Page 44 of Catch Me, Cowboy
He led the way into the kitchen and went to the fridge. “Well, we all have our fears, Shelby. Some we face, some we push down inside.” He pulled out a plate of leftover pot roast and set it on the counter. “You’re talking about this doctor business, right?”
“Right,” Shelby said. Among other things.
“My issues with hospitals have a legitimate basis. All you gotta do is read on the internet and you’ll see I’m right.”
“But sometimes you just got to take a chance—choose the lesser of two evils.”
“Exactly.” He gave a curt nod as if the subject was finished once and for all, and Shelby decided it was time to back off. For now.
She dished up the pot roast, cut squares of cornbread, put honey, butter and horse radish on the table. Gramps carefully steered the conversation away from healthcare issues as they ate and described the rodeo displays he’d seen when he’d been in town.
“People are pretty excited to see Ty ride again.”
Her stomach tightened. She wasn’t one of them. She gave a small start when Gramps reached out to cover her hand with his.
“I know how bad Ty hurt you when he left.” She nodded. “But you guys were really young.”
“We were.”
Gramps frowned down at their hands, her small one under his rough gnarled one. They’d been through a lot of life together. He’d taught her a lot of things. She had a feeling he was about to teach her something new.
“Just because someone has to… do something that’s really important to them… and leave… it doesn’t mean they didn’t care for you.”
“I know he cared, Gramps. Just not enough.”
Her grandfather pressed his lips together. “And did you care enough?”
“What do you mean?”
“Did you care enough to let him go?”
She gave a small snort. “I let him go.”
“And told him to never come back.”
To her astonishment, Shelby felt tears starting to build.
She blinked them back. “I thought… I thought he’d choose me.” And when he didn’t, when he chose to continue risking his life, she’d been afraid to have him inherlife. Afraid of the potential for loss.
“Maybe he wasn’t in a place where he could do that.”
“I didn’t want to lose him.”
“But you did.” Gramps gave her fingers a squeeze and removed his hand.
I didn’t want him to die.
“Things could be different now… if you can find the strength to compromise.”
Shelby’s eyebrows lifted and she managed a laugh. “Are you giving me relationship advice?”
“Guess I am. Something to think about. Life is short, Shelby. Sometimes you have to take what you can get and be grateful for it.”
Shelby blinked at her grandfather, not certain what to make of the conversation.
“Are you roping at Wyatt’s place tonight?” Gramps asked, pushing his plate back.
“Uh… no. The rodeo grounds.” Shelby got to her feet, took the plates to the sink and ran water over them while her grandfather put plastic wrap over the remainder of the pot roast. “I’d better get changed.”
