I take it from her hands a bit too eagerly before chugging down half.
I huff out a humorless laugh. “Glad we’re still the talk of the town.”
“No, you’re not, but don’t think that beer is gonna help either.” She whips her towel in my direction before disappearing to the opposite end to serve Tom Donovan, a regular. Usually, we only see him in town for rodeo weekends. One of the main suppliers of the competition bulls for decades.
“Hey there, Grayson,” he waves his cowboy hat in my direction.
“Hey, Tom.” My two-finger salute is all I’m willing to give before chugging the rest of my beer.
Betty’s quick to place another in front of me with a glass of water.
I don’t bother thanking her. She already knows. This isn’t the first time I’ve been in here drinking in the middle of the day alone because Tate has once again pissed me off enough to do something stupid.
It’s not long before Tom slides over next to me. “How ya holding up?”
“Better every day,” I nod.
“That’s good. That ranch up there is going to need you back in tip-top shape.”
I only snort, taking another pull from the bottle. “Tate can figure it out without me.”
“You two are a pain in the ass. Ya know that?”
I only scoff, swallowing a large gulp of my drink. “I don’t mind the company, but I don’t need yet another person today telling me how toxic the infamous Garrison brother relationship is. I am well aware.”
“Fine then. I won’t.”
“Good.”
We sit in silence a while longer. A companionable one. It’s then I notice how many more wrinkles mar his face. The age spots and tired eyes giving away how long he has been a cowboy himself. Tom never rode, but he’s been involved in the rodeo his whole life. His father was a bull distributor before he took over, and I hear his son, Nash, is next in line. We see him from time to time. If I remember right, he actually went to school with Betty’s brother. A little older, maybe.
“How’s the next generation shaping up?” I ask, curious about the new line of bulls we’ll see in the next year or two.
“Shaping up real good. We’ve got some real agile ones coming down the pike. They’ll be in the pro circuit, no doubt.”
“That’s great. I’m thinking about getting back out there myself.”
“Are ya now?” he harrumphs. “Interesting, since I heard you were planning to make an honest woman out of that doctor. Doesn’t seem the type that’ll like it.”
“Funny, she’s the only person who has ever encouraged me to go after what I want.”
He smiles just as my phone vibrates in my pocket.
River: Done
The single word could mean a million things, and I’m not sure how to interpret it. Dialing her number, it rings twice before going to voicemail.
I’m up off the stool in seconds, tossing several twenties onto the bar before storming toward the front door.
“Gotta run,” I toss over my shoulder. Tom only shakes his head my way, that knowing grin conveying more than words ever could.
Dialing River again, the same happens.
I’m in my truck in minutes, speeding down the roads, eager to get to the hospital where I left her.
She’s walking out just as I’m pulling up, a wan look on her face.
I’m out of the truck in seconds, crushing her against my heaving chest. My heart racing so fast I’m nervous it’ll crap out on me.
