“The forgetfulness?” Gilly investigates. “Is that part of it?”
“That…was prolly on the list too.”
“Grams.”
“Anyway, I got the feelin’ pretty early on, it would be bes’ to start gettin’ everything in order for…” rather than finish the statement she simply pauses. Offers me a sympathetic smile I can’t stomach. “I filed paperwork for my will. My finances. The ranch. What to do when we got to this stage. All that was left to sort out was Bronson, so when he went and got himself mixed up in trouble, it seemed like the right time to jus’…initiatethat.”
Incoherent sounds slip past my mouth, yet they don’t seem to deter her from speaking.
“Wasn’t entirely surehowyou raisin’ him was gonna work out with you and hockey, but I had faith it’d get takin’ care of. Iknewit would. And you know I always trust those feelin’s. And I was right. Everything got settled with a lil’ help from the right woman.” She lets her hazel gaze shift to Gilly. “My boysloveyou no matter what complainin’ they may do.”
Gilly’s frame slightly sags. “I love them too.”
“You are the blessin’ they both needed. And the blessin’ theybothbetter be takin’ good care of.”
“They are,” whispers the woman now stroking my back. “Better than I deserve.”
“Ahhh, I doubt that,” Grams insists in a breathy manner that unfortunately leads to a round of violent coughing.
Instinct has me shooting to my feet, rushing to her side, searching for a way to help her sit up, help her catch air, possibly call in someone else to help, only she swats me away.
Points for me to sit back down.
Glares around her hacking when I don’t.
It takes longer than I’ve ever heard for the noise to cease and her breath to be caught, two facts that have me weakly asking, “What more can we do? Medically?” Folding my armsacross the front of my gray Dalvegan sweatshirt barely helps me contain my concern. “Don’t matter the cost, Grams. I’ve got it.You’reworth it.You’reworth every penny I make and ever made. I don’t care if I gotta sell my house or my truck or-”
“Enough,” she hoarsely whispers, tiredness rightfully arriving. “There ain’t nothin’ to be done ‘cause I don’twantnothin’ to be done.”
“What?”
“Docs say I’m enterin’ the final stages and honestly?” Her entire body seems to sink into the mattress. “I’m tired, Thayne.”
Tears dart themselves up the back of my throat.
“I have lived a good life and a long life and I am…tired.”
“Grams…”
“It’s okay,” softly escapes in between slower blinks.
“It’s not okay,” I tearfully argue, Gilly’s arm winding around my frame once more. “I ain’t ready to say goodbye.”
“You ain’t ever gonna be ready for that, my sweet boy…” The firmness in her statement convinces the first tear to arrive in the rim of my eyes. “But let this remind you to put whatever you’re fightin’ about in perspective. See, truth be told, you’re playin’ on one clock and life’s playin’ on another.”
Ignoring the drop that falls is done with my mouth agape.
Her eyes momentarily lock onto Gillian, “So, say whatever it is you really need to say,” they shift to me, “and do that thing you know you really wanna do.” The sight of her closing eyes has us squeezing in closer together. “’Cause you never really know when you’re gonna be knock…knock…knockin’…”
Chapter 24
Gillian
I can’t believe this is happening.
I can’t believe we had no idea.
That we missed all the signs.
