Carson stared out his office window at the late afternoon sun filtering through the towering Ponderosa Pines. The noise of the office was settling down as a typical busy Thursday came to an end but he could still feel the tension from his earlier meetings with his sons Gabe and Rafe. His shoulders felt tight with the tension and the words spoken in anger.
Rafe had made a point of stomping out of his father’s office fifteen minutes earlier. His parting words still ringing in Carson’s ears. “Your foolishness old man will not be tolerated much longer, I don’t care how rich you are. I will see you declared incompetent before I allow you to disband this law firm you’ve spent the last forty plus years establishing.”
Gabe had nodded his head, vigorously agreeing with his twin but for once, not vocalizing his opinion. His stocky frame bursting out of his suit seams. Gabe had remained uncharacteristically silent during the meeting but Carson had not failed to notice the quizzical and plotting look behind Gabe’s eyes throughout the heated conversation.
Carson sat in his chair staring at the filtered light as late afternoon slowly slipped into early evening reflecting on his life and career choices. He was an imposing figure in the legal community, a living legend was how he was often referred to in local newspaper and magazine articles. But more than once he had heard the whispers about a living fossil who didn’t know when to retire. Those hushed whispers made Carson smile fondly remembering a time when he too had thought the same about the old guard lawyers in the community.
Dove wandered into the office and wound herself between Carson’s long, out stretched legs before jumping onto his lap. Dove was Carson’s cat and a not so unusual visitor to the law office here in Smithson. This morning the cat had decided that today was her day to spend in the office and Carson had found her asleep at his car door when he left for the office that morning. Dove was an old, pewter gray cat that had one day attached herself to Carson when he was in town. That was over ten years ago and in that time, the two had slowly become inseparable.
Most days Dove stayed at the ranch, content to spend her days napping in front of the fireplace in Carson’s library. He’d often return home to find Dove purring in her sleep and find himself smiling for no reason other than her reliable presence. The ranch house was just outside of the sleepy town of Smithson, about a ten to fifteen minute drive depending on weather.
The ranch had been restored by his younger sister Rita over thirty years ago. The house was large enough to provide the entire extended family with privacy without being ostentatious. The ranch was a working ranch, although nothing like it once was. Carson left the everyday running of the ranch to Rita, and if he were honest with himself, he had let Rita raise his four children. She had done an excellent job given the challenges of living in a remote region of Northern Arizona with a father who was absent for long periods of time.
Carson shook his head, forcing himself back into the present as he petted Dove’s silky back. “Old girl, what am I going to do about those hell raising twins?” In response, Dove head butted his hand back into petting her. “Oh how I wish it were that simple, a head butt and the boys would come to their senses.” There was a wistful quality to Carson’s voice as it echoed off the walls of the now deserted office. The only response was the sound of Dove’s purring.
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