Under The Southern Sky (ON HOLD)

Chapter 1

I stood, for the last time, staring out the big picture window of the building I'd called home for the last ten years, waiting on my dad's best friend to arrive.

That would be Hank Watkins. He was coming all the way in from Canadian, TX, the town of my birth and the place which I was heading back to.

Hank and his son, Tuck, or Tucker, had been taking care of the upkeep so I wouldn't have so much to do when I took possession of it.

Speaking of Tuck, I couldn't wait to see him.  I mean we talked and texted all the time, but the last moment I'd laid eyes on him was three years ago. 

We practically grew up together and he'd always treated me like his little sister and to be seein him all the time was gonna be awesome.

My dad, Jeb Harrison, passed away six days ago and today was his wake. He and my mother, Carla, who passed away six months ago, were cremated and I was going to be taking them home, to Canadian, tomorrow.

Daddy and mama both had wanted their ashes scattered over my land, by the pond and even though I'd never been to the ranch, I knew I would recognize it anywhere from his description.

It was hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that me, Mercy Rae Harrison, was the owner of a two hundred acre ranch, but according to my dad's last will and testament, that was exactly it.

He'd bought the old Gibson place and set it up in my name and his only request, was that I go back home, to my roots, settle down and meet a nice cowboy.

Lord have mercy! I'm too independent to want a man, but then again, I'd never met one I cared to be tied down too.

Bubba Brady was as close as it got and I swear y'all, that idiot was a no go. Hell to the no! He thought a woman's place was in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant.

Uh, hello! I'm twenty-three and settling down like that is not for me, not right now.

I've got a ranch, a horse, some cattle, family and new people to meet. This is my time to start livin and that's what I'm gonna do.

I saw Hank's F150 Supercab pull into the driveway, excited I bound down the front porch and jumped into his arms, before he got all the way out of the truck.

Hank grabbed me and swung me around, his weathered face breaking into a smile made just for me.

"I swear girl if you don't get prettier every time I see you" Hank said grinning.  Then his smile slowly faded as I knew he was thinking about dad.

"Ya know, he really loved havin you as a friend, Hank.  He missed you too, him and mama.  I just wished..." My voice trailed off as I turned my head, not wanting the older man to see me cryin.

"Hey now, little filly" Hank said, drawing me into his arms.  I loved that nickname.  Tuck had started it, trying to tease me to death, but it stuck and now I considered it a term of endearment.

"I'm sorry Hank.  I just know that if mama hadn't gone first and daddy passed, she was strong enough to survive the loss, but daddy?  I swear that woman was the glue that held him together.

You know the doctors could never find anything physically wrong with him?  I figured his heart just broke is all.  He loved her more than life itself."

I wouldn't tell Hank, but the first couple of weeks after daddy died, I was pissed.  He did love her more than life and more than me, because he didn't will himself strong enough to life.

But then I got to thinkin, if I'd been married to the same person for thirty-five years and all of a sudden they were gone, how would I feel?

"Ya ready, little filly?"  I wasn't, but I nodded my head yes.  I locked up the house and we climbed into Hank's truck and took off for Restland Funeral home.

The place was full of daddy's friends and coworkers, all had their own story to tell about the impact my father had on their lives.

As I listened to each story, my gaze was locked on the picture DVD that was playing on a loop.

The funeral home had asked if I wanted them to create one, but I was selfish.  I wanted to do it myself, because I knew I could capture their lives better than anyone.

I put music together with it; some of both their favorite songs by Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, George Strait, The Judds and a few more.

Each song fit with the picture, telling a story of their lives and mine.  I found a lot of family BBQ pics and laughed at Hank when we came across ones with Tuck, when he was a little turd and knew it.

When it was finally over, I collected my DVD, some plants that people bought for my new place and the last few memorial cards, and we clambered up into the cab of Hank's truck and headed back to the house.

I held daddy's urn in my lap, marveling at how such a big man could be reduced enough to fit into the container.  That was it.  I lost it.

"I'm gonna miss him so much Hank.  It's not fair and I don't know what I'm gonna do without the both of them" I cried, looking out the window.

I could feel Hank's weathered hand come to rest on mine and then his sage advice rang out.

"You're gonna come home, let your family surround you and you're gonna get through it.  One day at a time.

Some days will be easy, some days will be harder than hell, and those are the days when you lean on Tuck and me.  We'll see ya through, Mercy Rae.  That's what family is."

I nodded.  He was right and there wasn't a better time to be goin back home, than right now.  I sure didn't want to deal with this alone.  Both parents gone within six months of each other.

I wiped the tears from my eyes, turned to Hank and said "I got us some BBQ from Marshall's and I made you a homemade apple pie."

He patted his stomach as we turned into my driveway.  "You always did know the way to my heart little filly.  Sounds good.  I'm starving" he said smiling.

We sat down at the bar, everything was packed that I was takin, the rest was going to a local charity that helped folks get back on their feet.

Cots would be our beds tonight, and the early morning would be here before we knew it, but sleep would come hard as I tried to settle my mind.

Soon enough Fort Worth would be in my rear view and even though I didn't know what the future held, I was looking forward to finding out what new things life had in store for me.