CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Dakota
What wasthat?
Thomas is finally gone, but the whirlwind he left in his wake has me reeling. My head’s spinning, my chest tight like I’ve swallowed a stone.
All I wanted was to get out, to sell the house, to escape from this town that’s always felt like a trap. I thought I could just walk away and start fresh.
But I was wrong.
I thought I had it all figured out, but now I’m standing here, stuck, caught in the mess that is my life.
“What’s happening?” I demand. I don’t want to be weak. I don’t want to show him that I’m already breaking. But Sawyer’s the only one here, and I need answers. “What are you doing here?”
He sighs, rubbing his forehead, bracing for something heavy. “Well, I thought you might want to know why Clint didn’t turn up this morning.”
I don’t even realize it, but I’m holding my breath, waiting for him to explain. But when he finally does, it’s a punch to the gut.
I’m trying so hard not to break. Not to let this thing unravel me completely.
“I think his refusal to be here is an answer in itself,” I snap.
The words come out sharper than I expected, but the anger is bubbling up. Anger at Clint for not being here, for not being the man I thought he was.
Sawyer’s gaze softens, his expression becoming something else entirely, close to sympathy.
“It’s not what you think, Dakota,” he says slowly. “He didn’t refuse to be here. He didn’t show up because…”
He pauses, and I feel like I might crack under the pressure of the silence.
I brace myself, my heart already starting to pound. He’s going to tell me something that’ll change everything.
“Because our ranch has been destroyed,” Sawyer says.
I freeze. The air goes out of the room like someone punctured it with a knife.Destroyed? My mind stumbles over the word.
How is that even possible?
“The ranch?” I repeat, unsure of what to think.
Sawyer looks away, his eyes scanning the floor, trying to find the words to explain something he can’t quite put into words.
“It’s a mess, Dakota. It’s not just the land, it’s everything. The latest attack is the worst we’ve ever had to face. Clint has taken it personally.”
His words hit me like a storm crashing through my thoughts. But even as my mind starts to piece it together, the anger surges again.
I shake my head, struggling to get my voice under control. “But his son needs him. Doesn’t he realize that? I need him, too. He can’t just hide behind the ranch.”
Sawyer’s jaw tightens. He looks like he might say something that’ll make me madder, but instead, he softens.
“I don’t think he can handle it anymore, Dakota,” he says quietly. “It’s not just the ranch; it’s everything piling up. It’s too much for one person to bear alone. He’s broken.”
Broken.
The word echoes in my mind, twisting something inside me. I swallow hard, trying to stop the emotions from spilling over.Clint. Broken?
I feel a sharp pang in my chest, like something sharp and jagged has wedged itself in there, tearing me apart.
