Page 43 of Roots of Redemption (Hicks Creek #4)

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Wade

M aybe I shouldn’t have just blurted out I love you the way I did. I don’t regret saying it, because she needed to know, but I definitely could have thought of a better delivery.

I’m frustrated with myself. I need to take some time to figure out what my next steps are, though, because at this point, I just keep sticking my foot in my mouth with her.

I’m usually so in control of my emotions, but with her, it’s like…I don’t know… I’ve never been so quick to blurt out my feelings.

I love her, I really do, but I’ve never been in a real relationship before either.

Caleb’s mom was a high school fling, and I’ve been so busy raising Caleb and running the farm that I didn’t really take a lot of time to get serious with a woman.

Sutton also has relied on herself for so long that it’s going to take some time and patience for us to not continuously butt heads.

I take the food and go back to my house. Caleb is sitting at the kitchen table, eating the takeout that I brought him. He cocks an eyebrow at me, a smirk playing on his face.

“I see your plan didn’t go all that well.”

“No, it did not. Man, she’s a stubborn one.”

Caleb grins widely. “Nothing worth having is easy, isn’t that what you always tell me?”

I chuckle and nod. “You’re right. I appreciate that she sets boundaries and holds them. I hate to say that’s not something I’m used to.”

“It’s why those girls don’t last long enough to meet me,” he replies. “You need a strong woman that’s going to push back and make you better but that’s also soft.”

“Have you been talking to your grandma? Is she in your ear right now?”

He laughs and shakes his head. “Grandma says every cowboy needs to find his cowgirl and that you found yours in Sutton.” He shrugs dismissively before he goes back to eating.

“She’s not wrong .”

“She’s a good woman, Dad. You two will work it out.”

I sit down at the table across from my son. I pull my food back out and start eating.

“Thanks, Caleb. I guess I should have brought you into this sooner. I should have made sure you were okay with it all.”

“I’m fifteen, Dad. Had I not been okay with it, you would have known by now,” he teases. “She’s a good woman, and a good woman for you, Dad. I saw that the first day.”

“Is that so?” I ask with a chuckle.

“It is.”

“You heard any of your friends at school talk about Dr. Reed coming to their places?”

“Yeah, a few of them. They were telling them to shoot all their sick cattle. Even threatened to fine them if they didn’t.”

“They told me the same thing. Did any of the ranchers follow through?”

“None that I know of. Jessup said that his dad called the sheriff because they were asking some intrusive questions. He said they knew things they shouldn’t have known.”

“That’s what I’m hearing, too.”

He cocks his head to the side as he looks back at me. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking this is bigger than what we originally thought.”

“They weren’t asking intrusive questions here.”

“No, but they were asking Frank Bishop the same questions.”

“I’ll ask around some more. Maybe I can get to the bottom of it all.”

I nod. “I’d appreciate it. Make sure your grades and chores don’t fall through the cracks, though.”

“Dad,” he chuckles as he opens his arms wide and gestures all around him. “Have I done that yet?”

“No, you haven’t. You’re such a good kid. You take all the parenting away from me.”

“You’re a good dad, that’s why.”

I chuckle and smile back at him. We eat the rest of our meal in silence. And for the rest of the night, I fight the urge to knock on Sutton’s door again.

I’ll figure out how to get back to her.

The next morning, the sun is hot on my back as I park my truck in front of the feed store.

“Howdy, Callahan!” Sam Garcia calls out almost immediately as I step out onto the pavement.

“Hey, Sam, how’s it going?”

“Not bad, can’t complain.”

“How’s the family?”

“All is well in our neck of the woods. Heard you been having the same issues with your cattle as the rest of the town,” he says.

“I have. I haven’t been out in town too much. You having the same issues?”

“Just a couple cattle, not like everyone else.”

“That’s good. We got hit pretty hard. Doc Sutton has it contained, though.”

“Man, she’s something else. She’s always been smart as a whip. I sure was glad to see her back in town.”

“Yeah, I’m glad she was willing to come back home to help us out.”

“Maybe we can get her to stay. Rumor has it, Doc Lucy is looking to hang up her boots.”

I cock an eyebrow at him.

This is the first I’ve heard this.

Could that be what Sutton needs to stay in Hicks Creek?

“I didn’t hear that.”

“I don’t think she’s telling many people. I think she’s been waiting for someone she trusts to take over the business.”

And that would definitely be Sutton. They’ve kept in touch all this time if Doc Lucy felt comfortable enough to have Frank call her, right?

Sutton’s no longer in danger of losing the ranch since I made the balloon payment, but this could just be something else to sweeten the pot.

I blow out a breath. Why am I convinced that she won’t stay for me? We may be a little rocky right now, but it’s nothing that we can’t fix.

I inhale slowly. I’m more worried that because the cattle seem to be better, that she’ll take off in a heartbeat if she thinks she lost the ranch. She also thinks I’m just like her dad, I think, so I’ll have to fix that ASAP.

“Hey, Wade!” Mack Marley calls out as he steps out from the back of the store. “The guys have your order all ready to go out back.”

“Perfect.”

“Just pull up to the back as usual and they’ll load it all up for you. How are things looking out there for ya? I know this sickness has been affecting everyone.”

“I was just telling Sam here that Doc Sutton seems to have gotten it all under control.”

“Thank goodness she was willing to come home when her dad called. You know it’s bad when Doc Lucy can’t figure it out.”

“Absolutely.” I smile.

“Maybe that Dr. Reed and his crew will finally leave town,” Sam adds. “There’s something about him that doesn’t sit right with me.”

“You’re not the only one to say that,” Mack replies. “He hasn’t talked to me yet; I’ve been able to avoid him as much as possible. Seems he’s sweet on Miss Turner, though.”

“What makes you say that?”

“He’s in there a lot. He was in there for almost four hours yesterday.”

“Why would you be in the general store for four hours?” I ask.

“Exactly.”

I think I realized where he’s getting his information from. Martha Turner knows everyone’s business whether they want her to or not. I bet he’s hanging around to figure out the people in town.

“I’m going to pull around back,” I tell them as I turn on my heel and start out of the store.

By the time I hop in my truck, I’m texting Sheriff Clark to let him know who I think is giving Dr. Reed the information he has. She probably doesn’t even realize she’s doing anything wrong, which makes this situation worse.