CHAPTER 66
Victoria
We stay in Sulfur Springs for two more days, doing all the things Cal suggested.
We skinny-dip in the river, and Cal catches some trout, which he prepares for dinner.
We hike up a ridge, and Cal points across another river to the ranch that belongs to Nurse Phoebe’s family.
We take the horses on a couple of rides, and I discover I feel more confident with each trip.
Thank goodness for the tried-and-true Bella. Her near-refusal to move forward is just what I need.
We take our time during these days, appreciating one another and learning more about each other. It’s interesting how many things we feel free to share now that there’s an understanding between us. A permanence.
I am not the bad guy. Cal is not the stubborn know-it-all family protector.
We’re simply a man and a woman with their lives ahead of them, and so much to look forward to.
When I tell Cal my plans to start my own business, he’s legitimately excited, asking me questions, offering his assistance if needed, and brainstorming with me.
He’s as excited about the opportunity as I am.
I finally learn just how successful the brothers’ tech company has become.
I’m in awe of what they’ve accomplished.
I think back on the morning I saw Cal in that billionaire businessman suit. Turns out it was truth in advertising, because they’re worth billions.
I also think back to just days ago, at the piano in my San Diego condo. I stewed in a profound loneliness. It felt eternal. I saw no way out. It dawns on me that I’m not that woman anymore. In a span of a few days, my entire world has opened up.
I am loved. I’m loving in return.
On the last morning of our retreat, Cal calls in to tell his brothers that everyone can return that afternoon to pack up camp.
He tells me there’s something special that he wants me to see before we head back to the family.
We tack up the horses and pack water and lunch, and head off before the sun is high.
He guides us up the side of a mountain along trails that switch back and forth, keeping the slope gentle for the horses.
I can look back over my shoulder to an entire world below, which is intimidating, but he talks me through it.
The setting becomes dense with freshly scented pines, tall and green. The air is cooler as we climb higher.
It’s late afternoon as we ride into a meadow, where we let the horses drink from a stream and munch on some grass. I look up to see Cal studying me, his brows pulled into a frown.
“Victoria, what happened between you and your father? With all we’ve talked about these last few days, you’ve barely mentioned him.”
“He’s not a part of my life anymore,” I answer. “For the obvious reasons, and for reasons a bit more …” I look across the meadow.
“Please tell me.”
I do. I tell Cal how my father has treated me. How he tricked Arlo. I share that my father used me as bait to cheat the MacLaines, that he never had any intention of treating me as an equal in business or a daughter deserving of love and respect in life.
When I’m done, the look on Cal’s face sends alarm shooting through me. He spins Leroy around in circles, then paces the horse back and forth, obviously trying to cool down. I’m not sure it’s working.
He pulls up close to me and Bella. “I am so very sorry. I can’t imagine how that feels. Baby, I’m so sorry you had to experience that.”
I nod. “Thanks. I’ll get through it.”
“I’ll help you.”
“I know you will. You already are.”
We continue our ride. Cal tells me we’re almost to the spot. He’s quiet, lost in his own thoughts. He asked and I told him the truth. But I almost wish I hadn’t.
“Nigel Backlund is a garbage human being,” Cal eventually says, turning to me. In his eyes is a mix of sadness and rage. “He doesn’t deserve you. And it’s a damn good thing he’s about nine hundred miles away because I want to kill the son of a bitch with my bare hands.”
“Cal. Stop. Revenge in any form is not what I want to focus on going forward. The less I think of him, the happier I’ll be. My hope is that one day we might find a way to reconnect, but that day is a long way off.”
“You’re a better person than me, Victoria. Somebody needs to take him down.”
“Easy, sailor. The justice system is already doing that.”
“I still want to do damage to that smug face of his.”
I shake my head. “My father is not your mission, Cal.”
“Yeah?” He looks up. “What’s my mission, then?”
“To love me. To trust in me. To see me for who I am and be willing to stand by my side.”
He’s silent for a long moment. All I hear is his breathing and the soft thud of the horses’ hoofs on the ground.
I close my eyes, hearing the breeze as it brushes across the sage, creosote, and pines.
I breathe in the fresh smell of the high desert.
I’m about ready to tell Cal it’s been a lovely ride and it’s time to go back when he brings Leroy beside me again.
“It’s my honor to accept that mission, Victoria.” He gives me a sly sideways glance and smiles. “Is there any chance I can perform most of my duty from Yosemite Ranch?”
That makes me laugh. Cal and his obligations, his history, his land… it’s a good thing I know and love all of it. It’s been clear for a while that the man is part of a package deal. “Are you asking me to live with you?”
“Not really.”
We’ve come near the edge of a high cliff. Cal stops the horses and dismounts, then lifts me off Bella. He drapes the reins on tree branches and reaches for my hand.
“This is the most spectacular lookout on the ranch,” he says. “This is what I brought you out here to see.”
I’m speechless. I gaze out on hundreds of miles of mountains and valleys and sky. It’s jaw-droppingly beautiful. The sun has begun to set, and everything around us is bathed in a curtain of golden light. I turn to say something to Cal and find him on one knee in the dirt.