Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 73043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
I would have wanted to know.
I would’ve stopped it moments after finding out had I known.
“I made myself a promise when you were younger that if you were dead set on doing something, I wouldn’t get in your way. I wouldn’t try to persuade you from taking a different road, and I definitely wouldn’t stop you if you were bound and determined to make it happen,” he said into the quiet cab. “Did it kill me that you were marrying a man I disliked? Yes. But Tegan wasn’t a bad guy. He was just too power hungry when it came to his job. He would’ve provided for you. I’d watched the two of you together, and he made you laugh. And, honestly?”
“I always want honest, Dad,” I teased.
Even if it hurt.
“Tegan was just trying to make a name for himself,” he started. “I disliked him. I wasn’t sure if that was due to him being a douche bag at work, or because I hated him with you. So, to keep my emotions from getting the better of me, I chose not to tell you anything. I wanted you to make your own informed decision. And if you thought he was bad, you would’ve stopped it. I trust your judgment. And, eventually, I would’ve gotten over it.”
I pursed my lips.
Dammit, I hated when he treated me like an adult!
“Sometimes, Daddy, I want you to tell me when I’m doing something you don’t like,” I pointed out. “You would’ve had to have him at every family dinner, reunion, school function. He would’ve been there forever.”
He winked. “If it’d have been too painful, I would’ve told you so.” He shuddered then. “But I didn’t think about him being there for Christmas dinner and shit. I would’ve hated to ask him how he liked his eggs.”
I sighed and rolled my eyes.
“I guess now’s a good time to tell you what I know.”
He hummed his agreement, and I buckled down and told my father everything that Rafe said I could safely share.
Rafe hadn’t spared a single detail of his investigation, but he also trusted me with it all. He knew I wouldn’t react badly…unlike my father who would be very interested in the case because of his time in the military.
“So, Elspeth is just part of his investigation?”
“Yeah,” I confirmed. “She pulled a ‘While You Were Sleeping’ on him and acted like they were engaged. He didn’t know any different, so he didn’t contradict her.”
“How did she know he was there?”
That had been a question on my mind, too.
“We don’t know,” I said. “He said he’d ask her, but he didn’t just burn that bridge last night, he set fire to the whole village. I’m not sure what he’s going to be able to find out from her at this point.”
My dad grunted and took a turn that led to the back of Free property where they’d built the indoor gun range.
“He remembers everything now?”
I nodded.
“And you’re sure you want to date a forty-something-year-old man?”
I grinned. “Yeah.”
He stayed quiet for a few long moments, clearly trying to decide what he should say next.
And eventually decided to just say it.
“Janie,” my father hesitated. “I don’t think you have any clue what you’re getting yourself into here.” He pursed his lips as he pulled into the parking spot directly in front of the main door, then shut the truck off. “Rafe’s intense. He’s pissed off all the time, and I have a feeling he might try to work some of that anger out with you.”
I blinked, staring blankly at the wall.
“I know exactly what I’m getting into, Dad,” I said, surprised that my father would broach any subject that had to do with sex. If the subject strayed too close to that edge, he shied away. Not that he couldn’t talk about it to everyone else, it was just when it came to his kids that he got uncomfortable. My aunt Cheyenne and my mother were the ones that opened that can of worms. If I wanted to know anything at all about sex, I could talk to any number of women in the family. All of them were very open with anything pertaining to sex.
Yet, hearing my father say it to me made me quite uncomfortable. Which he could tell that I was, too.
“Just…think about it, okay?” he said softly. “Think before you act. Don’t dive before you know what’s under the surface. You may not like what you find, and you might be too far in to save yourself.”
I didn’t reply to that, but that was due in part to the fact that he’d gotten out and slammed the door.
I got out moments later and shut my door, then headed to the back seat where my father had stashed whatever guns he was using that day.