Chapter 52
We’ve all gathered at the main house after a long day of work on the ranch.
My mentor came out early this morning so we could be finished before the big event today.
He let me take the lead on three of Reid’s newly rescued geldings.
He only had to step in once, and it was only to point out a tiny imbalance I didn’t catch on that first horseshoe.
Reid’s praise ricochets in my mind. You’re getting it. And while the words are practical and not overly complementary, coming from this gruff old cowboy, who uses his words sparingly, it means the world to me.
Izzy and Reid prepped the guest houses for an upcoming family reunion booked at the ranch. This’ll be the first multi-cabin booking they’ve managed. But the single bookings are such a hit there’s no doubt they’ve created a destination people are going to flock to.
Today was monumental. Hope at Lucky Spurs Ranch held its first workshop. Delilah put her heart and soul into the program and worked tirelessly to make today a success.
Today, twelve women trusted my wife to introduce them to equine assisted learning.
Delilah blossomed with confidence under the afternoon January sun. She outshone even the brightest star in our galaxy as she connected with the women in that pen.
To celebrate my wife’s success, Mrs. Andersen went all out. There’s an extravagant spread of food laid out for the occasion. Mom and Quincy got Dad settled in the den and have been trading off sitting with him while we set up for dinner.
I come by to give them a break. I usually sit in silence with my dad but today is different. Today was special.
Delilah used me as a guinea pig for the equine assisted learning program.
Me and Hope would be best friends if Delilah didn’t solidly own that horse’s heart.
Through our sessions, I’ve worked through a lot of feelings about my dad, Quincy, and Sam.
I’m so fucking proud of my wife. She’s going to help countless people.
I should tell Quincy how much it’s helped me.
Maybe she’d be willing to give it a try.
“Hi, Dad.”
He’s looking at the TV, not at me, and that’s fine.
Mom’s found it helps to ground him in familiarity when she has to take him out of their house.
She always puts on one of his old favorite shows like Cheers or M*A*S*H.
The episodes are humorous and short, and he seems content watching an episode or two while we’re at events like the dinner tonight.
“This is a good episode.” I chuckle at the screen, but sober when I realize my dad isn’t laughing with me.
“They’re whipping up a great spread for dinner. Mom said Mrs. Andersen made that potato salad you love so much.”
It warms my heart more than I could ever express that the Andersens have accepted my family into theirs with no hesitation. Even after their connection to us, Sam, was gone.
My sister still isn’t herself. I worried she wouldn’t want to be at the ranch because it reminds her too much of Sam, to spend an evening with her deceased husband’s family, but she was excited to come celebrate Delilah today.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been talking to you the way I should’ve been. You’re my dad, I love you, but watching this disease take…” My throat clogs with emotion, rendering me unable to finish my confession.
“I’m sure Mom already told you, but I quit the department of transportation, completed all the training, and became a farrier.
I work here at Lucky Spurs Ranch. No more long hours alone on the road wishing I was home.
Now my home is the ranch, literally and figuratively. I feel like I belong here, Dad.”
I think my dad would’ve been proud of me for the career change. He was always the one trying to get me and Quincy up in the saddle to appreciate Swiftwater Valley as much as he did. It’s a shame his wishes came true too late for him to see it.
We sit in silence for a scene of his show before I burst out with a guffaw.
“Holy shit, I still haven’t told you the wildest thing of all. No doubt Mom already told you, but I’ve got to tell you myself.” I wait, studying my dad’s face, gearing up to tell him the best news of my life, knowing I won’t get the reaction I’d wished for.
“Delilah married me. Can you fuckin’ believe it?
Other than CJ, you’re the only person I ever confessed my true feelings to, though everyone seemed to know anyway.
All those years spent wallowing, pining over my dream girl—she was in love with me too, both of us too scared to say anything and ruin the friendship.
“She’s incredible, Dad. You always loved her to death, but you should see the woman she’s become.
She overcame her struggles, her parents are no longer poisoning her life, and she worked her ass of and finished her psychology degree.
She used it to start an equine assisted learning program here at the ranch to help people work through their own struggles. You’d be so damn proud of her, Dad.”
Tears prick the backs of my eyes, because more than missing my dad for myself and Quincy, I miss him for Delilah.
My parents always loved and accepted Delilah and Isabelle into our home and did their best to help where they could.
Now, not only does Delilah not have parents, but she also doesn’t have parents-in-law to lean on and share her life with.
Dad literally cannot, and Mom’s lost herself in caring for him.
As always, my heart twinges wishing things were different, but I’ve accepted his Alzheimer’s isn’t going away, and that it’s okay to miss who he used to be and grieve that loss, while still loving and supporting who he is now.
“I love you, Dad,” I say, squeezing his shoulder lightly, leaving to get Mom or Quincy to take my place.
I’m a few steps away from the bustling kitchen when my wife nearly bowls me over.
“Oh my god, have you had a lemon bar yet?” Delilah says with a mouth full of lemon curd and shortbread, somehow sounding like she’s making love to the damn thing.
“Get a room already,” I joke, grabbing her tight ass to hold her against me.
She swats my chest and feeds me the last bite.
“Dinner’s ready, your mom made a plate for your dad already,” she assures me.
We file into the dining room, starving for Mrs. Andersen’s cooking. Plates are loaded buffet style and drinks are passed. Mom gave Delilah her lemonade recipe for her birthday—talk about a sob-fest—and I swear she makes it every chance she gets.
I drag Delilah closer to me by the underside of her chair, so our thighs are pressed together. I wrap my arm around her shoulders and eat one-handed.
“I’m so fucking proud of you, dollface. You looked like you belonged in that pen with Hope. And based on the chatter I overheard, those women were highly impressed. I bet your next workshop sells out with a waitlist.”
Delilah smiles, a faint blush covering her cheeks. “You really think so?”
“I know so. You were meant to do this.”
How is this my life? How often does a person get everything they’ve ever wanted without giving up a thing?
I’m married to the woman of my dreams, the one person I’ve loved since I was a snot-nosed kid. I’m surrounded by the best friends a guy could ask for. I’ve been welcomed with open arms into a family that found me when I needed them the most. And we’ve rallied around my dad for his care.
Mrs. Andersen, Liv, Izzy, and Delilah take turns checking on Mom and Quincy.
Taking them to lunch or drinking coffee on the porch.
Anything to make them feel like individual humans for a little while, not only caretakers.
They both seem lighter now that the Andersens have been spreading their unique brand of love and support.
A knife clinks against the lemonade pitcher. Izzy stands and clears her throat.
“Raise your glass for a toast to the world’s greatest Equine Assisted Learning Facilitator”—we all chuckle, because it really is a mouthful—“that Swiftwater Valley’s ever seen. I think I speak for all of us, when I say we’re boundlessly proud of you, Delilah, and know you’ll help so many people.”
“Cheers,” everyone says together.
Reid scoots his chair back, scraping on the hardwood floors and stands to join his wife.
“This ranch has been in the Andersen family for generations, and when I thought all hope was lost, we brought it back to life in a new, unexpected way. The ranch has always been the one place I found peace, and all I wanted was to share that with other people.” He wraps his arm around Izzy who looks at him like he hung the moon.
“Isabelle always dreamed of having a place like the ranch she could go and feel like she belonged. So, that’s what we created.
Lucky Spurs Ranch was born from love and built by this family’s belief in me.
Little did I know, the ranch would flourish with everyone’s dedication and unmatched skills.
We’ve got a herd of rescue horses living their best lives doing trail rides, being pet and groomed by giddy school children, and now working with our girl Delilah to heal people’s souls.
The horses are in perfect comfort thanks to Connor’s hard work and commitment.
These horses have never had nicer horseshoes in their life—he’s out here giving luxury pedicures to the damn beasts,” Reid jokes.
The table chuckles with warm affection, squeezing my heart like a hug.
“Olivia, James, and Greyson, you give so much of your free time to the ranch asking nothing in return, and from all of us that work on the ranch, we are boundlessly grateful. Mom and Dad, I hope we’ve made you proud. And Quincy, I hope we’ve done right by Sam honoring his memory.”
My sister wipes tears from her eyes, always alone in a room full of people.
Mr. and Mrs. Andersen embrace, heartbroken and bursting with pride simultaneously—watching two of their sons thrive while the other lives only in their memories.
Reid clears his throat from the emotions suffocating him. “Cheers to the Lucky Spurs Ranch family, and especially to Delilah for her successful first workshop.”
“Cheers!” Glasses clink and laughter and conversation resumes.
Delilah leans into my hold, nestled where she belongs, right over my heart.
“We did it, Connor. Can you believe this is our life?”
“Yea, baby, I can.” I duck down stealing a kiss from my wife.