Page 57 of Horn of Plenty
“I failed your daughter, and I need to make it right. You always say, what’s done is done. But I disagree. I have to do something because I love every part of Mabel—all of her.”
Elias frowned and cocked his head to the side.
Dammit! That came out completely wrong.
“I mean,” he began, “I love every part of who she is—not her body parts. But she does have an amazing body. I love everything about her body, too.”
Fucking hell!
He raked his hands through his hair. If there was an award for going out of your way to try to get shot for falling for the farmer’s daughter, he’d win first prize.
Elias entered the room, his expression giving nothing away, and sat down on the chair at Mabel’s desk. “No,” the man replied.
Cal shifted his weight from foot to foot. “No, you’re not okay with me being in love with your daughter?” he questioned.
Elias surveyed Mabel’s room. “I never looked around in here. Sure, I’d come in to talk to her or tell her to make her bed, but I didn’t pay much attention to who she was. That’s where I failed her.” Elias pinned him with his gaze. “What’s done isn’t always done. I was wrong, Cal. I think we both were wrong when it comes to Mabel.”
Cal exhaled a sigh of relief laced with sadness. He’d underestimated her. He’d thought of her as Jamie’s little sister when she was so much more.
“I agree, sir,” he answered, surveying the cozy space.
The two of them stared at Mabel’s corkboard that not only included images of the cities she’d dreamed of visiting but the Eat Elverna logo.
“She really is something,” Elias mused.
“She is,” Cal agreed. “She deserves the world.”
The world!
He stared at the pictures as a plan formulated. A plan so crazy that it might just work.
“I have something I need to tell my daughter, and I think you do as well,” Elias said with the hint of a grin.
“And that’s where this comes in.” Cal removed his wallet from his pocket and pulled out the white rectangle.
“What’s that for?” Elias asked.
His heart pounding in his chest, Cal stared at the state flag emblem at the top of the card. “I’m calling in a favor, Mr. Muldowney. It’s time I put everything on the line for Mabel.”
Elias smiled—actually smiled. Who knew the guy had such nice teeth?
“Any chance an old-timer like me can get in on that?” his boss inquired.
Cal held the man’s gaze as fireworks that could put the Fourth of July to shame erupted inside of him. He was a man on a mission—and failure was not an option.
Mabel would never see this coming.
“Done,” he answered, and they didn’t have a second to lose.
