eyes filled with tears as she squeezed his hand, ' and make yourselves a good life here '
Don't talk like that, Daddy ' She could hardly talk through her tears, as she brushed his cheek with her own and carefully kissed his brow. It was cold and damp and clammy and she sat back to look at him again. You're the only man I want. But for a crazy moment, she wanted to tell him about Spencer, that she had seen someone she liked ' liked too much ' and could have fallen in love with. But he was only a dream, like the movie stars on her bedroom walls. Spencer Hill was never real in the life of Crystal Wyatt. Get some sleep now. It was the only thing to say to him, just talking for a few minutes had left him breathless and exhausted. I love you, Daddy. She whispered the words as his eyes fluttered closed, and then they opened again and he looked at her and smiled.
I love you too, little girl. You'll always be my ' little girl ' sweet, sweet Crystal ' And with that his eyes drifted closed again, and he looked peaceful as he slept, and she held his hand and watched him. She sat back in her chair, still holding his hand in her own, and a few minutes later she drifted off, exhausted by the strain of watching him day after day, and when she awoke, the sky was gray and the room was cold, and her father had died, holding her hand. His last words and his last thoughts and his last good-bye were to Crystal. Her eyes flew wide as she realized that he was gone, and she gently tucked his hand in beside him, and with a last look through eyes blinded by tears, she left the room and closed the door, and without saying a word to anyone, she ran as fast as she could to the river. She was crying openly, her body racked by sobs, and she stayed there for a long time, and when she came back, her mother was crying loudly in the kitchen, as Minerva stood silently making coffee. They had found him.
Your father's dead. She said the words almost angrily as Crystal walked in, her face streaked with tears. It was an accusation more than a regret, as though Crystal could have stopped him. She nodded, afraid to tell them that she'd known before she left, wondering herself again if she could have done anything to keep hini from dying. She remembered his words the night before ' I want you to come back here ' He knew how much she loved the place, it was a part of her, as it had been a part of him and always would be. She would always see her father here, in this house, but more than that, on the hills, riding his horse, or riding his tractor through the vineyards.
They sent Jared into town, and the undertaker came out to get Tad later that morning, and his friends and neighbors went to pay their final respects as his wife and mother-in-law stood by, shaking hands and crying. Olivia glanced at Tom gratefully through her tears ' as Crystal tried to repress her own hatred of him. The thought of his running the ranch now made her shudder. But Crystal couldn't even think of that, all she could think of was the man she had loved. Her father. He was gone now, and she was left, frightened and bereft among strangers.
The funeral was the next day, and he was buried in a clearing near the river. It was a place that Crystal knew well. She went there often to sit and think, or swim, and it comforted her to think of her father nearby, keeping watch over her. She knew he would always be with her. And that afternoon, she disappeared for a while and went to visit Hiroko. Her baby was due in a few weeks and she stood up slowly as Crystal walked soundlessly into their living room. Her eyes told their own tale, and Boyd had told her that Tad Wyatt had finally died. She had longed to be able to go to Crystal, but knew there was no way she could. They wouldn't have let her in to see her. And now there she was, looking like a broken child, as she began to sob and held her arms out to Hiroko. Her heart ached as she cried. Without her father, life would never be the same again. He had
Don't talk like that, Daddy ' She could hardly talk through her tears, as she brushed his cheek with her own and carefully kissed his brow. It was cold and damp and clammy and she sat back to look at him again. You're the only man I want. But for a crazy moment, she wanted to tell him about Spencer, that she had seen someone she liked ' liked too much ' and could have fallen in love with. But he was only a dream, like the movie stars on her bedroom walls. Spencer Hill was never real in the life of Crystal Wyatt. Get some sleep now. It was the only thing to say to him, just talking for a few minutes had left him breathless and exhausted. I love you, Daddy. She whispered the words as his eyes fluttered closed, and then they opened again and he looked at her and smiled.
I love you too, little girl. You'll always be my ' little girl ' sweet, sweet Crystal ' And with that his eyes drifted closed again, and he looked peaceful as he slept, and she held his hand and watched him. She sat back in her chair, still holding his hand in her own, and a few minutes later she drifted off, exhausted by the strain of watching him day after day, and when she awoke, the sky was gray and the room was cold, and her father had died, holding her hand. His last words and his last thoughts and his last good-bye were to Crystal. Her eyes flew wide as she realized that he was gone, and she gently tucked his hand in beside him, and with a last look through eyes blinded by tears, she left the room and closed the door, and without saying a word to anyone, she ran as fast as she could to the river. She was crying openly, her body racked by sobs, and she stayed there for a long time, and when she came back, her mother was crying loudly in the kitchen, as Minerva stood silently making coffee. They had found him.
Your father's dead. She said the words almost angrily as Crystal walked in, her face streaked with tears. It was an accusation more than a regret, as though Crystal could have stopped him. She nodded, afraid to tell them that she'd known before she left, wondering herself again if she could have done anything to keep hini from dying. She remembered his words the night before ' I want you to come back here ' He knew how much she loved the place, it was a part of her, as it had been a part of him and always would be. She would always see her father here, in this house, but more than that, on the hills, riding his horse, or riding his tractor through the vineyards.
They sent Jared into town, and the undertaker came out to get Tad later that morning, and his friends and neighbors went to pay their final respects as his wife and mother-in-law stood by, shaking hands and crying. Olivia glanced at Tom gratefully through her tears ' as Crystal tried to repress her own hatred of him. The thought of his running the ranch now made her shudder. But Crystal couldn't even think of that, all she could think of was the man she had loved. Her father. He was gone now, and she was left, frightened and bereft among strangers.
The funeral was the next day, and he was buried in a clearing near the river. It was a place that Crystal knew well. She went there often to sit and think, or swim, and it comforted her to think of her father nearby, keeping watch over her. She knew he would always be with her. And that afternoon, she disappeared for a while and went to visit Hiroko. Her baby was due in a few weeks and she stood up slowly as Crystal walked soundlessly into their living room. Her eyes told their own tale, and Boyd had told her that Tad Wyatt had finally died. She had longed to be able to go to Crystal, but knew there was no way she could. They wouldn't have let her in to see her. And now there she was, looking like a broken child, as she began to sob and held her arms out to Hiroko. Her heart ached as she cried. Without her father, life would never be the same again. He had
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