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“What?” Chase didn’t have a plan for work as of yet. Now that he owned this property, he could start his own ranch, or find work in town. He had a college degree and a lot of skills after working in the military, including some tech and security expertise. He’d even thought about opening a branch of the security business Drake started in Montana here and being his partner.
“Hear me out, son. I’m getting older. My health, well,it’s okay, could be better, but I can’t do all the work that needs to be done. Your plan, it showed a vision for the ranch, one that could take us into the future for generations.” His dad glanced around the yard again. “If we expanded onto your land here, we’d have the extra water source we need to increase the herds.”
Disappointment crushed what little hope he had that his dad came because he truly cared. “So that’s what this is about. You need this land and the water on it.”
“No. Well, yes, we need the extra water, but I really want you back at the ranch.” It sounded sincere.
“Why? Max can handle things just fine if you give him a chance to step up and truly manage the place.”
“He’s doing well, but he still relies on you and your know-how. And I want you there. That place is as much yours as it is ours. To prove it...” His dad pulled out an envelope from his back pocket and handed it over.
Chase took it and stared at his dad. “What is this?”
“Your cut of the ranch profits from the time you left to today, minus the money we put back into the business per your instructions for the expansion.”
They’d never spoken about the money. Chase never expected to get anything back. Why now? “Are you trying to buy me off?”
“No.” His dad’s frustration rang through loud and clear. “I’m trying to tell you, you were right. Okay?”
His dad had changed a lot if he was admitting that out loud.
“After Elizabeth got sick, everything around me seemed to fall apart. I didn’t pay enough attention to the ranch, the bills piled up, that early freeze took part of the herd, and I didn’t care about any of it. I just wanted your mom to live. That’s all that mattered until I realized we were about to lose the ranch, too. I didn’t want her to worry about anything, so I made some rash decisions that only made things worse. Without the money you put into the ranch and the plan you had to dig us out of the mess I’d made . . . You earned that money, son. You saved us.”
Chase sank back in the chair, his chest tight with a swirl of emotion, and stared up at the ceiling. “Well, damn, hell just froze over.”
His dad crossed his arms. “Itiscold out here. Don’t you have a sweatshirt or something?” Coming from his dad, that was the equivalent ofI love you.
“I wasn’t expecting a porch visit this early in the morning.” Or for his dad to practically apologize and bare his soul all at once. “Do you want to come inside?”
His dad leaned forward, ready to get up. “I gotta get to work. You coming?”
Chase leaned his forearms on his knees and stared at the wood decking that needed to be sanded and restained. “I appreciate the offer, the welcome back, and the money.”
“I was going to wait on giving it to you after...”
After he’d had to go to rehab.
“But I thought you needed it now, seeing as how you did the right thing and put what you had into getting better. You are better, right?”
“I’m still working on it,” he admitted.
“Yeah, well, that thing with that girl up in Montana... that was bad luck what happened to her. You did what you could... I’m real sorry it didn’t work out for her and her family, but I’m proud of you for stepping in to help.”
Obviously Hunt left his hospital room thinking Chasehad screwed up and OD’d all on his own. But being a police officer, he’d probably contacted the local cops up there to verify Chase’s story and to see if Chase faced any charges in Juliana’s death and got the whole story that way.
Of course, Hunt hadn’t said anything to him about being sorry for accusing him of using right out of rehab, but whatever.
Chase swallowed back the wave of regret and the lump in his throat over Juliana’s death. Adria and Drake had to be hurting right now.
“You’ve got a lot on your shoulders, Chase. Don’t carry that one, too. You did everything you could to save her. That’s all anyone can ask. I’m just glad... Well, I’m glad it wasn’t you.”
Another dadI love youChase never expected.
He tried to reassure his dad. “Like I said, I’m working on being better and rebuilding my life.”
“This place is a good start. Coming back to work will give you a purpose. You didn’t have that when you came back the last time. I should have seen that you needed it.”
“I do. But I need a few days, maybe a week to get this place fixed up the way I want so that Eliza can be here with me when it’s my turn to have her.”
