Page 3 of Losing his Daddy
I left him a little while later once I estimated Travis and Holt might have arrived. My timing was perfect, which meant I was there to watch as the pair sat in the truck and shared one of the hottest moments of eye contact I think I’d ever seen.
Holy hell. They were intense.
How long would it take for the two of them to wind up together? And why was I both happy for them and jealous as all get out?
I knew the answer to that, obviously, but I didn’t want to go there. Not when I’d already had a moment of doubt over things this morning.
Putting on my best smile, I finished the journey to meet Holt as Travis took off out of the truck like a rocket. It nearly made me laugh at how obviously flustered he was.
“You must be Holt. I’m Gerald Grimes. We’re excited to have someone with your experience around here.” I held out my hand as I stepped close to the newcomer.
If I had to guess, he was close to my age. Somewhere in his thirties, with a handsome face that did nothing for me, though it obviously did for others — cough, coughTrav.
After our greeting, I took him to the bunkhouse where he chose a room and left his bag there. I gave him a moment to look around before we dove into a tour of where everything was around here. He would have to work hard to get lost since everything was so open. It was still the polite thing to do for someone moving to a new place.
Holt had a fun personality, though I could see a shadow in his gaze. I wondered if it was merely him being tired from the journey, or if he had demons of his own he was battling. Sometimes the men here used the land as a means to recovertheir old selves after a tough go in life. If that’s the case, then I hoped we could be what he needed.
We were chatting about his experience with cattle when Travis’s panicked cries tore through the air. “Help! Someone help!”
I took off at a run. Holt kept pace; our steps almost synchronized. When I rounded the corner, the sight before me was my worst fear realized.
“What happened?” I tugged Clancy from Travis’s hold to look him over.
“I’m not sure. He was joking with me about helping Rosie. I’d turned to go in but decided not to. When I looked back at him, he was shaking and then he fell.” With the way Travis shook, I knew panic had taken hold. I wanted to address it, but I couldn’t take my focus from Clancy.
The man I loved was unconscious in my arms.
I could hear Holt talking to the paramedics. Before they could even reply, I was easing the limp body in my arms down and jumping up to grab a truck. The EMT service out here was notoriously slow. I didn’t want to risk delaying medical assistance for whatever the hell was happening.
“There’s not enough time. I’ll get the truck. Don’t leave him.” I gave the command over my shoulder as I sprinted away.
It only took minutes for me to get the truck started and backed up to where Clancy was laid out. I rushed around to help Holt secure him in the truck.
While I’d only known the new guy for a very short time, his experience spoke volumes. And with Travis distraught from the incident, I knew Holt would be the best option to do as needed.
“Hold down the fort. I’ll call as soon as I can.”
I took off without another world. The truck revved as my foot pushed the gas pedal down as far as it would go. I clicked the flashers on in case I passed any type of law enforcement on theway. Not that I’d be stopping for one if they tried to catch me anyway. They’d have to follow me all the way to the emergency room in order to issue that ticket.
As focused as I was on the drive, I couldn’t resist looking over at Clancy often along the way. He didn’t move the entire time, though I could see his chest moving, so I knew he was at least breathing. I didn’t know what I’d do if…
The wheel jerked beneath my hands as the tears I’d been holding back fell. I couldn’t think about that scenario. It was the one what if I wouldn’t allow. Not now. Not ever.
At the hospital,they were quick to help. I’d called when I was five minutes out, and true to the nurse's word, they had a gurney ready and waiting. I parked the truck in the closest spot I could find, then I rushed inside.
A brunette with a harried expression met me at the front. “I told them I’d wait for you. He’s been taken back, but we need someone to fill out forms. What’s your relation to the patient?”
What a fucking complicated question. I could tell her the simple answer — he was my boss. But then there was the other truth — he’s my lover. And the even more complex answer — technically we’re common-law married.
The last was irrelevant for the most part since I couldn’t risk anyone trying to come see him and the staff spilling the beans. Even if he was unconscious, I knew Clancy wouldn’t want this to be the way of things.
“He owns the ranch I work at. He fainted out of nowhere. Paramedics would have taken twice as long.”
She frowned, then nodded. “The unfortunate effects of rural life. Do you know enough to fill this out? Or is there a next of kin we can call?”
Yet another complicated mess. Atticus was the only family Clancy had left, but with the pair of them estranged, I had no clue how to get ahold of the other Coleman.
“There’s no one else,” I told her quickly. “And I know all the information.”