Page 65 of Crashing the Altar
Teeth clenched, I forced myself to breathe through my nose until I calmed enough to turn around and face my father.
“Surely you remember what it’s like to be a newlywed.”
His response came in the form of an unimpressed grunt. Jett Sullivan was a man of few words, and right now, I’d like nothing more than for him to keep his trap shut.
“You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
Guess today wasn’t my lucky day.
“It’s all fun and games when you’re running around on the rodeo circuit with your girl. Trust me, I know. You get lulled into this false sense ofsecurity, making the moment when reality comes crashing down that much more jarring.”
“How about I worry about my marriage, and you worry about yours?” I pushed past where he stood on the threshold of the room and moved toward Tank’s stall.
Dad’s footsteps echoed behind me. “That’s easier said than done with how your marriage came about.”
I spun on him. “Don’t you dare give me shit about shooting my shot before it was too late.”
“You want the truth of it? I’ve never been prouder than when you stood up and fought for what you wanted.”
Pinching the bridge of my nose to ward off the headache brewing behind my eyes, I asked, “Then what’s the problem?”
“Instead of facing the repercussions of your outburst and Penny’s choice to put a halt to that wedding head-on like adults, the two of you ran off like children and couldn’t even wait one day before you got married.”
“That’s what this is about?” I scoffed. “You’re upset that we decided not to delay the inevitable? Because make no mistake, be it a day, a week, or a year, Penny was going to end up my wife.”
He dragged a hand over the stubble lining his jaw. “Look, son. I love Penny like a daughter—”
“Her last name’s Sullivan. Sheisyour daughter,” I corrected.
“You’re right,” he conceded. “But you can’t seriously stand there and tell me rushing into marriage was your idea. When you were little, that girl was literally your mouthpiece. You didn’t speak until you were four because she took it upon herself to tell us everything you needed before you had the chance to do it yourself. And there hasn’t been a single time you wound up in trouble that she wasn’t the driving force.”
A warning growl worked its way through my chest. “Watch it. You’re treading on dangerous ground talking about my wife like that.”
He blew out a frustrated breath. “Honestly, I blame myself. I thought I was doing a good thing, working myself to the bone to build up this ranch for you, for your sister, and now, for Reagan. But instead, all it did was allow you to think that life—and marriage—is a game. You’ve never known the weight of true responsibility.”
Throwing my arms wide, I gestured to the space around us. “Excuse me? I’ve been out here working on this ranch or out on the road with our horses every day of my life since I was six.”
“Where would you be, and what would you do if it weren’t for this ranch, hmm? Every dollar that sits in your bank account comes from checks thatIsign. You’re playing house with your bride undermyroof.”
More than ever, I wished I’d saidfuck it alland stayed in bed with my wife today.
I crossed both arms over my chest. “Done yet?”
“What I’m tryin’ to say is that, at almost thirty, you’re barely responsible for yourself. How in the hell do you expect to take on the responsibility of a wife?”
“What would you have me do?” My voice rose in volume as anger surged. “Move off the ranch and try to find a job in town? Divorce my wife?” Pulse pounding in my ears, I forced myself to pull in a steadying breath. “I am what you raised me to be. You’ve spent my whole life teaching me how to work this land, to care for the animals we raise. And now you’re gonna stand there and tell me that because I’m walking a pathyouchose for me, I’m somehow unprepared to handle the weight of adult responsibilities?”
Dad’s jaw tightened. “Already said this is my fault.”
“Then what’s the point of this lecture?”
He dropped onto a hay bale and rested his forearms on his spread knees. “My pop passed long before I made it to your age. So, when I married your mama, I didn’t know the first thing about being a husband. I was young and in love, living my best life out on the same circuit you’ve been runnin’ around on with Penny. I felt invincible, like nothing could touch me.” He shook his head ruefully. “Boy, was I wrong. Life came crashing down hard and knocked me right on my ass. Took a long time before I found my footing again.”
I assumed he was going somewhere with this, so I remained silent.
“A lesser woman would have looked at that broken man with barely a penny to his name and no way to provide for his family and left. But not your mama. She stuck by my side and nursed me back to health—even though she was suffering herself. She didn’t bat an eyelash when I put us into debt up to our eyeballs, nor when I showed her the run-down cabin that would become our new home.
“By no means am I suggesting that I want you to struggle like we did. But I fear you’re unprepared for the strain that life will inevitably put on your marriage because you’ve never known true hardship.”
