Page 58 of Here With You

His palm skated over his forehead and fell down his face in slow motion. “I’ll get Darryl. Can you feed Ollie and lock him inside? I’ll meet you at the truck in less than five minutes.”

She did as he asked while she dialed Dr. Robinson, who said she’d meet them there.

“Sorry, buddy,” she said to the dog as she shut the door. Though she closed Ollie in the house, it was a fifty-fifty shot whether he’d stay put. Somehow, he’d figured out how to turn a handle with his mouth. He came and went as he pleased. She knew people who weren’t nearly as bright.

When she left, she found Hugh shuffling along the sidewalk. “Hey, Hugh. I’ve got a family emergency.” It wasn’t a lie. Miles had become her family once again. “Can you please restock the fire pit before you leave today?”

He nodded and went on his way. Hugh may be old, but he was dependable. She could always depend on him to take four times as long and only get half of what she asked him to do done.

Miles and Darryl ran from the boathouse to the truck.

“Why is she coming?”

“Because I asked her to.”

“She ain’t family.”

Miles opened her door and helped her inside before rounding the truck and climbing into the driver’s seat. Darryl hopped into the back seat of the king cab.

“If it weren’t for Dad’s creative financing, she would have been my wife for thirty years already, so in my mind, she’s family.” He put the truck in reverse and pulled out of the parking lot. The speed limit was forty-five, but when she peeked over to look at the speedometer, Miles was doing sixty. She laid her hand on his thigh. “There’s no rush, honey. What’s done is done.”

A whoosh of air left his lungs like he’d been holding his breath this whole time. “It’s too soon.” A tear slipped down his cheek, and he swiped it away.

She pretended not to notice and took his hand in hers. “There’s never enough time.”

Darryl snorted. “Your timing was perfect to just swoop in and secure your inheritance.

Miles stiffened, and his free hand dropped hers and turned into a fist. “Stop.” He looked over his shoulder for a fraction of a second. She didn’t see his expression but was confident it was deadly. “You can have the ranch if you want it. I didn’t come here for that.”

Darryl leaned forward. “What did you come here for?” He poked her on the shoulder. “Mark my words. Everything he touches turns to shit. Give it time, and he’ll ruin your life too.”

She twisted as far as the seatbelt would allow. “Your mother just died, and all you’re worried about is the damn ranch?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m going through. You didn’t get anything outright until everyone died too.”

She didn’t know what he was implying, but if it was that she had been biding her time until her entire family died so she’d get her chance at the family property, then he was delusional.

“Shut up, Darryl. You don’t know me.”

He laughed. “Wrong. You and I are cut from the same cloth. We want our birthright. You got the resort, and I should get the ranch. But he shows up, and what was one hundred percent mine has turned into thirty percent.”

“Cormac deserves a share since he does most of the work,” Miles said. “What have you done with the property in the last five years, outside of letting it deteriorate?” They drove under the sign and were on McClintock property. “It’s like the land is reclaiming itself with the four-foot grass. The main house is falling apart, and I don’t even want to know what happened to the bunkhouse and cabins.”

Miles came to a stop behind the sheriff’s car. He killed the engine and looked at her. “You don’t have to come in if you don’t want to. Seeing death can be difficult.”

She opened her door. “I’m going where you’re going. You need me, and I’m not leaving you.”

He exited, and they met at the front of the truck. “I do need you. More than I ever imagined—so much that it scares me.”

She lifted on tiptoes and kissed him. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, but a promise kiss. She would see him through this.

Dr. Robinson came out of the house, removing a pair of gloves. “I’m sorry for your loss. You’ve got a few minutes to spend with her before they take her away.”

He took Emmaline’s hand and led her into the house. Cormac sat on the old Barcalounger, staring straight ahead. He looked up seconds later. “There was nothing I could do.”

Miles pulled him up by his hand and wrapped him in a hug. “There was nothing anyone could do. She was ready to go. You heard her last night. She said she was tired.”

“Yeah, but I thought that meant she needed to sleep.”

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