Cowboy Casanova

Chapter 23

TIM POV: I have one more letter to write until I'm done writing. It's perfect timing too, because my vision's beginning to go too. I pray that I go before I'm fully blind. That would drive me insane. 

I've arranged to meet up with Jana's father today, which is horrifying for me. He doesn't know who I am, since I no longer go by Sam. I could tell this was the case by how friendly he sounded on the phone. Apparently, we are to have a "business meeting". I'm sure he's going to love seeing my face again. 

I write about half of the final letter for Faith, when I realize I have to go. I arranged for my manager to drive me, since Faith is exhausted. We are meeting at 6 in the morning. I will never forget that her father's day starts at 3 in the morning. 

We pull into the Country club that he's agreed to meet me at. I walk in and check myself before I enter the room. He's sitting there with a samon sweater vest on. He even looks the part.  My jeans and blue dress shirt don't blend in as easy as his signature look. I can't help but feel out of place. He spots me right when I enter the room. My chest tightens as his eyes analyze every inch of my body. 

"Well I'll be damned!" He says, laughing his classic booming laugh. I don't know whether to smile or be fearful. 

"Nice to see you." I say. He nods and motions me to sit down. 

"So, what are you here for today bud?" He says. 

"Uh- I..." I start. I rub my sweaty palms on the sides of my legs. "Sir, I'm..." 

"When you say sir, you make me think you're dating my daughter." He laughs. "Call my Jack, son." He says, reinstating that he's from the south. I nod. 

"Jack, I just have to come clean before it's too late." I say. He nods. 

"What do you mean before too late, boy?" He asks. 

"I have cancer." I admit. He nods. 

"I'm sorry to hear that." He says honestly. I nod. 

"Thanks." I say. "Listen, what happened to Jana..." I start. "that was my worst mistake. I should've never drove when I was that drunk. She deserved better, and I deserve hell for what I did."

"She loved you." He says, sitting up and smiling. "All she wanted was for me to approve of you, and I did deep down. You were misunderstood, but different. You weren't like that piece of shit you had as a father. Tim, you made a mistake. Everyone makes a big mistake from time to time." He says. I feel a weight being lifted. 

"Thank you." I say. 

"So, you really dragged yourself down here just to say sorry?" He asks. I shrug. 

"I guess so." I say. "Jack, I really did love her."

"I never thought otherwise." He smiles. 

I pull up to the house to see the front door wide open. Part of me feels uneasy as I walk into the quiet house. Normally at this time in the morning, the girls would bouncing off the walls, and Faith would be smiling at them over a cup of boiling hot coffee. I hear footsteps as I quietly set my keys down on the kitchen counter. The footsteps couldn't be the girls, because they sound like heavy combat boots. I reach into one of the cabinets and grab my pistol that I keep locked up away from the girls. It's fully loaded. 

I walk slowly up the stairs, following the footsteps. I hear one of the doors slowly open, squeaking loudly. I hear Gracie whisper something, making me think it was her, but the footsteps are coming from the opposite side of the hall. I want to call out to make sure it's not Faith, before I go pointing guns, but I wouldn't want to alert them if it were an intruder. The thought of it being an intruder makes me creep closer to the open doorway. They're in Audrey's room. I peak around the corner to see it's a man with a black hood on. My chest tightens as I see him stand literally feet away from my three year old daughter. He looks around, then proceeds to leave the room.