“You threatened him?” she looked at me with surprise.
“No, but I was jealous of him. When I saw you go into his room the other night…” I rubbed my chest as just the memory of it hurt.
“You saw me there?”
“I did. He hugged you and pulled you into his room.”
“Mo. I’m sorry. He’s just a friend. Honest.”
“I know. He’s a good friend, Brooke. I’m glad he was here for you.”
She smiled, and like always, it felt like the sun had come out.
“I should check in with work, and I have a couple of errands, but I can get the takeout and let you two unpack his place,” I said.
“I forgot about work. If I can have today off, I’ll come back on Monday.”
The conversation about work and Tucker ended as I pulled into Frank’s drive.
“Well, let’s hope he’s had time to calm down,” I said.
“I’m not leaving without my phone.” A distinct change came over her. It was a determination and strength. It had always been there, I realized, but like Frank, I’d not acknowledged it.
I exited the car and walked over to her side, opening her door to let her out. I held out my hand to help her.
The screen door on the house screeched open. “Get off my property!”
“Knock it off, Dad,” Brooke said as she came to stand with me. “Oh my God, the shotgun. Really? What are you, a Hatfield or a McCoy?”
“I protect what’s mine,” Frank said. At least he wasn’t holding the gun pointed at me. I figured that was only because Brooke was standing next to me.
“I’m not yours.” She gripped my hand and stalked toward her father. I kept an eye on the double barrels he was holding. “I love this man. He loves me.
We’re married. Get used to it.”
“I don’t have to get used to anything, missy.”
This wasn’t going to go well. “Frank, I know you feel betrayed—”
“You don’t know anything.” He glared at me. “I trusted you.”
“I know. And I’m sorry—”
“Don’t you be sorry!” Brooke whirled on me. “Don’t you ever be sorry for loving me.”
I held back a smile because it probably wouldn’t go over well that it turned me on when she was feisty like that.
“I’m not sorry for loving you, Brooke. I’m sorry for hurting your dad.” I rubbed my hand down her back as I looked up to Frank. “I’d like to talk to you about this.”
“And say what? How you corrupted my daughter—”
“Oh God, Dad, really?”
“And say that I love her.”
“You don’t know love. Neither of you does.”
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the land contract he’d given me for the forty acres of collateral. “I want to give this back to you. It’s the land along the river.”