Page 88 of Cowboys Next Door

“Don’t talk to me that way!”

“You’re the one talking to me that way,” I correct her. “Just like Dad did. I don’t care how much he threatens or insults you, he’s not coming back to the house. I’m not taking responsibility for him.”

“Can’t you at least talk to him?” she begs me, and I see now that I’ve hit the nail directly on the head.

A pang of guilt stabs at me, but I dismiss it immediately. I can’t get sucked into this. I have to put my foot down.

“Absolutely not,” I reply. “I’ve had a good year, a quiet year. Why would I ruin that?”

“You’re a selfish?—”

“That’s an octave too high for me, Val. Have a good life.”

I hang up the phone and stand, turning to find both Rose and Katherine standing in the doorway. Reverence shines in their identical green irises.

“You should probably block her number,” I say to Katherine. “She knows I’ve been spending time here, so she’s apt to start harassing you.”

“I’d like to see her try,” the older woman growls. “I never did like that bratty big sister of yours.”

“Well, she doesn’t like me much, either,” I say, maintaining my smile, but I feel my insides withering. I know this feeling of inadequacy, not doing enough.

“It’s high time you told that loudmouth where to go,” Katherine says as Rose slips out the screen door and wraps her arms around me. “Nothing was ever good enough for her or your father. I never faulted your mother for divorcing him. Never did understand why Frank wanted custody of you so badly, if just to berate you.”

“He did it to spite my mother,” I recall flatly. “He knew she didn’t have the money to take him on in the custody battle and finally let us go. I just wish she wouldn’t have died before I was old enough to reconcile with her.”

“Frank Walker is a grade A asshole,” Katherine pronounces.

“Gran!” Rose gasps with a nervous laugh.

“I’ve heard you say worse, young lady.”

“I know, but you never swear.”

“In this case, it’s justified. I was always on pins and needles, waiting for him to march through here and tell me to pack my bags,” Katherine confesses. I gape at her, my pulse quickening. I want to tell her that my father would never do that, but quite frankly, I’m shocked he never did.

Shaking her head, she retreats into the house with the phone as Rose clings to me.

“I’m so sorry your family is messed up.”

“It’s fine,” I murmur into Rose’s hair, but she doesn’t release me, and I find myself holding onto her, too.

“You deserve better than that,” she whispers.

“Everyone does,” I agree as she tips her head back and nods solemnly.

“Yes. Everyone does. We don’t all get born into the best families, but some of us are lucky enough to make our own. And when we get that, we should fight to protect it at all costs, through thick and thin… don’t you think?”

I stare into her beautiful face and run my fingers along her face.

“You’re right,” I reply, kissing her softly. “As usual. You’re absolutely right.”

She melts into my embrace, and Val is already forgotten as I cling to Rose’s warm body. We have everything we need here.

Well, almost.

Message received, Princess. I’ll bring Connor home somehow.

CHAPTER30

---