Chapter 367

Pearl sat up late that night, wondering what Janie could possibly be talking about. What was Cloud Ranch? And what did Rhys and Erik have to do with anything?

She decided to start with Rhys. He was at least on decent terms with her. She sent him a text.

"Rhys, it's Pearl. Can you call me when you get a chance. Not urgent." She sent it.

A couple of minutes later, her phone rang.

"Hello Pearl. How are you?" Rhys asked.

"I am okay, thank you. Hope you are well also." She said. "Sorry to bother you this early in the morning."

"No I was awake, no worries. What's up?" He asked.

"Well, this is going to seem truly weird, but, what is your relationship with Dylan?" She asked.

There was hesitation on the line. "Rhys?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm here. Did Dylan talk to you about it?" He asked.

"A little. And John and Janie. I'm just calling to see how it's going, you know?" She said, lying. She had no idea what she was talking about.

"Pearl, it's going well. If you talked to Dylan about it, you'd know. I'm 126 days sober, I'm still in therapy and I'm volunteering at the ranch still on the weekends. And when I feel the urge to do self damaging things, I still call him. But it's less now. I've taken on an acting role and I feel I'm making healthier choices." He said.

"Call him?" She asked.

"Yes. Dylan had helped me through it all. My diagnosis, my sobriety. Shit, I mean, that's why he bought and made the ranch in the first place."

He said.

"Right." She said.

"He's my light, man. My buddy. Really. He saved my life, big time. And what he's done for Erik… man." He continued.

"Erik?" She asked.

"Yeah. He's there now, in Wyoming. He got the approval from the court to leave the country. Don't ask me how. Anyway, he's doing great. A regular cowboy I hear. He's sober too. And dealing with his sex addiction." Rhys went on more and explained how Dylan had reached out to him after his last confrontation with Erik and had been a guiding light. But he couldn't say anything. That was the deal. Pure confidentially. Both ways. And how Dylan had offered him counseling and a work program on his ranch. It had saved his life.

"But Fi told me you were buying some ranch and retiring?" She said.

"She was half telling the truth." Rhys said.

"Yeah while you were out marrying the king and having babies, he was out building mental health alternatives and getting his counseling license. Proud of him." Rhys said. Pearl thanked him and told him she was happy for him. She hung up the phone and sighed. What was Dylan's purpose behind all of this? She picked up her phone again and texted him.

"Come to see me at Highgrove when you have the time." She wrote.

"I can be there tomorrow." Dylan texted back.