Page 55 of The Runaway and the Rugged
“Says the person who hasn’t had to work since she was sixteen,” she teased, eliciting a surge of guilt to hit me.
“And that’s why I need to do this. For so long I’ve been stuck in this bubble surrounded by all things Nathanel, and for once, I want to work toward something, to experience that feeling of ‘I did it all myself, without anyone else’s help’ and I can’t do that if I go back home.” My eyes dipped down low before peering off into the distance. “My parents wouldn’t have wanted this for me. A twenty-five-year-old with no goals, ambitions, or direction in life. Could you imagine what their faces would have looked like if I had actually married Nathaniel? How disappointed they’d be?”
“Don’t say that, Millie. They would not have been disappointed in you,” she said in her authoritative, “you betterlisten to me” tone. Even her face held the same forceful spirit as her words did.
I rarely brought up my parents, not because I didn’t want to but because I knew just how disappointed they’d be in how my life had turned out. From an early age, they instilled in me the values of independence and courage to be your own person. And for the longest time, their words were just simply ignored.
I never wanted to acknowledge the truth. I couldn’t accept that I was a failure, until now.
“Besides, they wouldn’t have let it get this far anyway.”
“I just want to have a life for myself that they would have been proud of,” I confessed from the depths of my heart, another truth that had long seemed impossible to voice out loud.
“They're proud of you now, Millie. I can promise you that.” Clarke readjusted in her chair and reached for my hands. “No matter what you do, how you do it, or where you end up.”
A choked cry fell past my lips as I tightened my fingers around hers.
“I hope you’re not even more pissed off at me because of this. I know I’ve sprung a lot onto you in the past day than I have the entirety of our friendship.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve done it more times than I can count, so I think we're pretty even now.” She chuckled through her tears.
“Who knows, I might just last a week here anyway,” I chuckled through tears.
Clarke scoffed with a disbelieving gaze. “Or you’ll end up falling head over heels for a cowboy.”
Let’s hope not.
16
GARTH
“You did what now?” Greta asked with her arms crossed over her middle and a wild-eyed expression that read “What the hell are you thinking?”
“He asked Emelia to stay!” Grace announced before I could get a word in, instantly drawing all bewildered eyes to me.
Dammit, Grace.
“I didn’t ask her to stay,” I grumbled, damn near ready to walk out the door and face this another time, or better yet, never again. “I just offered to let her stay in the Firefly cabin if she helps out around the ranch.”
“Now why in the hell would you do that?” Greta countered back, a mixture of disbelief and annoyance echoing in her tone as she kept her focused gaze heavy on me.
“Because he has a crush on her, obviously,” Grace added, prompting my irritated glare to swivel to my daughter.
“All right, enough with that crap, Grace. And for the love of God, don’t be sayin’ any of that to her, she’s vulnerable and needs a fresh start. I offered and she accepted. That’s all there is to it,” I explained, and of course the only reaction I received was Grace coming to stand beside me, where she patted me on the arm.
“It’s okay, Dad. Your secret is safe with me.” And with that, she skipped out of the room, leaving both Greta and my mom to bombard me with questions.
Inwardly, I groaned.
“Please tell me she’s just bein’ a hopeful little girl and you don’t have a thing for Emelia…” Greta sighed, as I straightened the collar of my shirt that seemed to fit me tighter.
“I just met the woman yesterday, Greta,” I said. “Of course I don’t have a thing for her. I simply just wanted to help her out.”
It was partly the truth.
“By offering her to stay on the ranch? No offense, but does she look like the type of woman capable of living the ranch lifestyle?” she asked incredulously. “And like you said, you just met the woman, so why her?”
“Oh, Greta, you know why!” my mom announced over running water and the sound of her scrubbing dishes. “She’s obviously a very pretty girl and Garth here feels protective over her. There’s no need to be so hostile about it.”
