Page 75 of Home Is Where You Are

“It’s been good. How about yours?” I asked as I made my way over to her desk and gave her a hug.

“It’s been good so far. Are you ready to take my place?”

I turned my head to the side and gave her a questioning glance.

Loretta had been with our family for as long as I could remember. She’d always joked about retiring, but my dad just laughed her off.

“I put in my notice this morning. It’s time for this old gal to enjoy her grandbabies,” Loretta admitted with the biggest smile on her face.

“You’re really going through with it?” I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that we wouldn’t see her smiling face anymore.

“It’s time. We want to travel and make more memories before we’re too old to do so.”

If anyone deserved to do those things it was Loretta and her husband.

Tears filled my eyes as I congratulated her.

“When’s your last day?” I managed to choke out.

“Four weeks. I wanted to give you or my replacement plenty of time to catch up before I clocked out for the last time.”

Could I fill Loretta’s shoes?

“I can’t believe you’re leaving. But you deserve it. Is my dad in his office?”

“I mean it this time even if your dad can’t accept it. Yes, he’s in his office. You can head on back,” she said as she picked up her lunch bag and headed to the small break room.

I knocked on my dad’s office door and waited for him to respond before I entered.

“Come in.”

I opened the door and walked through. My dad sat behind his oak desk staring at something on the computer monitor.

“Hey there, Daddy,” I said as I shut the door behind me.

I walked over to his desk and sat in one of the leather chairs in front of his desk.

“Hey there, baby girl. What does this old man owe the pleasure of your visit on this beautiful Monday afternoon?” he asked with a smile as he turned to face me, whatever he was focused on long forgotten as he gave me his undivided attention.

“I wanted to talk to you about my plans and let you know I’m staying in Texas. After spending the past few days with everyone, I realized I’ve missed so much, and I don’t want to miss anymore.”

“You have no idea how happy you just made your old man. Did Loretta tell you she’s retiring?”

“She did. I’m shocked you’ve accepted it.” I didn’t withhold my laughter.

“She gave me no choice. Trust me, I don’t want to, but she deserves to spend time with her grandchildren.” He paused for a second and said, “I thought you’d be perfect to take her place.”

His confidence that I could fill her shoes filled my heart with joy. But I was nervous.

“What if I mess it all up and cause the ranch to fail?”

I couldn’t be the reason something horrible happened and the ranch failed because of me. Not when my dad had put so much blood, sweat, and tears into building the ranch into what it was today.

“Do you think I’ve not made mistakes along the way?”

Never. Not my daddy.

I shook my head.