Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
They agreed, and his mom called Dennis, Jackie, and Roe while Colby drove. They were all the worrying type, so he had no doubt his siblings would end up at the hospital with them. That’s just how the Covingtons were.
They got his dad into the ER, Colby and his mom joining him. When they took his dad to X-ray, they ushered them to the waiting room.
“Is everything okay with you, Colby?” his mom asked. “You seem…different lately. Happy, for sure, but also like you’re carrying the weight of something on your shoulders.”
Goddamn it. He knew this would happen. He ran a hand through his hair, ready to open his mouth and say whatever fell out, but before he could, Dennis came around the corner, Roe and Jackie right behind him.
“Is Dad okay?” Dennis asked. While they were all close, Dennis and his dad shared a special bond. Dennis looked up to Charles Covington, wanting nothing more than the exact life their parents had—that farm and their family.
“He’s fine.” Their mom got up and hugged Dennis, then Roe and Jackie.
“The doctor’s pretty sure it’s a broken foot. He’ll have one of those boot things and crutches for a while,” Colby relayed. “He also bonked his head and likely has a very minor concussion.”
“Not that it’s ever good timing to get hurt, but this is especially difficult,” Jackie added.
“Hell. I feel bad,” Roe said. “I know he’s been working harder on the farm to get things ready for the wedding. Maybe I should have taken some time off from the store.” He shifted, clearly feeling guilty.
“Oh, stop,” their mom said. “It was an accident. It’s no one’s fault. Your daddy is constantly working hard at the farm, whether there’s a wedding or not. I’m more worried about keeping him on those crutches than anything. We’ll figure the rest out together, like we always do.”
Dennis turned to Colby. “We’re going to need you more over the next few weeks.”
“Yeah, of course. I’ll do whatever needs to be done.” And he would. This was his family and he loved them. One of the things that made them special was how they were there for each other. While sometimes that did come with a lot of pressure, it was something Colby was honored to be a part of. Sometimes it was confusing how those two things could coexist, but then, he figured that was part of being human. “Vince will do whatever needs to be done too.”
“Holden and I still have jobs for the next week and a half, but the kids will help, and we’ll be there every spare moment we can,” Roe assured them.
“Scott and I will do the same,” Jackie added. “Though it might’ve been smarter to stop some of the farm activities this close to the wedding. Still doing all the goat and family activities makes things difficult.”
“Yeah, but we’re Covingtons. We’ll figure it out.” Mom nodded, and everyone else couldn’t help but agree with her.
A nurse poked her head out of the emergency room. “Charles is back. A couple of you can go in.”
Roe, Jackie, and their mom headed for the door. Colby was surprised to see Dennis lingered back with him. “I’m worried about Dad.”
“He’s strong. He’ll be okay.” Colby squeezed his brother’s shoulder.
“It’s not just the foot and concussion. I work with him more closely than you do. He’s slowing down more than he wants to admit. I see him wincing in pain more than he wants to let on. He’s been hard on his body all his life. I just…I think we’re going to have to consider that it might be me and you heading up the bulk of the work sooner than we’d like to admit.”
Colby’s stomach tightened, but he ignored it. This was his family. His farm. Plus, he could keep brewing beer as a hobby. And the traveling…it wasn’t as if most of his family were well traveled. Why did Colby think that was something he needed? “I’m ready to do whatever needs to be done.” And while he knew it would be a family effort, he noticed that Dennis was having this conversation with him and not Roe. Their oldest brother had his own life, his own career, and Colby wanted him to have that, but he wished it hadn’t always been assumed that Colby wouldn’t want the same for himself. But then…would he have left the farm to the others to figure out? It was his family legacy. What kind of asshole did it make him to want less responsibility in it all?
He knew that if Roe was needed, he would drop everything to do what the family needed, and damned if Colby wouldn’t do the same. Roe already had his business, his life. Colby had…nothing.
But now you want Vince…you have Vince.
“Good man,” Dennis said. “I knew I could count on you. We worry about you sometimes. You’re…I don’t know how to put it…different.”