Page 7 of Keeping Guard
Her father and Dalton scrambled up behind them, but even with carrying her, Noah was going up the trail twice as fast as the two of them.
“Put her down right now, or I’ll call the police and report a kidnapping,” her father said.
“I’ll deny it, so don’t bother.” Wow! If she’d known how good it would feel to stick up for herself, she would have done it a long time ago.
She half expected Noah would drop her like a hot potato at her father’s threat, but instead, he picked up his pace. Gosh, the man was strong. With her father’s and Dalton’s arrival, she hadn’t had much of a chance to appreciate his chest and count those abs—were they a six or an eight pack?—when Noah had taken off his T-shirt, but she’d had a glimpse, and oh boy. Highlight of her day.
When they reached his car, he set her on her feet, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a car remote. After he got the passenger door open, she scooted inside, and he handed her the two champagne bottles. He jogged around to the driver’s side. Her father and Dalton made it to the top of the trail as Noah tore out of the lot.
Peyton giggled as she waved at them. She felt like she was in a B movie, racing off in a getaway car. What an absurd day! Maybe it was because of the champagne that she wasn’t freaking out, but right now, all she wanted to do was laugh.
“Glad someone’s amused.” Noah glanced at her. “I assume that was your groom with your father?”
He was obviously far from amused, and that sobered her. He hadn’t asked to land smackdab in the middle of her trouble, and he didn’t deserve whatever her father decided to do. Because he would find a way to punish Noah. Gerald Sutton didn’t tolerate disobedience.
“Yes, that was him.”
“Interesting that he had nothing to say. Does he let Daddy do all his talking for him?”
She shrugged “Mostly.” It was somewhat embarrassing actually. Dalton hadn’t even tried to fight for her, even when a shirtless, buff to the hilt stranger threw her over his shoulder and carried her away. She’d only known her rescuer maybe an hour, yet she somehow knew he wouldn’t have stood by and watched some strange man take off with her. “He’s the son my father never had. If I married Dalton, then he would actually be family.”
“You never said what happened to make you decide to be a runaway bride, and I don’t really care, but did you want to marry Dalton before he did or said something to change your mind?”
“I thought I did. It would have made my father happy.”
Noah grunted at hearing her answer. “Seems like Daddy should be more concerned with his daughter’s happiness than his own.”
The way he saidDaddysounded derogatory, and her first reaction was to defend her father, but the words wouldn’t come. Tears stung her eyes. Had she convinced herself that she loved Dalton because it would make her father happy? From the time her father had made it known that a match between her and Dalton would please him, she’d gone along with the idea. Dalton had been attentive and charming, and they shared an interest in the brewery. So what if he didn’t make her heart go pitter-patter? They respected each other—or so she’d thought—and that was important in a marriage.
Noah was right. A father should care about his daughter’s happiness. Sure, he had let her come to work for him, had let her institute her events, had allowed her to brew beer alongside Eddie, and had even let her name some of the beers. Yet, he’d never given her a word of praise when she’d brought in more customers or for any of her accomplishments. Dalton, though, could do no wrong, even though he’d never shown any interest in learning the art of brewing beer, of loving Elk Antler the way she did.
That had been okay. She’d been learning the business, and one day, she’d have the coveted share of the brewery he’d promised her. Her father had encouraged the match with Dalton, and now she was realizing that she’d fallen in with the plan because it was what her father wanted.
All her life, she’d tried to please her father. A little girl he’d never wanted had been dumped on him. She could only be thankful he’d kept her, but the fear always lurked that one day he’d get tired of her like her mother had.
Blessed God above, she’d been a fool her entire life, hadn’t she? She would never have the unconditional love of the man she called a father. Her eyes were finally open, and it was about time. Almost more—and maybe not even almost—she mourned the loss of Elk Antler over knowing she’d ruined her relationship with her father.
“Where am I taking you?” Noah asked.
“Um...” She couldn’t go home, not yet. Not until she was strong enough to stand up to both her father and Dalton. She was getting there, but she wasn’t there yet.
She could go to a friend’s house if she had one of those in Asheville. Her two best friends had been her college roommates, and both lived in other parts of the country. Because of the hours she’d put in at the brewery, she basically didn’t have a life outside of Elk Antler. Her friends here were more like acquaintances, and she couldn’t think of a single one who would welcome her and the problems she’d bring with her.
That was another thing she’d correct now that her eyes were open. Along with finding a new job, she’d make real friends here. Girlfriends who cared about her. She especially wanted some of those.
“You don’t have a place to go, do you?”
“No,” she whispered. “The first place they’ll look for me is home.”
The last thing Noah needed right now was a tempting woman with problems and no place to go. “You do know that you are an adult and can make your own decisions, right?”
“You don’t understand.” She turned her face to the window, and he was afraid she was going to cry. “I can go to a hotel.”
He managed not to sigh. No, he didn’t understand, but he couldn’t just dump her off at a hotel, especially barefoot and only his T-shirt covering her corset. He’d been keeping an eye on the rearview mirror, and the black Mercedes that he’d noted in the parking lot that had to have belonged to her father was several cars behind them. Following that car was the silver one she’d driven to the falls.
The speed limit on the Parkway was turtle slow, but he’d been pushing it a little. Unfamiliar with the road, he wasn’t sure how well it was policed, and he didn’t want to get stopped.
“Is the silver Mercedes yours?”
