Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 78227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
“I love him too, Daddy.”
“Do you?”
“I do. I know it’s difficult for someone who isn’t bisexual to understand someone who is. But it’s truly an either-or thing. It could’ve been a woman, or it could’ve been a man. Turns out it’s a man, Daddy. It’s Brock.”
“You have my blessing, baby girl.”
“It’s still a new relationship. It may not last.”
Ouch. Those words cut me, but I have to face their truth.
“I believe it will last,” Dad says. “I may be wrong, but I doubt it. I like him, and not because he’s a man and not because he’s a Steel.”
“That’s what Mom likes.”
“It’s part of why Mom likes him,” Dad says. “Rory, your mother wants you to be happy above all else. She has a few preconceived notions, and she is who she is. I can’t change her, and I don’t want to. I love her. But I want you to know that I like Brock. I’ve always liked the Steel family. But I like Brock because of the way he looks at you, my daughter. He looks at you the way you deserve to be looked at. He loves you the way you deserve to be loved.”
“I don’t know how you can tell all that from a look.”
“Like I said, only a man who has looked at someone else that way can see it.”
I’m not sure I believe my father, but I don’t have to talk anymore. He made his point. He likes Brock, and he believes Brock loves me.
“I want you to rest now,” I say.
He nods and closes his eyes.
I squeeze his hand and give him a kiss on his cheek. “I love you, Daddy.”
But he’s already asleep.
I leave the room, where Mom is waiting in the hallway.
“He’s asleep now,” I say.
“What was all that about, Rory?”
I don’t want to share the conversation with my mother, but I have to give her something. She’ll be relentless if I don’t.
“He was just giving me his blessing,” I tell her. “For me and Brock.”
A huge smile splits Mom’s pretty face. “That’s wonderful, Rory. I hope you know that you have my blessing as well.”
“I know, Mom. It means a lot to me.”
My mother is who she is, and I know she tries and continues to try. She’s come around a lot since I came out to her years ago. I can love her for who she is and because she continues to grow. I can give her the gift that she has trouble giving me.
And I will be a better person for it.
“Now that Dad’s doing better,” I say, “I think I’ll go home. Brock had to leave town, and Dave Simpson is looking after Zach and Dusty. But I don’t want to put him out.”
“I understand. Maddie’s going to stay here with me. She can keep up with her classes online. But Callie and Jesse are going to go home as well.”
“You call if you need anything, Mom. We’ll come right back.”
“Thank you, Rory,” Mom says. “Thank you for being the strong woman that you are.”
“I learned from the best.” I give my mother a hug.
She is a strong woman, in her own way.
And I do love her.
I’d be lost without both my parents.
CHAPTER SIX
BROCK
“Let me see your phone,” Dad says to me when we’re back in the truck.
“Why?”
“Because I’m pretty sure Doc Sheraton knows my cell number. I don’t want to give him a chance to ignore the call.”
I nod and hand him my phone. He taps in the number and puts the phone on speaker.
Sure enough, the man answers. “Doc Sheraton here.”
“Doc,” Dad says, “Jonah Steel.”
“Joe?” Doc clears his throat. “I didn’t recognize the number.”
“Listen,” Dad says, “my son Brock and I are here, outside your home in Wyoming. I’ve got some things to talk to you about. Seems we have an opening on our staff for a veterinarian.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, and we’d sure like to talk to you about it.”
“How did you know I was up here?”
“Your daughter’s boyfriend, Pat Lamone, told my nephew. Brock and I are up here to check on some other things, and we thought we’d stop by.”
“Where are you now?”
“In my truck. We tried to come up to the house, but…we were waylaid.”
“My dogs. Yeah. Come on up to the house. I’ll call them off.”
“Thanks, Doc. We appreciate it.”
“See you in a few minutes.”
“Absolutely. Looking forward to it.” Dad ends the call.
“You didn’t answer his question about the phone number,” I say.
“Of course I didn’t. It’s none of his damned business whose phone number it is.”
“You’re not really thinking of hiring him, are you?”
“Of course not. It’s just a ruse, son. I’d never hire a man who electrocutes animals as my veterinarian.”
I leave the truck, walk slowly up the gravel driveway, keeping my eyes out for the dogs.
True to his word, though, Doc Sheraton seems to have called them off. We make it to the front door and knock.