Headcanon time! (to explain why I view Hike as a father figure)
Ever since I layed eyes on Green Bean- I mean Sheriff Hike, I adored the idea that he is Hitch’s father but not in the sense of literally being Hitch’s father. After many years of being head sheriff from a long lineage of ancestors, he was planning on having his son (Hitch’s actual father) be the next in line with being sheriff. Something happened however and left hitch alone and left Hike to pick him up to be his father figure. Over many years Hitch grew with Hike, leaving him unaware that Hike isn’t his father but rather his grandfather. Took a while before he told him but now he just casually goes by both names.
Idk something I thought about as I adored the idea of him having a father figure like Sheriff Hike, I thought it was rather sweet.