Page 91 of Hotshot
“Hmm. Are you sure? I know you didn’t count on dealing with a protest…in a forest in Vermont of all places.”
I perched on the edge of the desk and gave him a mini report of recent goings on, adding, “I probably should have started out by meeting with town council members in January, but I doubt they’d have been receptive then either. I’ll be in Denver in a few days. I’ll talk to Carl and your team there to discuss a plan for Wood Hollow.”
“What about the hockey player? You’re friends, right? Maybe ask him about the promo again while he’s still in town.”
“He offered to do it,” I said, biting the inside of my cheek.
“Hey! That’s fantastic! Geez, you’re a damn natural, kid,” he gushed. “Get that set up and come home. Let Cooper handle the meetings. Once the promo is out, we’re golden. We’ll hire a CEO and a?—”
“I’m not going anywhere, Dad.”
“What are you talking about? You wanted six months—it’s been six months, and you’ve done what you set out to do. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Wood Hollow will take some time getting up to speed, but you’ve done your share. Bring the horses home, buy a couple more, and call Cassy. She’ll be more than happy to help you get your practice started. You’ve earned it, Hank.”
I paced to the window and stared out at the slice of forest behind the warehouse at the enormous flatbed truck, the row of forklifts, and neatly stacked timber. Sure, there was more to do, but someone else could take over and damn…that was tempting.
I opened my mouth to tell him so, but something else came out. “They need me, and I think I can make a difference.”
Silence.
“I thought you hated it there,” he huffed skeptically.
“Well…I don’t.”
“What about the therapy practice you wanted?”
“I think this is more important now.”
My father hummed thoughtfully. “Christ, Hank, I’m proud of you.”
Whoa. That stopped me. I hadn’t heard those words in…ever.
“I…thanks, Dad. But I haven’t done anything yet. It’s still the same here.”
“But you will. You’re going to see this through, aren’t you?”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “I am.”
“Good. Your mom would be proud too. Love you, son. Hey, did I tell you about…”
I caught every other word for the duration of the call. Honestly, I was still reeling from his praise.
I knew my dad loved me, but it was safe to say I frustrated him. He wanted at least one of his kids to be like him, and I’d tried, but man, those were hard shoes to fill. I never seemed to get it right. I used to think being gay was a hurdle he hadn’t really gotten over, but it wasn’t that. He’d known early on what he wanted from life and I was just figuring it out now.
In Elmwood, of all places. And Wood Hollow.
Between morningsand evenings at the stable and long hours at the mill, I’d neglected some basic necessities…like purchasing coffee. And I hadn’t realized I was out till it was too late to put in an order for delivery. If I wanted caffeine, I was going to have to venture into town and buy it from Rise and Grind. I supposed I could go without, but I wasn’t a masochist. And if I went early enough, I wouldn’t run into anyone I knew who might ask probing questions, like…
“Where have you been?” JC motioned for me to join him and Riley in line, turning to the guy I’d cut in front of with a quick, “Sorry, but this is important. You know my friend, Hank Cunningham,oui?”
“I do. I work for him.” Niall offered his hand and shook mine with gusto. “I haven’t had a chance to say anything yet, but…I wanted to thank you for your speech earlier in the week. It was good, ya know? I think we all needed to hear that you’re committed to the town.”
I nodded. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Niall released my hand and patted my shoulder. “Glad to hear it. Let me buy you a cup of coffee.”
“No, no, we are buying his coffee. You will try again tomorrow,” JC insisted, pulling me along with him in line.
Riley chuckled. “Go along with it. Jean-Claude doesn’t take no for an answer.”