Page 118 of Break the Barrier

“Yeah, do it. Pick me as your stepdaughter. Pick my dad as your husband.”

“Oh.” I sit back in surprise at her bluntness. I shouldn’t be surprised, but I can’t help it. “It’s not that easy. Your dad is not happy with me right now.”

“What are you doing to change that?”

Man, this girl…

“I’m giving him space,” I say slowly. “I figure he’ll come by when he’s ready.”

“No, he won’t. He’s a stubborn old mule.”

I have to let out a stunned laugh at her assessment of her father and…kind of agree.

“Well, I don’t want to force him into anything.”

Lue looks at me, and frankly, the look she gives me is slightly frightening. “Well, I have a plan,Mom.”

47

logan

Workon the ranch had been especially draining lately. We were gearing up for winter, which was heading toward us at a rapid rate. I wasn’t sure I was prepared for it at all.

Pulling into the driveway, I notice the front porch light is out. Without it, the front of my house is completely dark. I curse, adding that to my list of things to do, the list that was growing longer and longer by the minute.

I fumble my way inside, nearly ramming my knee on my mom’s car before I finally make my way up the front porch steps. Freaking daylight savings.

Entering the house, I hear laughter spilling down the foyer and smile, happy that Lue is finally coming back around to herself again.

It’s been a rough week, and more than once, I’ve caught her upset over the situation with Thea. I tried to push it to the side, hoping that the out-of-sight method would work, but it never seems to be the case.

A waft of whatever Lue and Mom are cooking hits me, and my stomach growls in response. It’s been hours since I ate anything, and that warm, home-cooked meal smell after being out working all day is one of the best feelings in the world.

“Smells good in here,” I announce, hearing the laughter stop. I frown, kicking off my boots, my hat already neatly hung up.

Following the lowered voices to the kitchen, I turn and am shocked to see none other than Thea standing there with my daughter.

“What are you doing here?” The words leave my mouth rather rudely, and I almost chastise myself, but my daughter beats me to it.

“Dad! Rude much?” Her big eyes meet mine, and I sigh, running a hand over my head.

“It’s okay, Lue.”

Thea looks at me for the first time, and my breath catches in my chest. It’s been a week since I’ve seen her—the last time being in the hospital—and what I see has my breath catching in my throat.

Her eye and cheek are still bruised, and she has dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. If I’m not mistaken, she looks like she’s lost weight as well, and I immediately want to make her sit down and eat, to rest, to have some semblance of peace.

Her wrist, in its brace, makes me flinch, thinking again of how it got there in the first place, and my anger—not even really at her anymore—overwhelms me.

“Didi asked if I could drive Lue home today,” Thea tells me, announcing the betrayal of my own flesh and blood.

“I see.”

“And Lue requested shepherd’s pie, so I went ahead and made that.”

I bite my tongue, wishing I could push past the wall that was erected over the last few weeks. Her breaking up with me wounded my pride and my heart, and as much as I love her, as much as I want to just shove aside all the questions and hurt and anger, my tongue won’t allow it. My brain won’t function enough to say the words.

So I stay silent.