15. Clint
15
CLINT
C lint stared at the football game on the screen, glancing at his leg every once in a while. The first surgery had gone as well as they’d hoped, but the aftermath was almost unbearable. Swelling kept him tied to the couch most of the day, and as much as he loved sports, he could only watch so many games before he started pulling his hair out.
He rubbed the rag over the fork in his hand. His mom had handed him the silverware and a polishing rag hours ago, and he still had a handful of pieces left.
The front door opened, and Clint craned his neck to see who was walking in. Nora’s dad stepped in and hung his hat on the hook by the door.
Clint tossed the fork and rag on the couch and got to his feet, careful not to knock his injured foot on the floor. “Just the man I wanted to see.”
Hank looked around and propped his hands on his hips. “You doing okay? You need something?”
“Nah. I’m just bored out of my mind.” Clint picked up his crutches and waved Hank toward the kitchen. “Let’s have a cup of coffee while we talk.”
Hank hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “I actually need to get back to work. I was just looking for your dad.”
Clint started toward the kitchen. “I need a few minutes of your time first.”
Hank hung back a few seconds before following Clint. They filled two cups with coffee and took their seats at the table. Clint pulled up an extra chair and rested his foot on it.
“So, tell me about your troubles,” Clint said.
Hank scoffed. “Boy, I think you know all about my troubles.”
Clint leveled him with an intense stare. Hank wasn’t going to squirm his way out of this one. “Who do you still owe, and how much?”
Hank rubbed a hand over his scraggly beard. “I’m handling things.”
“No, Nora told me about the men who showed up at your place last week. It won’t take long for them to figure out you’re here, and they’ll be showing up at my doorstep.”
Hank clasped his hands on the table and sighed. “ That’s probably true. I’m working on getting things paid off.”
Clint mirrored Hank’s stance and looked the older man in the eyes. “Nora said they showed up with a gun and pointed it at your head. I don’t know about you, but I refuse to let you put her that close to danger again.”
Hank looked up at Clint with wide eyes before lowering his gaze back to his hands. If he was surprised by the confession, he didn’t comment on it.
“I know I messed up. Again. I thought it was a shoo-in. I never thought I’d lose the ranch.”
“You should be concerned about losing your daughter’s trust. She works hard. Losing her home is the last thing she deserves.”
Hank tucked his chin and fiddled with his thumbs for a minute. “You’re right. If I can save up some money while I’m working here, I should be able to clear things up in a few months.”
“That’s not good enough,” Clint said. “How much do you owe?”
Hank rubbed a hand over his face. “Ten thousand.”
The words hit Clint in the chest like a freight train. He’d been prepared for a large number, considering the force used by the men who came to collect, but ten thousand was a lot.
Resigned to follow through, Clint nodded. “Can you meet me here after dinner this evening? We need to get this taken care of tonight.”
“I don’t have the money,” Hank said.
“I do. So let’s get this over with.”
Hank put a hand out between them. “You don’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I do. Did you miss the part where I said I’m not going to let Nora be in danger? We’ll get these men off your back and worry about the rest later. But let’s be clear about something, I’m not bailing you out. I’m taking care of Nora. You can’t do this to her again. She’s lost everything.”
“I know. I know. I shouldn’t have done it. I knew that, and I messed up.”
It was hard to be mad at the man when he looked and sounded so remorseful. Clint didn’t have many problems with Hank, but when Nora’s safety was in question, he had to set the record straight.
Hank inhaled a deep breath. “I appreciate that, son. Can we maybe keep this from Nora?”
Clint shook his head. “I’ve never lied to her, and I don’t plan to start now.”
A twinge of guilt struck him. Was he lying to her by keeping his true feelings a secret? It wasn’t really a lie. He just wasn’t being entirely honest with her.
Sounded like a lie.
“She deserves to know,” Clint added.
Hank pushed a dirty hand through his thinning hair. “Okay. I’ll meet you here after supper. I’ll let them know we’re coming.”
“Anything I should know before we head out?” Clint asked.
“I don’t think they’ll cause any problems if we’re there to settle debts.”
“Good. I’ll see you here later. You’ll have to drive.” Clint pointed to his booted leg.
Hank stood, picking up his cup of coffee. “You love her, don’t you?”
He might be right on the money, but Clint had no intentions of confessing his feelings to Hank before he even told Nora. “I care about her, and I’ll do anything for her.”
There. He hadn’t denied it, but he also didn’t confirm it either.
“Thank you for taking care of her. And thanks for getting me off the hook.”
“No one is off the hook. This just gets Nora completely out of this problem you created.”
A grin spread over Hank’s weathered cheeks. “I’ll let Nora know what’s going on when she gets home from work tonight, but I think you have something to tell her too.”
Clint held Hank’s stare, unwilling to back down. “She has enough going on right now.”
“Still, I think she’d be happy to know. You’re a good man.”
“It’s not about good and bad. I don’t think Nora knows what she wants. She hasn’t had a lot of time to think about herself lately.”
Hank lifted his cup in farewell. “Fair enough. See you later.”
Clint kept his seat at the table after Nora’s dad left. His feelings for her weren’t going away, and he’d have to tell her sometime. The big question was when.