the group, I gave them an answer to satiate their curiosity. “Ashley and I have known each other for years. I’ve shared about myself and about the ranch. He’s heard stories here and there about you guys. That’s why he blushed about Atticus’s comment. It’s nothing scandalous.”

“As much as I want more details on what's going on, shouldn’t we all discuss the elephant in the room?” Sean, Atticus’s partner, spoke up next. It drew all attention to him. “Has anyone heard from Gerald yet? Didn’t they say he’d call once he was released so we could go get him from the bus station?”

We’d all been on guard waiting for the exact call he brought up. Since Gerald had gone into rehab all those weeks ago, things had changed. We didn’t walk on eggshells as much and many of the men openly talked about Clancy, Atticus’s deceased father and Gerald’s former partner, with fond remembrance. That couldn’t happen before since it always sent Gerald spiraling.

Today was supposed to be the day he returned home. We’d all had our phones on us in case the call came through. Atticus had even gone so far as to park one of the trucks at the end of the drive so we could easily load up to leave despite the market being in full swing.

“Anyone get a call?” I asked as I checked my cell phone. It was still as blank of notifications as it had been earlier.

The group all gave confirmation that theirs matched mine. I was dialing the rehab facility before Atticus could say another word.

“Hello, thank you for calling —“

“I’m trying to reach Gerald Grimes. He was meant to be discharged today.” I interrupted the guy answering the call with my urgent demands.

He sighed deeply before I heard him clicking around on a keyboard. “Mr. Grimes is no longer a patient here.”

“Do you have any idea when he was let go? We were told he’d get out today and that he would take a bus here.”

“Sir, I’m not privy to that information. I’ve only been on shift an hour, so I can’t say what happened this morning.” He paused, leaving me and everyone else listening to my half on the conversation on edge. “Looks like Mr. Grimes was actually released yesterday morning. I’m not sure how the mix-up happened, but he’s not here, and I’d bet he’s long gone.”

I hung up before he could drag the call out with any more useless information. Facing the men was hard. They all gave me expectant looks as if they expected me to tell them some good news. The only one who could tell something was wrong was the man who shouldn’t have been able to.

Ashley’s hand pressed against my back. It wasn’t meant to do anything other than to show support. Still, I felt like leaning into the touch and pretending none of this had ever taken place. I wanted to believe Gerald was going to call us in a minute to say this was all a joke. We’d laugh and then bring him home.

And now I had to be the one to break the news that this wasn’t possible.

“What’d they say?” Travis Archer, our smallest and littlest of littles, asked about Gerald. I knew he had to be struggling with not knowing what was happening. He was the one who was there when we discovered something was wrong with Clancy. It also happened to be around the time we all suspected the boss and Gerald were more than friends.

Travis had such a gentle soul. I really hated giving him bad news.

Hell, I didn’t want to give anyone bad news. All the guys deserved the truth though.

“He’s not there. The guy said he checked out yesterday and left. They have no idea where he is,” I admitted.

Curses went up from several of the men as they shuffled around the room. “What do we do now?” Sean looked at Atticus for an answer.

He’d be the one to decide. If anyone was the deepest engrained in Gerald’s shit, it was the son of the man he loved but couldn’t keep.

Atticus shook his head. “I don’t know what he was thinking by not calling us, but that won’t stand. We’ll split up and search for him. I hate to think he’d go straight to the bottle, though I’m not foolish enough to think it’s not possible. Ashley and Corey will stay here since he just arrived. I know this means no afterparty time tonight. We’ll make up for it once we’ve got Gerald back home. Everyone good with that?”

A chorus of yeses went up around the room, then the men sprang into action. Ashley and I watched them pack the trucks and take off down the drive.

Part of me feared for how they’d find Gerald and in what condition he’d be in. The rest of me was overjoyed to have the ranch left to us to spend some time alone.

Bittersweet longing filled the empty spaces the men left behind. When I looked at Ashley, I found him watching me as if he were waiting for what comes next. I extended my hand, which he took immediately.

No matter what came next, I knew one thing for sure: I’d fight to keep Ashley through it all.

—

Dear Ashley,

I can’t believe you’re in the desert still. It’s like they don’t know where else to send you but the worst places. There was even some sand in your last letter. I chuckled when I saw it as I pictured you fighting to not get any in this time.

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