Chapter 47
Chapter Forty-Seven
Brynn
Istand in the kitchen, the sound of my breath too loud in the silence.
I’ve been in here for hours, cooking dinner, trying to keep my mind off everything.
The weight of the ranch, the water crisis, the tension with Jack—it’s all been building up.
But right now, I need to focus on something else.
I need to pretend like everything is fine.
Olivia is outside, playing with the dog, running around the yard like she doesn’t have a care in the world. Jack and Nick are still out by the barn, working on something, their voices faint but steady. Everything should be fine.
The house is too quiet.
Where’s Dad? Did he go upstairs for a long nap?
I glance around, feeling that prickle of unease slide down my spine. I haven’t seen my dad in a while. He’s always around, even when he’s not helping with the ranch. He’s always there, sitting in his chair by the window or outside, watching the horizon. But not today.
I move through the house, calling his name softly at first, but when I don’t hear anything, my voice gets louder. “Dad? Dad, where are you?”
Nothing. No response.
Panic starts to creep into my chest, slowly at first, a tightening in my ribs.
I step into the living room, then to the back door.
No sign of him. I walk outside, my breath catching as I look around the yard.
The sun’s setting, painting the sky in orange and red, but I don’t care about the beauty right now.
I care about the fact that my dad’s nowhere to be found.
I take a few more steps, my eyes scanning the property. “Dad?” I shout, louder this time. No answer. I glance toward the barn, then the fields, the stables. He’s not here. My heart starts to race.
I’m not sure how long I’ve been standing there, but I hear the sound of boots crunching on gravel behind me. I turn, and there’s Jack, his face serious, his brows furrowed.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, his voice calm, though I can hear the worry underneath.
“I… I can’t find Dad,” I say, my voice shaking. “He’s not inside, and he’s not out here.”
Jack’s expression shifts from concern to action, and he steps closer to me. “We’ll find him. Don’t worry.”
He calls out for Nick, and within seconds, Nick’s jogging toward us from the barn, his face hard, eyes narrowing in focus. “What’s going on?” he asks, and I feel the panic start to surge again in my chest.
“I can’t find my dad,” I repeat, my voice barely a whisper. “He’s missing.”
Nick’s eyes flash with concern, and he doesn’t waste a second. “We need to check the UTVs. If he’s gone anywhere, he’s probably taken one of them.”
I nod, and we all move toward the UTVs parked near the barn. My eyes sweep over them, the sense of dread growing. One of them is gone.
I swallow hard, my mind racing. “Oh, God, where would he go? Why would he leave?”
Jack is already moving, pulling a helmet from the hook and throwing it on, not saying a word. “We’ll find him. Stay calm.”
My heart is pounding in my chest, and panic rises in my throat. I want to scream, but I can’t. Instead, I nod, taking a deep breath to steady myself, trying to fight back the tears that are threatening to spill over.
Olivia comes running up to me, her face full of worry. “Mom, where’s Popo?” she asks, her voice trembling slightly.
I force a smile even though everything inside me is screaming. “He’s just gone for a little ride, honey. He’ll be back soon.”
Her face scrunches up in confusion. “But he never goes off without telling you.”
She’s too smart for her own good. I should have known better than to make something up.
I nod, my chest tightening. She’s right. Dad always tells me when he’s going somewhere, but not today. Something’s wrong, and I can feel it in every bone in my body.
Nick moves toward the horses, giving us both a reassuring look. “Olivia, you’re with me. Brynn, you go with Jack.”
I open my mouth to protest, but Jack’s already mounted his horse, and he’s reaching a hand down to me. I hesitate, my stomach flipping. The last thing I want is to ride with Jack. But I also know that we don’t have time to argue. My dad is out there, and he needs help.
I take his hand, pulling myself up behind him. My body tenses as I sit behind him, feeling his warmth and the strength of his frame beneath me. My fingers grip the saddle tighter than necessary. He doesn’t say anything, just clicks his tongue and gently urges the horse forward.
I can’t focus on Jack. I can’t think about him. I have to focus on my dad. Where is he? Why did he leave without telling me?
I try to push Jack out of my mind, but I can feel his presence—his body close to mine, his steady breathing, the way his hands guide the horse with ease.
It only makes my panic worse. I need to find my dad, and the only thing that seems to be getting in my way is the fact that Jack’s here.
I can’t focus on the urgency of the moment when he’s so close.
We ride in silence, the sound of hooves hitting the dirt the only thing breaking the quiet.
The sun is sinking lower in the sky, and the cool evening air feels heavy.
My mind races with a thousand questions, none of them making sense.
I don’t know what to think anymore. I want to scream.
I want to cry. I want to punch something.
Suddenly, Jack pulls the reins, halting the horse. “There,” he says, pointing to the edge of the property where the trees start to thicken.
I squint into the distance, my heart skipping a beat, when I spot something in the brush. My dad. He’s walking slowly, swaying on his feet, his back hunched. He’s hurt. I can tell by the way he’s moving.
“Dad!” I yell, kicking my heels into the horse’s sides, urging it forward.
Jack doesn’t hesitate. He dismounts and runs toward my dad, his movements fluid and quick. My stomach lurches as I watch Jack approach him. Dad doesn’t seem to notice him at first, still wandering aimlessly through the brush, his steps unsteady.
“Dad!” I shout again, but this time I can see him stiffen, his eyes darting around as if he doesn’t recognize us.
“Dad, it’s me! It’s Brynn,” I call out, my voice frantic. But he doesn’t respond.
Jack is at his side now, his hands gently touching Dad’s arm. “John, it’s me. It’s Jack.”
For a moment, my dad stiffens, his eyes narrowing, and then, in a flash, he takes a swing at Jack.
“Clay, I’ll kill you for coming back here!” Dad yells.
I gasp, my heart in my throat, as Jack dodges the blow and steps back, trying to calm my dad.
“John, I’m not Clay. It’s Jack. I’m here to help you.”
I’m frozen in place, watching Jack with my dad. There’s no aggression in Jack’s movements, only patience. He doesn’t flinch when Dad swings at him again, and he doesn’t try to fight back. His voice remains calm, his tone soothing. “It’s okay, John. You’re not alone. We’re here to help.”
I feel a lump form in my throat as I watch Jack with my dad. There’s a softness in his actions, a quiet strength that settles my nerves even as the situation feels out of control. I’ve never seen him so gentle, so understanding.
Dad still seems confused, his brow furrowed as he looks at Jack like he’s not quite sure who he is. But Jack doesn’t falter. He doesn’t rush him. He just keeps talking, his voice a steady stream of reassurance.
“It’s okay, John. You’re safe. We’re gonna get you home.”
And somehow, in that moment, everything shifts.
The fear that’s been clawing at me—the fear that something is wrong with my dad, that we won’t be able to save the ranch, that Jack and I will never be okay—melts away.
Watching Jack with my dad, I realize something I hadn’t let myself see before: It’s not just about the ranch.
It’s not just about the land or the water.
It’s about the people we care about. And right now, Jack is proving that he cares.
I had convinced myself that Dad thinking Jack was Clay was some sort of omen, but seeing how patient and kind he is right now tells me otherwise.
My heart melts as I see Jack help my dad stand, guiding him gently toward the horse. There’s no hesitation, no fear. Just a quiet strength that makes me feel like maybe everything is going to be okay after all.
We make our way back to the house, Jack walking beside my dad, helping him along. As we reach the front door, the EMS team is waiting for us, ready to check Dad over. I stand there, my chest tight with emotion, watching them work.
I’ve been letting fear control me, letting it dictate every decision I make. But I can’t keep doing that. I have to make a change. Not just for me, but for my dad, for Jack, for Olivia. So nothing like this ever happens again.
I watch Jack as he talks to the EMTs, his voice steady and calm. And I know, in that moment, that he’s the one I need to rely on. He’s the one I’ve been shutting out, but he’s also the one who will help me make this right.
And maybe that’s what I need more than anything right now.