Bab 368: Chapter 368
Pearl was in the kitchen with the kids the next morning when Dylan arrived.
"Hey there little man." He said to Christian as he messed his hair.
"Hewwo unca Dywan." Christian said as he gave him a big hug, then ran outside.
Pearl sat at the small kitchen table in the breakfast nook and offered Dylan a seat. He smiled and sat down.
"So, how are you?" He asked.
"Cloud Ranch." She said. Dylan's eyes widened as he took a long sip of coffee.
He cleared his throat.
"Dylan, what is going on? What have you been up to behind the scenes of my life?" She asked.
"Well, since we aren't serving small talk this morning for breakfast, let's get right to it." He said. He repositioned himself to an upright posture and began to explain it all.
"The idea hit me on our last tour. When Sebastian came to help you. When you were distraught. I overheard you mention something about Rhys. After the tour, I went and found him, fully planning on making sure he never entered your life again." He explained. "And when I found him, he was in the bowels of hell. He had blown several jobs, he was drinking. Drugs. He looked like shit. He invited me in and basically told me that if I was there to kill him, cool. He then proceeded to tell me everything he knew about Erik. That he had confronted you." He said.
"So how does a ranch in Wyoming play into this?" She asked.
"It didn't, right away. I remember feeling bad for Rhys, even though I hated the smug bastard. Anyway, a few weeks later it all came to me." He said, taking about sip of his coffee.
"What came to you?" She asked.
He leaned in closer to her and looked into her eyes. "That you might not end up with any of these men. That you might want a home someday, a real home. One you never had. I felt this thing come over me, a vision if you want to call it that. You and I, on this porch, over looking a large area of land, our hands intertwined and wrinkles around our eyes. Growing old, together. I felt it deep in my soul and I wanted to have a place where we could find refuge. A place all our own, where no one could hurt you anymore." He said, still looking into her eyes.
She felt her heart begin to race. "That sounds mighty presumptuous of you." She said.
He looked around the house, out the window at the kids and then back at her.
"Does it?" He asked, tucking his dark blonde hair behind his ear and biting his lower lip.
A long silence occurred between them. Dylan continued again.
"So, anyway, I decided to look at some properties. I found this spread in Wyoming, just gorgeous. A river running through it. Pristine, end-of-the-road high mountain wilderness property, over 1500 acres. It's what I imagine heaven looks like. I built a home there. A large main house lodge, a guest house, staff lodge, rancher's quarters. A music studio. There is a full cattle operation running out of it. And horses. We break, show and sell them. And I've recently added a children's playhouse." He said, again looking off at Christian and Isla in the garden.
Pearl took a deep breath. She wasn't sure if she was angry, sad, happy or creeped out.
"So let me get this straight, you did this all for me because you know we will end up together?" She asked. He smiled, with his crooked little smile and looked at her.
"No. Of course I don't know that. I just felt it. There is a difference between knowing and feeling." He said.
"So how did Rhys fall into this. And Erik?" She asked.
He nodded and sighed. "I was hiring hands and working day and night out there. It felt good, the men and I working together, building and being on the land. You were wrapped up in so much with Erik and Bash, you didn't notice me gone much. And one day an idea came to me. Men need purpose. They need it to make life worth something to them. Men like Rhys have never truly felt that. I called and asked him to come out and help. He told me no at first, but then I convinced him. He came out and in a matter of weeks, he was thriving. It all kind of became something on it's own. I decided to look into counseling. Offering it. Then decided to make the ranch something that helped with mental health. All the ranchers and staff I hire have backgrounds with mental health issues, drug and alcohol issues, etc. It has been an unbelievably therapeutic thing for them all." He explained. "What began as a home for us in a hypothetical future turned into a sanctuary for human compassion and growth. It's one of the only things I've ever been truly proud of." He said. "Other than my love for you."
She put her hand to her mouth and processed what he had told her.
"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked.
"Come on, Pearl. You and I both know that conversation wasn't necessary with all you've had going on. I didn't want to freak you out and I didn't want to tell you about Rhys or Erik or any of it. It wasn't necessary. It's just something I did to try to make your world an easier place. A better place. Rhys has been good. He hasn't bothered you. He respects you and feels terrible about everything. And Erik, well, I found him at the palace after Sebastian's accident. He was loitering outside, looking terrible. I took him for coffee and explained what I had going on with the ranch. He agreed to go and try it. And he's doing well. Very well." He said with a smile.
Pearl had no idea what to think. Or do. Or say.
"Is there anything else I don't know about you?" She asked.
"Well.. " he said, looking like he was deep in thought. "No. Not really. Let's see… You're still the only woman I've made love to, I've decided to grow a beard and I'm truly beginning to love these hard cookie things." He said, biting into a chocolate chip scone. "Nothing else. You know everything else." He said.
She looked forward and sat with him in silence for a long time.
"I want to see it." She said. "Take me there."
"To Wyoming?" He asked.
"Yes." She said.
"Alright." He said. He looked over at her and she could see the questions on his mind in his face. But it didn't matter. He would take her there and she knew it.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone