“I know, baby.” His palms grip my cheeks, pulling my forehead down to his. “But right now, I want to hear all about you opening your new practice.”
He releases me, but doesn’t move from his position beside my chair. “It will be a lot of work. I’ll need to get legal and a realtor involved.”
“If anyone can pull it all together, you can. I’m so proud of you, Boss.”
A sniffle leaves me, as I give him a watery smile. “If that makes you proud, wait until you hear what I told all those dicks.”
Gray settles back into his chair, pulling a bottle of whiskey from under the table. He takes my wine glass and tosses the contents into the bucket of ice.
He fills both our glasses with way too much liquor before he says, “Tell me everything.”
Chapter 38
Grayson
Itseemsliketimeis flying by with no purpose, or maybe it’s propelling us to where we are now.
Guiding me toward peace and excitement, I thought I once knew. I didn’t. Not like this. Not the kind that made me want to wake up each day and never sleep.
The ranch is thriving. River bought a mini highland cow she found online. A week later, she brought home a stray puppy she found on the side of the road. The scrappy mutt yapping day and night if she’s not petting him.
Her partners have kept their distance. They consult her properly and have even sent her cases she’s best equipped to operate on. It seems that in the wake of losing her, they have found some modicum of respect. Too little, too late, in my opinion. Now they’re realizing what they’re losing.
Every patient informed that River will be leaving the practice has been eager for information on her new location. The athletes she has treated for years have also vowed to follow her wherever she goes. Each one recounting how she put them back together so they could do what they love. Funny, River did the same for me in a way.
She’d been quick to reach out to the guy closing his practice. Instead of involving a realtor, they decided to handle the matter themselves with the help of a lawyer. River officially owns the location and will be able to take up residence in about four months.
She deserves this. Even some of the staff are planning to join her over there once she gets things in order and the remodel is complete. She’ll be able to retain her privileges at the hospital, too. A concern that almost made her eat her words. But I wasn’t having it. It wouldn’t serve any of us well for me to show up there and tell those guys off daily.
“Hey Gray,” a voice calls out to me. “Transfers are here.”
Moving out of the horse stall I’d been in, I make my way out of the stables. A structure we’re going to have to expand since River keeps finding stray animals to bring home.
I couldn’t care less, though. It makes her happy.
She’d seen an ad online while researching the things she’ll need for her practice that saiddonate, otherwise they’ll put these horses down. Of course, she took that to mean, “How do we adopt them?” Hence, the seven extra horses arriving today.
With the increase in responsibilities around Boulder, I’ve had to hire more help around here. But Tate understood when I told him I wanted to be here today to receive River’s new babies.
A task that won’t make me late for the rodeo tonight. I’m not sure anything could.
It’ll be my first time back on the circuit since the accident, and I’m itching for another wild ride. But my family comes first. This family. Me, River, and our endless troop of mouths to feed. Hopefully, after the wedding in a few months, we’ll have a different one, but I’m not pushing. She’s finally openly talking about marrying me, wearing her ring every day, and making plans for the wedding.
We’re having it right here on the property. She said she couldn’t imagine the cows not being there. Fester would be upset. Her new favorite since she rode him. Now, once a week, she takes him out to the ring, gets on his back, and lets him walk around until he nudges the gate, letting her know he’s done.
One by one, we lead the tired, mangled, and scared horses toward the back of the stables. The group settled at the opposite end from those who have been here for a while. They’re going to take a lot of work. Their health will be the priority, then earning their trust before we integrate them with my other rescues.
I’m a sweaty, dirty mess by the time we get them unloaded, washed, and inspected.
“Thanks for your help today, Beau.” We clap hands and hug before he heads off. He’ll be at Boulder tonight. We all will. Everyone is ready to witness my return.
I better give them a damn good show.
Tonight is the first night since Tate returned from the pro circuit that I’ve walked out for announcements without him by my side. I miss our bickering and his presence beside me. Over the weeks, we’ve had more conversations, slowly working through our shit.
Our road to friendship is slowly being forged with each interaction.
Well, my shit. He didn’t really have any. It was him responding to my behavior, mostly. Feelings I had to figure out on my own. River was part of that. Without her, we wouldn’t be here. None of us would.
