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West left Blackstone Ranch now with a purpose in mind.

Call him old-fashioned, but he wanted to get Big Jim Blackstone’s permission to wed Kelby.

She had spoken with Chance every day while they were in Dallas, checking on her dad’s progress.

Nothing had seemed to change. West didn’t think Big Jim would be able to talk with him now, but he knew the older man could nod a yes or no.

He arrived at the rehab facility and checked in at the reception desk, taking a selfie with the starstruck receptionist. She told him that lunch was now being served, and he could go straight to Mr. Blackstone’s room.

When West arrived, he saw Big Jim sitting in his wheelchair, a tray in front of him. He held a spoon in his left hand, gazing vacantly into space.

Entering the room, he brightly said, “Good morning, Mr. Blackstone. It’s West Sutherland again, here to see you.”

He glanced down at the unappetizing meal. “Hey, why don’t you let me help feed you? I know you’re having to relearn doing everything with your left hand. I can give you a break. You just have to sit back and enjoy.”

West pulled up a chair and took the spoon from the older man’s hand.

“Let’s start with the Jello, my personal favorite.”

As he spooned bites of the red gelatin chunks into Big Jim’s mouth, West talked about the past. Times he had been at the ranch. Football and baseball games he and Chance had played in. Big Jim hadn’t missed a single game over the years, usually sitting with his parents.

He moved on to what looked like some kind of casserole, feeding Big Jim small bites as he spoke. The older man accepted each bite, and West made certain to pause and let him sip iced tea from the straw every now and then.

“Wow, you finished your lunch in record time. Good job, Mr. Blackstone. I know Kelby and Chance are so proud of you. You’ve been through a lot, but you’ll come out on the other side and be just fine.”

Big Jim shook his head sadly. He uttered one word. “No.”

West didn’t think the man had spoken since his stroke and thought it a good sign. Still, he knew Big Jim had to be depressed, knowing the life he had once led, running a large-scale ranch, was now over.

Putting down the spoon, he said, “I didn’t come just to talk sports with you, Mr. Blackstone. I came here for a very special reason.”

Clearing his throat, he said, “I’m in love with your daughter, sir.

I think I have been all these years. We had feelings for one another back in high school, but college was taking us in two different directions.

We decided to part as friends. My life has taken me to places I never dreamed of, including winning Super Bowls, but it’s led me back to Hawthorne now.

Kelby has also grown and changed over the years.

But we’ve discovered those feelings from long ago are still with us.

We’d like to get married. Live and work in Hawthorne. Raise a family.

“I’m here to ask if that’s okay with you.”

For the first time since West had visited him, Big Jim smiled. His eyes grew watery as he managed to say one sweet syllable.

“Yes.”

West hugged him gently. “I’m going to take care of your girl, Mr. Blackstone.

Not that she needs taking care of. Kelby is a pistol and always has been.

I know she’s told you all about starting her own business, but I’ve seen her in action, pitching to a prospective client.

That girl has got ambition and creativity, along with the work ethic you imparted to her, and those are a great combination.

Her business is going to take off, and you and I will both be proud of her. ”

An aide appeared in the doorway. “It’s time for Mr. Sutherland to head to a therapy session.”

West looked at the old man, who was but a shell of his former self. “Thank you, sir, for welcoming me into your family,” he said quietly.

He took Big Jim’s left hand and squeezed it, knowing he had no feeling in his right one. The aide rolled his patient away, chattering all the while to Big Jim.

West left the facility, happy to have received Big Jim’s permission to marry Kelby, but thinking his new father-in-law would most likely never leave this place.

If he did come to Blackstone Ranch, West would pay for round-the-clock nursing care for him.

It was the least he could do for the man who had been like a second father to him during his years growing up in Hawthorne.

He called his mom after he turned onto the highway, telling her that he and Kelby were back in town.

Mom invited them to dinner tonight. He accepted, reminding her that Kelby would need to spend the dinner hour with her dad since they had been gone several days.

Mom happily agreed to push back dinner, telling West that she had already made up a chicken fettuccine.

After he ended that call, he decided to call Kelby instead of texting her, already missing her and wanting to hear her voice.

“Have the movers come and gone?” he asked.

“They’re just wrapping up and should be on their way soon.

Part of me doesn’t want to unpack anything, West, especially since we’ll be moving in together soon.

That’s why I let my furniture go. It was all cheap pieces, along with some hand-me-downs, and I wanted us to start fresh, picking out furniture we both like together. ”

“I’m hoping we’ll be able to find somewhere to move.

It took a while for the realtor to manage to find a place for Sawyer and me.

I think what we’ll wind up doing is finding a patch of land and building what we want.

A house we can stay in the rest of our lives.

I don’t want ostentatious, but I sure want elbow room.

We might as well put some of my contract money to good use and build something we can grow into and then keep. ”

“Then I guess we need to work out where we’ll live until then. We can always move to the ranch. There’s plenty of space here. I know it wouldn’t offer us much privacy, but at least we wouldn’t be homeless.”

“We can talk about that when we see one another later. Mom asked us to dinner, and I think that would be the perfect time to share our news with them. We can do the zoom after.”

“I’ve already sent the email invitation for nine o’clock tonight,” she told him. “I texted everyone to give them a heads up, and I’ve heard back from everyone except Chance, which doesn’t’ surprise me. He’s probably knee and elbow high in work in the fields, but I’ll make certain he participates.”

“Then it’s all coming together,” he said. “Once we talk with everyone tonight, all we need to do is decide on a wedding date.”

“And buy a license,” she said, laughing.

“That, too. You want to meet me at Mom and Dad’s for dinner then?”

“Yes. I’m going to see Dad for dinner. I want to tell him about our plans in person.”

West smiled to himself. “You do that, honey. I’ll see you later. Love you.”

He ended the call, a feeling of wonder filling him. Everything seemed perfect now. He would be marrying the woman who was perfect for him. Starting a new career in coaching and helping Kelby with her new business. They would build a house—and life—in Hawthorne.

Life didn’t get better than this.