Page 84 of If You Loved Me

My father shook his head. “I still don’t understand what possessed him to choose that ranch of all places. If he is going to change his career, I would have preferred for him to at least associate with good people.”

I nearly laughed at his comment, but I choked it down. It wasn’t that long ago when my parents were great friends with the Carnelles.

“They certainly had a hard fall from grace. But that’s the price one must pay when engaging in unsavory behaviors.” Her steely gaze landed on Ranger and I froze. I was givingthem a chance, but I’d be damned if we stayed a second longer if she said one word to him about his time in prison.

Thankfully, the staff made their rounds with the pot roast, filling the center of our dishes with meat, potatoes, carrots, and a thin red wine sauce. My mouth watered. The savory aromas were a nice distraction from my reeling thoughts.

Glancing at Ranger, he didn’t seem to mind my mother’s eyes on him. He was already digging into the food. We all ate in silence for a short while and I hated that I didn’t know what to talk to my parents about. Not having been around them for so long, I had no idea what was going on in their lives. I didn’t even know where to start with asking them either.

“Ranger, do tell us about this ranch of yours. Has the land been in your family for long?”

He set his fork and knife down and wiped his mouth with the napkin before speaking. “It has, ma’am. Five generations. My father passed it on to me when he died in combat. I’ve been working hard to turn it into something great ever since.”

My mother’s delicately shaped brows rose slightly. I knew she was looking for a way in. A crack to seep through and garner information to embarrass him with.

“That’s wonderful,” my father said. “We certainly admire hard work in this family.”

I stopped chewing my food. He had to be joking. Admire hard work? I’d spent over a decade working my butt off to build my company without their help. Endless nights in the kitchen baking until I was fairly certain flour had seepedthrough my pores and entered my bloodstream.

My parents didn’t admire hard work. They admired people becoming rich from aspiring in a ‘respectable’ field of work.

Ranger must have sensed my growing tension because he slipped his hand over my lower thigh under the table. His touch soothed my fried nerves, reminding me that I wasn’t here to fight.

My mother leaned back in her chair, food hardly touched, but the wine glass she held in her hand was already half empty.

“So, Sarah, why don’t you tell us how long you two have been seeing one another?”

I stole a glance at Ranger, his expression was calm. “Um.” I looked back at my mother. “We had our first date about two months ago now.”

My mother’s face turned serious. “Two months.”

I swallowed. “Yes.”

She leaned forward, wine glass still in hand. “So you were already seeing him when we made our little arrangement?”

The room seemed to be getting smaller, but I kept my focus on Ranger’s hand over my thigh. I could do this. I could get through this dinner.

“Ranger already knows that I was seeing Jones at your request, mom. So, if you’re trying to rattle us with that reveal, you’re too late.” The words seemed far away as I said them, but my voice was strong.

“Rattle you?” she scoffed. “Darling, you’ve already beenrattled enough to decide it would be a wise idea to throw everything away and chase after a convict. You’re a foolish child. Always have been.”

I gaped at her. Ranger’s soothing circles over my leg stopped. I looked at my father, but he was staring straight ahead of himself toward the other end of the table.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I seethed. “I came here thinking that you might have seen the error in your ways. That you had a change of heart and would finally be willing to put your bullshit expectations and prejudices aside.”

Fury burned in my mother’s eyes. “You degraded yourself the moment you started talking to him!” She pointed right at Ranger’s chest.

Enough. I’d had enough of her outrageous view of the world. I was sick and tired of being in the firing line for my choices and there was no way in hell I was going to make Ranger endure this any longer.

“Fuck you,” I seethed, glaring at her before shifting my gaze toward my father. “Fuck both of you.”

“You better watch your tone when you are under my roof.” It seemed my father had finally joined the conversation. Not that it mattered at this point.

I rose from my seat, Ranger followed suit and just as I was about to open my mouth to give a retort, his large hand settled on my shoulder. A wordless demand. And then he spoke.

“Sarah loves you both, despite what you’ve put her through over the years. She came here tonight with hope in her heart that things might be different between you. I’vebeen used to folks like you having an opinion about me my entire life. So, say what you want about me. But let me make myself clear.” He took a moment to look both of them in their eyes. “I will not tolerate you speaking to my woman in the manner you’ve done tonight. As you know, I’m a dangerous man when provoked. So, I suggest you both keep quiet while we make our exit.”

Tears of frustration started rolling down my face as Ranger stepped behind his chair and made room for me. I gave my parents one final glance before we rounded the dining room wall and left.

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