Daddy's Sweet Girl (Montana Daddies 3)

“Nope. One of the consequences of earning a punishment is having to sit on your hot bottom after. Now, let’s talk about your rules and then you can call your boss.” He set the notepad on her lap and started to write something along the top.

Daddy’s rules for Abby.

Oh crap. She got the feeling she was in trouble.

“When it comes to safety, I am in charge, understand? You will obey any and all safety rules. These are a guide, not the definitive list.”

Wonderful.

“First, you need to tell me when you want to leave the ranch,” he told her.

“Well, since I need you to take me because I don’t have a car that part is kind of a given,” she pointed out. “Oh, unless I ask someone else, I guess.”

“If you ask someone else, the first thing they will do is check with me.”

She frowned; not sure she liked the sound of that. “I’m a prisoner?”

“Of course not. But even when you do have your car, which you won’t be driving again until it has new tires and has been checked by a mechanic to make certain it’s safe, I expect to know when you’re leaving a ranch.”

“I’m a prisoner.” She stared at him, horrified.

“Of course not.” He appeared appalled. Then thoughtful. “It’s something both Clint and I agree on. We like to know when people leave and arrive. It helps us keep everyone safe.”

“And that’s important to you, keeping everyone safe,” she said quietly, having some insight into him now.

“It is. Remember how I talked to you before about things getting bad after I left the service?”

She nodded. He ran his hand up and down her leg, gazing off into the distance. “Well, I was really one of the lucky ones, even though I didn’t feel at home here on the ranch. Which was weird considering the happy childhood I’d had here. But it felt like there was nothing here for me. I wasn’t born to be a rancher. But at least I had Clint and Eden. A friend of mine, he didn’t have anyone. He went home only to have his old man get into a drunken rage and kick him out. All his friends apart from me and one or two others were still in the service. He went down to a bar and got drunk then he drove his truck off a cliff.”

“Oh God, Kent.” Her heart ached for him.

“Yeah, I know. If he’d just had a safe place to go to when he got out. People that understood. If I’d just reached out to him.”

“Oh no, you can’t blame yourself. You were struggling too.”

“But I was in a much better place than he was. Physically and mentally. I should have been there for him.”

“But you didn’t know.”

“I didn’t even know he was struggling. I felt that if I had just called him, I could have prevented it. I know in all likelihood that wasn’t true, but I’m a guy that likes to take care of those around him. I felt like I failed.”

“That’s not true.”

“Maybe not. Maybe yes. But it gave me the impetus I needed to do something. I started JSI. I hired mainly all ex-military. Some I knew, some I didn’t. The only people I hire who live here are ones who share the same views that Clint and I do about relationships. But I have people who live in other places that work for me. And I have organizations that I support that are set up to help ex-armed forces. I can’t help everyone, but I can do my bit.”

“Oh, Kent, you’re doing much more than your bit.” She leaned her head against this chest. He kissed the top of her head.

“All those people I help? Who work for me? Not one of them is more important to me than you, baby girl. So, you tell me, if you’re in trouble, do you think I won’t do everything I have to in order to protect you? That I won’t spend every day keeping you safe? Don’t you think that a few rules about safety are worth peace of mind for me?”

She didn’t really need to think about it. She stared up at them. “Of course, they are. All right, what’s next?”

SHE REALLY WAS A SWEETHEART. He didn’t fool himself for one minute into thinking she was going to take to all of his rules so easily, but safety was the big one for him.

“When you leave the ranch, I need to know where you’re going and when you’ll be back. I understand this seems controlling...”

“It’s okay, Kent. Really. I can do that.”

“If you think you’ll be late, you need to call and tell me.”