Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 100226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“Hi. I need my daddy.”
She sighs as she pulls away. “I know, baby. He’s in the backyard.”
I nod, squeeze her hand, and then walk through the house to the sliding back door, open it, and walk through.
There’s my dad, with his back to the house, his hands on his hips, looking out at the mountains beyond. He’s a tall man, like my brothers, with wide shoulders. He hasn’t lost his muscles with age, likely because, although retired, he still works his ass off out here on the ranch.
“I thought you were about to go volunteer at the hospital.” He doesn’t look back, and his voice is rough. It’s clear that he thinks I’m my mom.
“I don’t have time for that. I have to set things right with my dad.”
He whips around and takes me in with wide, startled eyes. He looks like he wants to hug me, so I just cross to him and wrap my arms around him, hugging him tight, the way I’ve done for as long as I can remember.
“I need my daddy,” I tell him firmly. “And I know you’re mad, but damn it, I love you so much, and I know you love me, too, and this whole thing is ridiculous.”
Finally, he hugs me back and kisses the top of my head, and I can sigh in relief.
“I do love you.” His voice is rougher than before, and if I’m not mistaken, it sounds like he might have tears in his eyes, but I can’t stop hugging him. “I love you more than I can ever tell you, and you know it.”
“But you won’t talk to me. You won’t listen, and you ignore me. You know I can’t stand that, Dad.”
“Hey.” He takes my shoulders in his hands and urges me back so he can look in my eyes. “I’m fucking pissed as hell. I’ve never hit you in anger, but I want to paddle your ass.”
My dad may swear, but never at me.
“You’ve made that clear.” I frown at his chest. “You can’t go the rest of my life angry and not speaking to me.”
“Are you going to divorce him?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Then yes, I fucking can.”
He turns to walk away, and I storm after him, anger boiling through my veins now.
“Dad. You’re being unreason—”
“You don’t know the half of it.” He spins to me, pinning in his hot, angry gaze. “You have no idea why I feel the way I do and why I won’t bend on this. No Lexington will ever be a part of my family. They will not set foot on my property.”
“Dad.” It’s a whisper, and I shake my head. “Why?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“No, that’s bullshit.” I prop my hands on my hips and raise my chin. “If my own father is willing to pretty much disown me, I deserve to know why.”
“Deserve?” He stares at me like I’ve just told him I’m moving to Russia. “You deserve to know why. After you snuck off and eloped and then showed up here, parading that man around in front of our faces and pretty much demanding that we just roll over and show our goddamn bellies?”
“That’s not—”
“There was no goddamn discussion, Millie. No one came and asked me for your hand. Your mother didn’t get to fuss and do whatever mothers do when their only daughter gets married. So don’t talk to me about what you deserve, little girl. Because we sure as fuck deserved more respect than what you were dishing out, and you know it.”
“You’re right.” I blink at him, and then my shoulders fall. “I didn’t handle it well. No one handled it well at all. It was a huge clusterfuck.”
It doesn’t matter that this marriage started out as a sham. It’s real now. I love him more than anything, and I’ll be damned if I’ll walk away after a year.
Not a chance in hell.
“I’m not getting divorced. If you don’t want to see my husband”—he flinches at that word—“that’s fine. We won’t come here. But you’re my father. You’ve always loved me and protected me so fiercely that I refuse to believe that you’ll have nothing to do with me. You are the first man I ever loved, and that won’t change. But you said that you were ashamed of me, and I’m here to tell you that I’m ashamed of you, too. Because you don’t know everything, and you refuse to listen. You’re so stubborn, Dad.”
“Hello, Pot.”
“Argh!” I can’t help it. I stomp my foot on the ground and fist my hands in frustration. “I love you. When you’re ready to be reasonable, you know how to find me. And when I need another hug from my dad, I’ll come find you.”
“All right, then.”
I shake my head and walk back to the house, but he says my name, stopping me.