Roping The Cowgirl's Heart

Chapter 23

Wyatt

I let out a heavy sigh as I brought the phone up to my ear. I heard the familiar voice of my old friend Daniel on the other side.

"Hey man... any news? I really need to get the ball rolling with my divorce. I'm getting desperate... Please tell me you have some good news for me..."

"Hey man, I've got an update today, but it's not exactly good news."

"What is it, Daniel? What's going on?"

"Well, you remember how we had a court date set?" Daniel paused. He sounded frustrated. "Amber's managed to get it pushed back again. The judge still hasn't ruled on our petition."

"Damn it," I muttered. "I was hoping we'd have this resolved by now. Every day that goes by is another day that we're in this mess..."

"I know, man, I know." Daniel's voice was empathetic. "Amber's lawyer is really working overtime to keep us from getting that test done. But I'm not giving up. We're gonna keep pushing."

"So far Amber has objected to everything."

"She is going to keep trying to push us back... But eventually, the court will have to make a decision."

I let out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. "I'm glad we are together in this fight, Daniel. I can't imagine going through this alone."

"Hey, I have as much interest in finding out if Amber's daughter is mine as you do..." Daniel responded. "We need to figure this out. We can't move on with our lives without knowing if she's my daughter or not... I personally don't think I can move on..."

"How does Savannah feel about this? How is she doing after all this came out?"

"She wasn't happy at all... 'Specially me keeping all of this from her..."

"I just...I can't stop thinking about her. This whole mess I got myself into, it's cost me the woman I love, and I don't know how to fix it."

Daniel was silent for a moment, the line crackling with static. "Look, Wyatt, I know things are complicated with Savannah, but you can't give up on her. Not after everything you two have been through."

"I don't know, Daniel." I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the frustration building inside me. "Savannah made it pretty clear that she needs to focus on saving her family's ranch. She's even going on a blind date, for God's sake!"

"A blind date, huh?" Daniel whistled lowly. "Ouch. That's gotta hurt."

"You're telling me." I let out a humorless chuckle. "I ran into her at the feed store today. Saw the whole thing go down with her friend Maggie. It was... not good, to put it mildly."

"Well, don't give up yet, man." Daniel's voice was firm. "If Savannah's your endgame, you can't let a ranch and some blind date stop you. You gotta fight for her, Wyatt."

"I know, I know. It's just...everything's so messed up right now. With this Amber situation, and the ranch, and Savannah..." I sighed.

"Look, why don't you come down to Clydesville for a bit?" Daniel suggested. "Get out of that small town for a while, clear your head. Maybe we can even swing by the courthouse, and see what's going on with the case."

I considered his offer, chewing on my bottom lip. "I don't know, Daniel. I'm still not fully healed from my injury. I'm also trying to help my parents out... I don't think this is a good time to leave them hanging. Especially with the ranch repairs and all."

"Ah, come on, Wyatt." Daniel chuckled. "Your old man can handle things for a few days. And I'll be here to help you get around, no problem. What do you say?"