“Hi, Da—”
“Put that two-bit sheriff on. I assume he’s there.”
Jaw ticking, eyes steadfast, Kade studies the road. I can almost hear his thoughts as his expression becomes more detached. “I’m here, Mr. Gainsborough. How can I help you?”
“Bring my daughter to my hotel. Immediately.”
“She doesn’t want to go, sir.” Brows raised, his gaze flicks to mine.
I’d rather have a wisdom tooth pulled. Hell, all four at once without anesthesia.
While I nod at the driver, the burner’s cheap speaker distorts. “That’s irrelevant. I’m paying for her attorney. If she wants to avoid jail, she needs to stay here with us so we can protect her. We’ve got a shrink on-site. This isn’t your area of expertise, son. One minute she’ll be fine, the next she’ll be bleeding on your couch or passed out from too many sleeping pills.”
Boom! Much like a flashbang, his words explode in my lap.
Cheeks burning, chest tight, I hold my stomach. No doubt Dad wanted to humiliate me by sharing my dirty secret, but he’s too late. I already shared my past and my lover was fine with it.
Once my father finishes maligning my emotional health, cool Kade saunters in. “Did you know Briana rescued me in Afghanistan?”
“What does—”
“I heard you out. Give me the courtesy of doing the same.” His curt, dry command leaves no room for argument. “She not only saved my life, but hundreds of troops during her time as a Navy pilot. Until recently, she’s been drop-shipping food to places trucks can’t reach — including some of the most dangerous zones on the planet. She is one of the bravest women I have ever met.”
His praise hits me dead center, but he doesn’t stop there. “She’s got balls of steel, sir. You couldn’t be more wrong about her. If you can’t understand who your daughter is, you’re not doing her any favors by being here. Go home. Take your counselor with you, if you must. However, if you — or any member of your family — tie up my work phone again, I will have you arrested. Am I clear?”
After a long, stunning lack of sound, my dad grumbles something rude, but it couldn’t matter less. Sheriff O'Malley, already my hero, just captured more of my heart. When was the last time anyone stood up for me? The tears I’ve been holding back slip free.
Facing the window, I swipe at them before they turn into sobs. Once I have the unwanted emotions zipped back in place, I risk a glance at him.
“Did you mean what you said?”
“Why else would I say it?” Typical Kade, he lets a soft laugh escape.
“No reason.” It’s just so foreign, I can’t quite accept it.
Tilting his head, he glances at me. “Has your father always been like this?”
“Yeah, especially after I was diagnosed with depression, but I had good reasons. I was being bullied.”
My rescuer shifts in his seat. “He’s just so damn…”
“Adamant?”
“Obsessive was the word I was going for.”
I nod. “Yeah, you nailed it. My grandmother, my dad’s mom… committed suicide when he was still a teenager. He never dealt with it. Instead, he made me the problem. My siblings? They simply go along with it from habit.”
Exhaling, I try to explain my enigmatic family dynamics. “Don’t take this the wrong way — I love them. All of them. But whenever they get too close, they’re toxic. Does this make any sense?”
“It didn’t before.” His softened countenance flicks off the road. “Now, I’m beginning to understand.”
“Thank you.” A warm feeling grows inside my chest, radiating outward.
“For what?” Of course, he’s clueless.
“Standing up for me. Taking me home…”Making me fall in love with you.
The conversation subsides into the kind of quiet no one would want to ruin — where you don’t have to talk solely to be heard. Sometimes, the space between words says everything.
