Chapter 9 Grady #2
“Sure, baby girl. I can do that. You don’t mind, right? I mean, I know my way around here pretty well if you recall,” I interrupted before she got the chance to shoo me away. I bent down, hoisting Charlie in my arms, and began the short trek to the round pens.
“Grady…” Her voice was a low growl. A warning. I fucking loved it. Maybe if I pushed her buttons enough, she’d finally stop hiding behind this aloof version of the girl I used to know.
“Bye, Cleo! Have fun checking off your to-do list! Don’t forget to check into that issue with your phone, though. I‘d hate for you to miss an important call, or something.” I’d only taken two steps before her hand snagged around my bicep, halting me.
We both stopped, looking down to the point of contact where we were skin on skin. The moment she touched me was like an electric current. Based on how fast she withdrew her hand, I was willing to bet she felt it too.
“Charlie needs a nametag,” she said with a huff, popping the cap off her marker. With careful strokes, she spelled out my daughter’s name and peeled off the sticker. “Here you go.”
I took it from her, carefully sticking it onto Charlie’s shirt. She looked down at it, beaming. “Look, Daddy! It’s my name.”
I hugged her a little tighter. “It sure is, sunshine. Can you tell Miss Cleo thank you?”
“Thank you, Miss Cleo!” Charlie sang.
Cleo hesitated before I heard her say, “You’re very welcome, Charlie.”
She turned on her heel, heading back to the growing line at registration. To everyone else, I bet her smile seemed genuine, but I knew it was anything but. Every move she made was rigid, like it was taking everything she had not to run for the hills.
God, I wished she would let me in. I wished she would let me show her how desperate I was for her.
How, after all the years and bullshit and distance, I still found myself yearning for her like I did when I was sixteen.
I wished she would let me make up for all that lost time and show her what it would’ve been like if I hadn’t had my head stuck so far up my ass I lost sight of what was truly important.
Her.
Charlie tapped my shoulder, bringing my attention back to her. “Daddy, can we go see the ponies now?”
I gave her a squeeze. “Yeah, baby girl. We can do that.”
We walked over to the pen, where a couple of horses and cows lazed around, munching on hay to keep them content.
Kids and parents alike giggled when one of them came up and nuzzled their palms. I glanced at my daughter, noticing the way her eyes grew wide with the same excitement reflected in her face.
Charlie and I’d had a tough couple of months, so seeing her joy made me feel like I was doing something right for the first time in years. Especially when Cleo looked at me with such contempt, like rocking up here with my daughter ruined her life.
I could admit it was strange being back here. Even more so with Cleo not at my side. I didn’t have the opportunity to enjoy coming to the ranch when the band performed for Doug’s birthday celebration, especially not when the night was over before it had begun.
I don’t know how long Charlie and I stood together watching all the animals come and go.
It seemed like just the blink of an eye, but before I knew it, Cleo clapped her hands and thanked everyone for signing up and coming by before launching into a spiel about the camp, the ranch’s history, and what the kids would be learning over the course of the week.
She’d always been lauded for her public speaking ability throughout high school and into college. So much so that our debate teacher once asked her to lead the team because he knew she was the only one capable of taking them to state. He never understood why she said no, but I did.
Anytime she was stressed or nervous, she clenched her fist in a white-knuckle grip. Like holding onto something would stop her from losing it altogether. Right now, it looked like the poor clipboard was about two seconds away from shattering in her hold.
As Cleo finished up, she called for all the kids to follow her and Lennox into the barn for their first lesson of the day.
Just before she turned, her gaze met mine, and I felt it.
That pull to go to her, that incessant need to tell her how sorry I was.
It was taking everything I had not to fall to my knees in front of this whole goddamn town and beg her to listen to me.
I’d grovel if she wanted me to. Hell, I’d kiss her fucking boots if that’s what it took.
Charlie tugged on my shirt. Reluctantly, I dragged my eyes from Cleo’s to my daughters. “See you later, Daddy.”
I bent down, wrapping her in a big hug. It was the only thing stopping me from following Cleo immediately. “See you later, sunshine. Have fun and be sure to listen to Miss Cleo, okay?”
She nodded. “I will. I promise.”
“Alright.” I kissed the top of her head before standing. “Go have fun.”
Without another word, she ran from my side.
Instead of falling in line with the other kids, though, she bounded straight toward Cleo.
She looked down as Charlie asked her a question, hesitating only a moment before holding out her hand for my daughter to take.
I waited for her to look back, but neither of them did.
Instead, I watched them disappear into the barn hand-in-hand, finding myself slightly jealous of my daughter for being so close to the woman I loved.