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He reached the ranch in less than a quarter hour.

His rental was on one side of Hawthorne, close to where the high school stood.

The Blackstone Ranch was just north of town.

Both cattle and horses were raised on the property, and he fondly recalled many days spent in the saddle or in what Big Jim called the Big House.

The ranch had a large stable for horses, as well as several outbuildings for various use.

A two-story bunkhouse housed all the ranch hands, though he recalled a few lived in town, maybe the ones who had families.

Once he reached the familiar turn, it seemed as if time had stopped. Everything looked exactly the same. West pulled up to the Big House, and Kelby came to her feet, leaving one of the rocking chairs sitting on the porch. She bounded down the stairs and opened the passenger’s door.

As she got in, he said, “You moved so fast, I didn’t even have a chance to get out and open the door for you.”

“Not necessary,” she told him, fastening her seat belt. “I may not have West Sutherland’s blazing speed running down a football field, but I do a little jogging to stay in shape.”

“Which way?” he asked, taking the car back the way he’d come.

Kelby gave him directions and then reached to turn on the radio. He remembered she liked hearing music anytime she was in the car.

“Good, you have satellite radio. What I wouldn’t have given to have that during our high school years.”

She dialed around until she found a station she liked and then sat back.

“Thanks for wanting to go and see Dad. It will mean a lot to him. He was so proud of you, winning a scholarship and becoming an Aggie just like he was.” She laughed. “Dad about disowned me when I told him I would be cheering for the Longhorns.”

“You can’t blame him. Bad blood between the Aggies and the Longhorns has existed since they first met on the football field in the 1890s.”

“A game which UT won big,” she retorted, flashing him a smile and a Hook ’em Horns sign.”

“Fingers down, or you’ll be walking home,” he warned playfully.

They talked about Sawyer’s new career in Hawthorne and what Darby was up to.

“I can’t believe you girls have been friends for so long.”

“Same as you and Chance.”

West shrugged. “Chance will always be my closest friend, but I’ve been a lousy one to him for a long time. Guys don’t stay in touch as much as girls do. I need to make things up to Chance.”

“He’s really happy you’re home for good,” she shared. “The minute I told him that I’d seen you and that you would be living in Hawthorne, he couldn’t call you fast enough.”

That was a good feeling, one of the reasons West had wanted to come back to Hawthorne. Not just for football, but to be close to his parents and people like Chance.

“You going to see Darby anytime soon?” he asked.

“Being tied up with Dad right now, I don’t feel right asking her to come to Hawthorne to visit me. But we stay in touch. We text all the time. I went to see her a couple of months ago, right after Thanksgiving.”

They rode in companionable silence the rest of the way. West couldn’t help but feel relaxed in Kelby’s company. All the previous nerves had disappeared.

As he parked, she said, “It might be hard to do so, but try and watch your facial expression when you see Dad. He’s already lost about twenty pounds or so. The right side of his face looks odd. His eye and mouth droop noticeably. And he hasn’t spoken a word since Chance found him.”

“Will he ever?”

“We don’t know. Dr. Brock thought he would. There’s still a lot we aren’t sure of. Things we’re learning every day. Just treat him normally if you can. Tell him what you’ve been up to.”

“Will do.”

They got out of the car and entered the facility, signing in at the reception desk in the visitor’s log. Kelby took West to Big Jim’s room, which was empty at the moment.

“He’ll be here soon. He’s got a therapy session that ends in a few minutes.”

A worker came in with a tray and placed it on another table next to the bed.

The meal itself was covered, but West saw a glass of iced tea, along with a plate containing a roll and pat of butter.

Kelby thanked the worker and immediately dumped two packets of sugar into the glass, stirring thoroughly and placing a straw into it.

She fluffed the pillows. Adjusted the blinds.

Added fresh water to a vase of flowers sitting on a nightstand.

By the time she finished tidying up the room, a nurse rolled Big Jim into the room.

“Hey, Dad. Look who came to see you. It’s West Sutherland,” she said brightly.

“Hey, Mr. Blackstone.” He put a hand on Big Jim’s shoulder and leaned close. “It’s West. It’s really good to see you.”

“In the bed or chair, Miss Blackstone?” the worker asked.

“Let’s do the chair since I brought company.”

The worker wheeled Big Jim into the center of the room as Kelby moved the tray table in front of him. West brought two chairs over, placing one in front of Big Jim for himself and the other next to the wheelchair, expecting Kelby would help her father with his meal.

She lifted the cover from the food. “Hey, it’s meatloaf. And mashed potatoes. Doesn’t that look good, Dad?”

Big Jim had barely looked at West. He now stared down at the food. It was hard seeing such a powerful man brought down by illness.

West took a seat and talked through most of lunch, with Kelby encouraging her dad as he ate. He talked about the Cowboys’ season since Big Jim had always been a football fan. Told him a few insider things that hadn’t been reported in the press. Then he shared his news.

“I’m moving back to Hawthorne, Mr. Blackstone. Got a job coaching football and teaching at the high school. It just happened yesterday. I’m having dinner with my folks tonight. I know they’re over the moon.”

Big Jim grunted. Kelby’s eyes widened. Then she smiled.

“I think Dad approves of that hiring.”

After several more minutes, it looked as if Big Jim had finished, and Kelby asked, “Are you sure you don’t want any more to eat, Dad?”

He glared at her, and she got the message.

“Okay then. Let me move the tray back. Do you need to use the restroom?”

Big Jim blinked once.

“That’s a yes,” she said. “Let me call for an aide.”

“I can help,” he offered.

“That’s kind of you, West, but they know what they’re doing.”

She hit the call button, and a few minutes later, an aide appeared. He was taller than West and outweighed him by about thirty pounds. His jaw dropped as he spotted West.

“West Sutherland? My gosh, it is you!”

“Yes, I’m West.” He shook hands with the aide. “Nice to meet you. I think Mr. Blackstone needs to go to the restroom.”

The aide turned his attention to his patient. “Let’s get you taken care of, Mr. B. Why, you didn’t tell me you knew a famous football player. You should be ashamed of yourself, keeping secrets like that from me when I’ve told you all of mine.”

He watched as the worker wheeled Big Jim to the bathroom and inside it, closing the door.

“It can take a bit of time,” Kelby said, biting her lip.

“No worries. I’m in no rush. I have nowhere to be until six o’clock tonight. Coincidentally, Mom is making meatloaf and mashed potatoes.”

“Both those are soft. Easier for Dad to eat. And I’ve told them no peas. That they’d just go to waste.”

They waited in silence until the aide returned with Big Jim and said, “It’s about time to get your daddy down to his next therapy session, Miss Blackstone.”

“Right.” She bent and kissed her father’s brow. “Chance and I will be back to see you at dinner. Bye, Dad.”

They waited until Big Jim had been rolled from the room before taking their leave. Kelby was quiet in the car. He could sense the tension rolling off her. He reached out and squeezed her shoulder.

“It’s going to get better.”

She sniffed. “It may not. It’s so hard seeing him this way.” She pulled a tissue from her purse and wiped her cheeks. “I keep wanting him to speak. Thinking the paralysis will magically be gone on the next day and that he’ll be back to his usual self.”

Blowing her nose, she slipped the tissue into her purse again. “And I know this sounds awful, but if he’s not going to improve, I wish he’d just slip away.”

She began to sob, and West could feel the pain radiating off her. He pulled off the road, onto the sparse grass, and cut the engine.

“It’s okay to feel that way,” he assured her. “Big Jim is the kind of guy who always took up all the air in the room when he entered it. He’s a larger-than-life kind of guy. Seeing him like this has to be hard on you. You don’t have to be strong all the time, Kelby.”

West reached out, framing her face in his large hands. He swiped his thumbs across her damp cheeks, brushing away her tears, his own throat thickening with unshed ones.

Their gazes met, and she whispered, “Kiss me, West. Kiss me like you did before.”