Faith turned back to the front and began to swing her legs. Violet looked at her, smiled, and then matched her. Damn, that woman was amazing. She'd make an amazing mom, too. I wanted to say better than Meredith, but I kinda couldn't. Meredith had helped make Faith, and she was a damned good kid, which meant my ex had to have done something right.
When the service was finally over, a few people stopped by to introduce themselves. I knew it was just because of the sermon, and the good feelings wouldn't last very long, but it was a start. Ash complimented an older lady's broach. Cy looked a little overwhelmed with the amount of attention, so Violet stepped up.
Like a professional - because she was - that woman charmed anyone who didn't run away from her. She smiled at them in a way that made people smile back unconsciously. The whole time, she kept glancing over to Faith, including her in all of it. At some point, Dan clasped my shoulder and escaped out the other side, but I wasn't leaving my friends.
No, my family.
Because this felt like a lot more than just friends. Those three had become my lifeline, and I knew I'd be nowhere without them. They were the most beautiful people in the room - by a long shot - and they weremine. Well, two of them were. The third, I was still working on, but Cy had already agreed to go riding with me today. I'd thought about taking Faith with us, but decided against it. I needed a moment with that man alone. There were things I needed to say, and her young ears certainly didn't need to hear them.
Unfortunately, getting so much attention wasn't a good thing. Hearing a man clear his throat behind me, I turned, already knowing what I'd find. Sure enough, Paul Simmons stood there with his arms crossed, glaring at me.
"What kind of example are you giving your daughter, Luke?" he asked.
Maybe it was because I'd been spending too much time with Ash. It could've been a little of that pride Violet had given me back. Mostly, it was just that I'd spent too many years kissing this man's ass and didn't have to anymore.
"I'm teaching her that tolerance is a godly thing, Mr. Simmons. What about you? Where's the bigotry in the Bible, because I seem to have missed that part?"
"That smart mouth of yours is why you'll never be more than a farmhand, boy," he snapped.
I just shifted to stand up in his face. "Property manager of Southwind. That's a whole lot more than the guy who feeds cows. Don't ever think I regret it. And this smart mouth is what got me the job. Right about the time I told Violet Dawson that she's sitting on a hundred acres of coastal hay."
Paul's jaw clenched in anger. "You lied to my face."
"Yes, sir. Same way you lied to hers." And I wasn't about to step back. "She's not selling, Mr. Simmons. That woman doesn't want your money because she's got plenty of her own. Forget about her land. Plant a hedge so you don't have to see what goes on over there. Not our problem, but Southwind is going to open again, and you can't stop us."
"I suggest you think hard about that, Luke. I really don't need any more reasons to help Meredith out with her legal issues."
I had to struggle not to laugh. All the mistakes I'd made since I met these people had taught me one single thing. They knew how to win. So long as I trusted them, they would find a way to make things happen. And I did. I trusted the entire rainbow without hesitation.
"Do what you need to do, Mr. Simmons," I said. "I'm a good father, and my daughter's in a safe and stable home. I've got nothing to be ashamed of."
"We'll see about that," he grumbled before turning away.
"Dad?" Faith asked.
"It's ok, cupcake," I promised.
"Why does he hate you now?" she pressed.
"Because he wants to buy Southwind and make it a housing development. He wants to take away all the good things there so he can get a little more money."
"You should've spit on him," she muttered before turning back to Violet.
Yeah, I should've. Hell, I might next time, but not in church. Not today. Instead, I leaned in toward Violet's ear. "Hey, keep an eye on Faith for a minute?"
She looked back. "Sure."
Then, clutching my hat in my hands, I headed to the front where the pastor was talking to an older gentleman. The pair laughed, but David spotted me before I reached him. Making his excuses, he stepped away from the man and met me at the end of the aisle.
"Luke." He grinned. "What did you think? Maybe a few less fights at the grill?"
"Here's hoping," I said. "Um, is there any way I can talk to you in private? Violet's watching Faith."
"Sure." He gestured to a door at the side. "Step into my office. Ok, it's really more of a storage area, but..." And he opened the door, letting me go in first.
Files, folders, and paperwork was scattered around. Clearly, David wasn't an organized kind of man, but I had a feeling there was some kind of order to his chaos. Mostly because the chairs at the side were clear and available to use. I gestured to one, so David made it clear that I should take it. Then he sat down in the other.
"What's the official stance on homosexuality?" I asked.
