Page 39 of Beat of Love
“Hate’s a strong word, darlin’.”
She angrily swiped her cheeks. “Mom says I must forgive him. Let it go. But … I c-can’t. I just can’t. I … can’t even look at him. What he did … it was wrong, Mr. Lawson. So very wrong.” Amelia lifted painfilled eyes to him. “And shameful.”
What had the man done?He wanted to storm across to Brandy-Lyn’s place and call the man out for whatever the idiot had done to upset his daughter. But he held himself in check.
Who was he to cast judgment? His life was littered with shameful acts.
Amelia continued, “It hurts, here” — she pressed her hand to her gut — “every time I think about how he treated Mom.”
Was that how Charlie had felt? A physical manifestation of the mental anguish he’d repeatedly caused her? Yet she had forgiven him, again and again. “I know what it feels like to mess up and be forgiven. Maybe your mom is right.”
“But he cheated on Mom,” she blurted out. “And years ago, he took advantage of her. While she wasdrunk.” The last word was barely audible. “How am I supposed torespectaman like that, Mr. Lawson?”
What a dickhead. At least cheating wasn’t one of his sins.
Movement beyond the paddock caught his eye. He stiffened.
Amelia groaned.
“Amelia,” the man bellowed, jumping over the wooden fence.
Elsa snorted and raised her head. And before Rafferty could react, the mare spun, knocking Amelia to the ground, the right front hoof clipping Amelia’s thigh. The horse thundered away as he dropped beside her. “You okay, darlin’?”
Amelia rubbed her thigh, wincing. “Yeah. Just a sideswipe.”
“Bet it hurts like f— the dickens.”
“A bit.”
Rafferty rose and held his hand out to the girl. She took it, and he tugged her upright, placing another hand under her elbow to steady her.
“Get away from my daughter,” Richard exploded.
“Why’d you go and yell like that?” Amelia returned.
Stepping back, Rafferty held up his hands. “Only trying to help.”
“Amelia, I do not want you associating with this … this convict!”
“Do youhaveto be such anass, Dad?” She grunted when she put weight on her leg as she backed away from his reach.
Richard frowned. “You’re hurt?”
Amelia gave her father a stink-eye. “No thanks to you.”
“Amelia—”
“Not now, Dad. You’ve done enough,” she snipped, turning to look at Elsa. The mare watched them warily from the opposite side of the enclosure. “I need to check up on Elsa. Before she thinks I blame her.” She shot her father another dirty look.
Richard wrapped his hand around her upper arm. “I came here to talk to you,” he stated. “Not watch you pander to a damn animal.”
Amelia jerked her arm, but the man merely tightened his grip. “Dad! Let me go!”
Rafferty shot his arm out and closed his hand over the man’s wrist. “Let her go,” he warned.
“Stay out of our business,” the dickhead snarled.
He dug his fingers deep. “I said. Release her.”
