Page 19 of If I Didn’t Have You

I knew all too well about what was going on with Lily. Well, the woman who called herself Lily. I thought for sure she’d pass out just going to Ryder’s law firm for a job, and when she stopped by to say she got the job, I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. You never could tell with that woman.

But she’d been here for a while now, working at the office on a daily basis, and slowly, I could see her becoming friendlier with the folks in town. Not that she would ever strike up a conversation willingly, but it was a start.

What I hadn’t realized was that my wife was going over there all the time, and that really didn’t sit well with me. Mostly because she was a nosy woman, and I was afraid she would somehow get herself twisted up in Lily’s problems. That was the last fucking thing I needed to worry about.

“I’ll head over there and see if she’s there.”

“And don’t forget to apologize!” Jeff shouted as he got in his truck.

I waved him off, then got in the work truck and drove along the river, searching for any sign of my wayward wife. As I got to the bridge, I slowed and waved at Liam as he walked out of his house, taking a seat on the front porch. I didn’t bother going to talk to him. If Clara was there, I’d know it by now.

I headed over the small bridge to the house across the river, but the closer I got, the clearer it became that no one was home. Lily had a small vehicle, and it wasn’t in the driveway as usual.

While there, I checked out the property, doing a few small projects like checking the gutters and fixing the fence along the property line. I was just about to head back when John Callahan pulled up along the fence in his truck, putting me instantly on edge.

I didn’t realize he came out this far anymore, and I didn’t like the idea that Clara could have been over here when he was around. Not after what his son did.

But I didn’t back away as John got out of his truck and approached.

“Morning,” he called, raising his hand in the air.

His friendly greeting was more than just a little disturbing. It had been years since I trusted the man, and I wasn’t about to start today. I scanned his body for any signs of a weapon, but found nothing.

“How’s Clara doing?”

“Why the hell do you want to know?”

Tugging his hat off his head, he slid the rim between his fingers, staring down at it with a frown. “Ben, I know what my boy did to your family, and I’m sorry about that. But he’s in prison, paying for his crimes.”

“For a fucking year,” I growled at the reminder. “He deserves more than that.”

“Maybe so,” he nodded, tugging his hat back over his head to shield against the sun. “He hasn’t been right for a long time, and I’m not denying that what he did was wrong. I really just wanted to check on Clara, and I didn’t think I’d be welcome on your property.”

“So, you drove out here in the hopes of seeing me? Do you know how fucked up that is?”

“I didn’t drive out here to see you. I’m just checking the property like I do every week.”

“Shouldn’t your son be doing that?” I snapped.

Instead of getting rid of him, he took that as an opportunity to talk and rested his boot on the fence post. “Wyatt has his own life now. And with the store in town going downhill, I find myself with more free time. Besides, it’s hard to keep ranch hands when the work is dying. Should have done what you did,” he chuckled. “Then I wouldn’t be losing so much money.”

“It’s not too late to turn it around,” I found myself saying instead of walking away.

“Might be for me. You have the boys to help out. I don’t understand all this business stuff. Ranching, I get that. Never was one with a business mind.”

I found myself understanding that all too well. His predicament wasn’t that far outside of what I had been going through for years as the boys took over, shifting our business into something I no longer understood.

“Maybe talk to Wyatt. See if he can help you figure something out. He always was a good kid.”

“Stubborn as hell,” he chuckled. “With one hell of a temper.”

“As I recall, it rivaled yours.”

“That’s true.” For the first time in years, I saw a hint of a smile on the old man’s face.

Old man. Fuck, he was the same age as me. How long had we had this rivalry going between us? It felt like years since there was peace between our families, and I was tired of always fighting every time I saw him. I wasn’t sure things would ever be right between us again, but it wouldn’t hurt to try to bury the hatchet a little. After all, he wasn’t the one who hurt Clara.

“I’ll see you around.”