“Because you were in a war for eighteen years, Shay.”
“Yes, and this change in him is coming at the wrong time. I’ll be torn between the schedule, keeping things organized for the arena-raising—”
“I’ll be there to help,” he promised. “Garret, Noah, and Harper know about this too, Shay. They are there to support you. If your father starts to grate on you or disrespect you, come and find one of us.”
“That’s the problem. I don’t want to take anyone’s attention off the arena-raising. There’s just so much that will be going on, Reese.”
“Then stay out of the main house as much as you can,” he counseled. “We’ve got the HQ set up in the aisle of the horse barn. Your father has no way to get that wheelchair out there because it’s all dirt or gravel pathways. There’s no concrete sidewalk. I’m sure Troy will keep him in the house or out on the front or back porch, where he can watch what’s going on. I don’t think he’ll be anywhere near you for the most part.”
“Yes, but I can’t ignore him either. He’s my father.”
Reese heard the conflicting emotions in her low voice. Saw it in her face. “Look,” he rasped, “you focus on the arena-raising. If you get a chance to drop by the house and see your father, fine. If not, he has to understand, and that’s all there is to it. He knows he’s coming out at a busy time. He shouldn’t expect you to hover around him.”
Shaking her head, she said unsteadily, “This is so damned hard, Reese.”
His hand fell over hers. “Let’s take baby steps on this, Shay. You know what your job is on Saturday and Sunday. Stick to that schedule. Troy is there to take care of your father. That’s not your job. You have a greater responsibility to the ranch than to your father on that day.”
Her fingers curled around his. “Thanks, I needed to hear that.”
He gave her a tender look, squeezing her hand. “You already knew. I’m just telling you what you were already thinking, Shay.”
She wanted to keep holding his hand. Reese had to drive, though, and he was coming up to the turnoff for the ranch. Releasing his hand, she said, “Well, we’ll have a lot to tell the guys at supper tonight, won’t we?”
Reese grimaced as he made the turn. “Yes. Don’t expect any of them to be overjoyed about this, Shay. They know that your father isn’t exactly Miss Manners. They may expect him to interfere or start ripping off people’s heads. We need to sit down with them at dinner and really hash this out. We can’t have them confronting your father or mixing it up with him.” And then he added more gently, “They’re protective of you, Shay.”
Rubbing her face as he pulled into the parking space near the ranch house, Shay muttered, “You’re right. We need to talk to them.” And she felt like her stomach was tied in so many knots from all the worries she had, it only added to her stress.
Chapter Seventeen
Garret gave Shay a concerned look as they sat at the dinner table and she finished the story. He pushed the massive amount of mashed potatoes and gravy around on his plate. “My old man is an alcoholic,” he admitted grudgingly.
Everyone at the table looked up at Garret, surprise in all their expressions.
Shay raised her brows because he had never spoken about his family. In their weekly group sessions, the therapist leading the group, Libby Hilbert, would ask, but he always avoided answering her. “So you know what I’m going through?”
His mouth quirked. “Yeah, just a little, Shay.” He cut up a thick slice of pork. “And Reese is right that alcoholics can be world-class manipulators.”
“But you have to give him a chance,” Noah said.
“I’m going to,” Shay said.
“It’s bad timing, if you ask me,” Harper muttered, taking a thick crust of bread and mopping up the gravy left on his plate.
“That,” Shay said, “we can agree on.”
“So,” Garret growled, “he’s gonna be out here with Troy from the nursing home. Someone needs to give Troy boundaries for your father, Shay.” He waved his fork toward the barn. “Your father can’t be underfoot out in the barn. That’s HQ. That’s where we’re coordinating everything. We’ll be in touch with one another by radio, but we do not need him there. Does he know he has to stay at the house?”
“No,” Shay admitted, “but I’ll make it clear to Troy.” She saw worry on Garret’s face. And she felt Reese’s discomfort, but he said nothing.
“My advice, based upon my old man, the former Marine sergeant,” Garret said, “is the moment Troy brings Ray in here, you tell him, in front of your father, the lay of the land. That he’s to keep him here.” Garret jabbed his finger down at the floor.
“Okay,” she said, “I’ll do that.”