Page 58 of Wildest Forever

How the hell did he deteriorate this quickly.

“Do you need anything?” Dusty asks as he steps into the room, and I shake my head.

“Pacey will be back soon, I'm sorry to call you in on a Sunday,” and guilt eats away at me.

“Ma'am,” he steps a little closer. “I live in the cabin at the bottom of the ranch, this is my home, my life... you call, I come. Marsha knows that. I am home for supper every night and there for breakfast because my boss takes the early shift so I can eat with my children...” he pauses for a moment as his eyes narrow on mine. “So please don't feel sorry for asking me here, Pops is so much more than the big boss,” he winks at me, and I laugh softly at his playfulness. “I owe him everything,” his fingers fiddle with the trim of his hat and my breath catches at the back of my throat.

Dusty was convicted of a crime when he was a teen, wrong place, wrong time. He was set up by his own flesh and blood, someone he trusted with every fibre of him. Everyone knew what really happened, even the old sheriff but they told him if he took the fall, he would be out in twenty years. He went away, did his time and came out ready to make something of himself.

I still think he deserved more than the life he has, but he is happy.

And isn't that what we all want in reality?

Happiness.

Whether that be with someone or without... a happy life was what I always dreamt of.

“He loves you like you were his own Dusty,” I whisper and smile through glassy eyes, my pops softly snoring.

It was the truth.

When Dusty came out of prison, he had nowhere to go. His dad fled, he had no siblings and his mom was nowhere to be seen.

He turned up on my pops’ door, wet and cold, clothes ripped and soaked through.

He asked to stay for one night, he never left until he met Marsha. My pops cleared out the cabin at the bottom of the ranch and made it up for him and his wife.

He never let him go after that.

Pops said Dusty always felt bad and promised to pay him back everything, but my pops would never take the money from him.

Told him to put it into the kid’s trust funds.

Dusty tried to argue it.

Pops shut him down.

“I know ma'am,” he stammers over his words when we hear the front door close. “That must be Pacey, I'll catch you tomorrow,” and before I can tell him he doesn't have to leave, he walks out the door.

I'm not alone with my thoughts long when Pacey walks into the room with two large brown bags and a cup holder.

“I didn't know what you wanted to drink...” he pauses as I look at the four cups then back at him with a giddy smile on my face.“So I went for soda, coffee, shake and some weird energy drink thing,” he shrugs his shoulders up as he places it on the side unit and then places the bag on the bedside table and that's when my pops opens his eyes, squinting slightly.

“Meatball sub for the boss,” he licks his lips as he places it on my pops’ lap and his eyes light up.“Another sub for my wife,” he tilts his head as he hands it to me and the warmth feels good against my hands. I have no idea why I feel so cold.

“What did you get?” I ask, looking over the bag as he fists his hand in there.

“Tuna and pickles,” he licks his lips, and I turn my nose up.

“Tuna and pickles,” I gag.

“Have you tried it?” he asks, holding it out to me and I shake my head.“Then how can you judge?” he shrugs his shoulder up as he walks around the other side of the bed and perches himself on there.

“I can't,” I smirk, placing my own sub down and unwrapping my pops’. I had no idea if he was going to eat, but I would like him to just try and have a mouthful or two.

Standing from the bed, I move next to him and he takes the sub from me and takes a mouthful, groaning in appreciation.

“I do love a meatball sub,” he says as he looks at Pacey, “good shout about going to Sunny's,” he winks, and I feel a little content as I sit back at the foot of the bed and unwrap my own sub.

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