Texas Daddy

by Jolene Navarro

  “Something came up, and it just didn’t work out. It happens that way sometimes.”

  “It happened when Mom gave you the letter. You got all weird.”

  “I didn’t get weird.”

  “Yes, you did. You were smiling and laughing. Then Mom walked into town and wanted to see me and you got all huffy puffy big bad wolfy.” She lowered her voice and scrunched up her face.

  “I do not get huffy puffy, and I don’t look like that. Nikki wants to live in Arizona, and I want to live here.” Maybe he had fallen into a moody place since Charlotte talked to him.

  “Would you want to date her if she stayed?”

  “I don’t want you to get hurt if it doesn’t work out.”

  They walked the horses to the tack room. Mia dismounted with ease and cross-tied Tank between the two poles before slipping off his bridle.

  It seemed he didn’t have to do everything for her anymore. Now she even carried her own saddle. She was growing up too fast. “I’m glad you came with me this morning. This was good.”

  She handed him a brush. “Daddy, I understand that people leave sometimes. Just like you said earlier, you can’t control other people or what happens, but you can’t live in fear of being hurt either. You should date Nikki. I’m going to grow up, and you shouldn’t be alone. Plus, I like her better than anyone else that you might date.”

  She took Tank outside to one of the pastures.

  He shook his head as he checked his horse’s hooves. Charlotte had given him a gift, and for ten years he had her all to himself. He stood and ran his hands over the powerful muscles of the young horse.

  Nikki was strong in so many ways. One of the strongest people he’d ever met. What if she was another gift God had put in his life, but he was too self-righteous to see it? He leaned against the barn wall. God, I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to let her go, but I don’t want...

  What he didn’t want was to be hurt, to be rejected. What was stopping him from loving Nikki? His own wounded pride.

  He stood straight and looked out the big barn doors. Mia and Tank could be seen in the distance as she turned him loose. He patted the gelding. “No need to rush, right? I have plenty of time to figure this out. Maybe even a whole month before Nikki decides if she’s leaving.”

  She wasn’t going anywhere in the next few weeks. He’d feel it out and decide what to do. He didn’t understand why everyone seemed to want him in a relationship. He had everything he needed to be happy.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Adrian had an extra thump in his chest as he walked through the back door. Nikki would be here. Would she smile at him and avoid eye contact? He didn’t blame her for not trusting him after the things he’d said to her when she’d first told him about her past.

  Tommy. He growled. Now, there was someone he’d love to...

  “Good morning, Adrian! I see you brought a new helper today.” Danica stood behind the old counter in the middle of the store. She picked up a bowl full of caramel candies. “What brings y’all in so early today?”

  Mia took one of the candies. “We were at the ranch before the sun was up and now Daddy wants to get some work done here.” She stood on her toes and leaned forward on her elbows. “I think he wants to see Nikki.”

  “Mia!” Sometimes he wondered why he couldn’t teach her how to be discreet.

  Jackie appeared on the upper landing at the back of the store. “She’s not here. I’m about to head to the ranch to pick her up. There was something out there she wanted to get before she left for Arizona.”

  “Arizona?” Blood rushed through his veins. He looked between Jackie and Danica. “I thought it would be another month before she even had to decide if she was going back?”

  “Hi, Adrian. Hi, Mia.” Sammi came in from the back door. She paused when she saw his face and stared at him. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nikki’s leaving today?” How had he run out of time? She couldn’t leave yet. There were too many words he needed to say. He’d wasted too many opportunities. He should’ve been trying to prove he was worthy of her instead of...

  He’d been too stubborn and now he might lose her.

  She looked at him in confusion. “Yeah, but—”

  “Sammi, I think Adrian might want to go to the ranch and stop her from leaving.”

  Jackie rushed down the steps. Wrapping her arm around the youngest Bergmann sister. “Just like in the movies we saw last night. He has to rush to the wedding in order to stop his love from marrying the wrong man.”

  His heart stopped. “What? Nikki’s getting married?” This could not be happening. He just realized he loved her. The blood left his legs. He loved Nikki Bergmann.

  Sammi shook her head with a frown on her face. “No, she’s not getting married, and she’s not—”

  Jackie squeezed her little sister. “No, she’s not getting married. We were just talking how every girl deserves a romantic story where the hero chases her to declare his love for her before it’s too late.”

  “Oh!” A huge grin replaced the confused look on Sam’s face. “Like in the second movie, where they all got in the car to stop her from leaving. He apologized in front of everyone.” She turned back to Adrian. “Are you going to apologize for hurting her?”

  Adrian was getting a headache. “Nikki’s not getting married, but she is leaving?”

  Danica walked around the counter and joined her sisters. “Yes, but if you asked her to stay, it might be enough reason for her to move back home. Mia can stay here with us so you can go to the ranch in Jackie’s place.”

  “Go, Daddy!”

  “Do you think she would accept an apology from me? Would she stay if I asked her?” Air was having a hard time getting into his lungs. He studied the three women. They nodded in unison, each with a matching smile. Nikki’s smile. The smile he wanted to see again, more than he’d thought possible.

  He glanced at his daughter. “What do you think?”

  She clasped her hands together and jumped. “Yes! Go, Daddy. Tell her we want her to stay.”

  * * *

  For the first time in over a decade, the front gate of Forget-Me-Not Ranch stood open, unlocked. Adrian prayed that it meant Nikki would listen to his words.

  The road to the cabin was rough as he pushed his truck as fast as he could along the overgrown path. The cabin’s door swung open, and Nikki stood in the doorway.

  He threw his truck in Park, and it slid a bit in the damp dirt. After cutting the engine, he sat there and looked at her. He was there—now what did he do? What were the words that would make her want to stay and take a chance with him?

  The heavy metal car door creaked as he opened it. She frowned at him. He needed to breathe. There was so much on the line. He’d already made so many mistakes.

  The song “Take Me Home, Country Roads” played from inside the cabin. Maybe she was already thinking about staying here.

  “Adrian?” Drizzle now dripped from the edge of the roofline. She moved to the bottom step, not seeming to notice the light rain. “What are you doing here? Is everything okay?”

  “I heard you were leaving for Arizona.” The ground between them took too many steps to close. It was as if the quicksand he’d feared as a child actually made an appearance. Finally putting his boots on the steps, he took her hand and led her to the protection of the covered porch. “Are you sure that is wise? Are you fully recovered?”

  He wanted to hit his own head against a brick wall. That was not what he came to say.

  “I think I’m well enough to travel.” With a frown, she pulled her hand out of his and walked back into the cabin. “I’ve put it off long enough. I need to go.”

  Adrian closed his eyes. God, help me here. I’m messing this up.

  He followed her. “I can
’t believe it wasn’t that long ago I carried you out of the rain.” His life had changed that day without him even knowing.

  Time ticked, and he had to say the right thing. He had one opportunity to get this right. The thought of her gone didn’t settle right in his bones.

  Sweat ran down his spine and beaded on his forehead. He was a mess without a clue of what to do or say.

  Nikki stopped at the edge of the kitchen area and turned on her heel. Pride, determination and strength radiated from her as she looked at him with her back straight and her chin high. She seemed to be waiting for him to hurt her again.

  “Tell me it’s not too late. I was wrong about so many things. All the things I thought I had to give up to be a good father, you brought back into my life.”

  The frown on her face deepened. “Adrian, what are you talking about?”

  It had sounded so good on the neck-breaking drive out here. Now it was all pure drivel. He needed to apologize. “I’m sorry.” There, he said it.

  Hands on her hips, she narrowed her gaze. “For what?”

  Okay, so she wants details. He’d never had a problem with words before. He swallowed. There was so much at stake. “When you first told me about your baby, I didn’t respond the way I should have. You were brave and courageous while I acted judgmental and petty.”

  That got her attention. The hard look was replaced by confusion and maybe doubt. “Thank you? But I’m still not sure why you rushed out here to tell me that. What are you doing here?”

  He took a deep breath and looked around the room. It had been cleaned and dusted. The Bible from the closet, the Bible she hadn’t wanted to see last time, now sat on the table. Her duffel bag sat on the floor. He was going to have to go all in if he wanted a chance to prove to her that he was serious about a future together.

  “I want you to stay. I know I don’t have a right to ask you to change your plans for me, but I want a chance at a future together. One that could be better than anything we might do apart.” He swallowed and stood there, feeling exposed as she stared at him. “I have to tell you something.” What if it scared her away?

  “Well?” She lifted her hands. “I have an airplane to catch.”

  “Yeah. What I need to tell you is... I...” He scanned the room. How to say it? He forced his hands to relax, took a deep breath.

  “I love you.”

  * * *

  Nikki blinked a couple of times. Not what she’d expected to hear. “And you decide to tell me now? Why?”

  He stepped closer to her. “When they told me you were leaving, I had to tell you how I felt before it was too late. Please tell me I’m not too late?”

  “Too late? This could have waited till I got back. Now I’ve got to leave, and we won’t have time to discuss this the way it deserves.”

  He tilted his head as if she was speaking another language. Yeah, she had feelings for him too, but they were too tangled to sort out.

  “Can we have a do-over when I get back in a couple of days? We can have dinner and talk about this without all the pressure. You just went from not being able to look my direction to saying you love me. It’s a lot to process.”

  He kept looking at her with confusion clouding his expression. She pushed on, trying to make sense of her own feelings and the words Adrian was throwing at her. “The other day, you made me feel small. Like I wasn’t good enough to be around your daughter.” She shook her head.

  “Now you want me to miss my flight because of three words that might or might not mean anything, so we can talk about a future you’re suddenly interested in? What did I miss?”

  He walked to her bag and lifted it. Setting it on the table, he looked at her, a crease between his brows. “What do you mean we can have dinner when you get back? I thought you decided to move back to Arizona and make a go at your business.”

  Now it was her turn to be confused. “No. I’m just going back to wrap things up so I can move to Clear Water permanently.”

  “You’re staying!” His face lit up and, in one motion, his arms went around her, slightly lifting her off the ground as he hugged her. “That’s great!”

  With her hands on his upper arms, she leaned back and looked at him. “Who told you I was moving to Arizona?” Her eyes narrowed. “Did Jackie send you out here with the idea I was leaving for good?”

  Her feet were back on the ground and a cold breeze drifted between them. Adrian moved to the other side of the table. “Sorry. I’m an idiot. Jackie, Danica, Sam and Mia implied I needed to get here as fast as I could in order to stop you.” He shoved his hands in his front pockets and looked out the kitchen window. “They were talking about some movie y’all watched last night. Danica said every girl deserves to be swept off her feet and pursued.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh. She bit her lip to control the urge when he scowled at her. “Last night, we watched a couple of Jackie’s romantic comedies. They had that British actor in them? I don’t remember his name, and I fell asleep during the second one.”

  “If you’re asking me, I have no clue. I’m more into a good Western or action film. Mia’s always trying to drag me to one of those chick flicks.”

  “We can let her go with my sisters while we see a good movie. Romance is overrated. Doesn’t happen in real life. Not for girls like me, anyway.”

  He was back in front of her. “Hey now. That’s not true. I just might have run a red light to get here, and I’m pretty sure if Jake had been around I’d have a speeding ticket.” His hand cupped her neck, his warm palm pressed against her pulse as his fingers tangled with her loose hair.

  His eyes moved as he searched her face. She wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but she felt like a deer in a scope. Frozen, waiting for his next move.

  “Nicole Bergmann, you deserve to be courted and pursued. Maybe I was sent out here under false pretense, but I know what I felt when I thought you were leaving for good. I had one thought. To stop you, by any means necessary. When will you be back? I want to say these words so you know I mean them. Not just throw them at you as you run by. They deserve... You deserve the time to hear them right.”

  Her throat was dry. “In two days.” Hope could be such a dangerous thing.

  “Can I pick you up at the airport and take you to dinner?”

  “I don’t know.” She needed to stay centered and be emotionally strong. Closing her eyes, she took two deep breaths and said a prayer before making eye contact again. “Adrian, I’m at a good place in my life. I’m teaching myself to see my choice for the gift it was. It was the best, for me and my son. Along with his parents. I can’t have someone in my life who doesn’t see it that way. If you can’t respect the choices I made, I won’t risk being with you. I really like you. I like us together, but I have to know you’re not going to throw that at me whenever you get mad.”

  One corner of his mouth curled up a tiny bit. “Who says I’m going to get mad?”

  She gave him the look.

  “Okay, I can’t promise I won’t get mad, but I won’t stay mad. And I’ll never hold your past against you. You’re so brave. Please, don’t be afraid of loving me. You’re the kind of woman I want in my daughter’s life.”

  “You want me to stay because of Mia?”

  “No.” He cupped her face, looking into her bright blue eyes, their lips mere inches apart. “I’ve loved you since I was thirteen years old, but you were out of my reach. There’s a light inside of me that you’ve brought back.” He took a step closer to her and reached for her hand. “I know that sounds corny, but I don’t know how else to explain it.”

  Last week, she had cleaned and aired out the cabin. The smell of citrus still filled the air as she followed him to the once again cozy living room. Her stomach quivered.

  Adrian was the kind of man a girl wanted to follow. But if he turned
on her? She’d have a harder time recovering from the kind of hurt he could cause.

  She needed to keep her guard up. “Adrian, the future I always wanted is becoming a reality, and I won’t allow another guy to derail me.” Even if it was Adrian. Sadness was heavy in his eyes, and she wanted to take the words back. She didn’t want to see him hurt either. “I’m sorry. I think I just need some more time.”

  He nodded. His fingers caressed her hands, the hands of a working man that could be as gentle as he was strong. She swallowed and waited for him to talk. Adrian De La Cruz wasn’t talking. Now she was nervous. “Adrian?”

  From under his lashes, he glanced up at her. “Sorry. I want to get the words right. I’ve recently discovered that what we see as truth is based on our own experiences and the emotions that surround them. Today, Mia went to the ranch with me and rode one of the horses.”

  “You let her ride? Adrian! That’s huge.” Why did she want to cry knowing how important it was for Mia to know her father trusted her on a horse again? “She had to be so excited. Are you going to let her ride in the July Jubilee?”

  Leaning back a little, he grinned. “She was excited until she saw the horse I put her on. You know him—Tank.”

  “That’s mean.”

  “She’s a trouper and went with it. Yes, I gave her permission for the rodeo, but only if she wears a helmet. She wants you there, and her mother.” He let out a heavy sigh. “See, I can listen and be open-minded.”

  All she could manage was a nod. No man had ever made an effort to change for her. It had always been about their needs and wants.

  “What really hit me was a lesson she gave me. While we were riding, she told me about her last Bible study. It’s the one where the women are fighting over the baby. You know it, right? Ms. Bible Champ.”

  “I know it. King Solomon.” Where was this going? Free of his hold, her hands rubbed the jeans on her thigh.

  “Mia said it made her think of her mom, and the way her mom wrote that I would keep her safe. That a real mother was willing to put her child’s well-being over everything else, even if that meant giving them to someone else to raise. Charlotte gave me a gift by trusting me to raise our daughter when she couldn’t, but I’ve been so caught up in all the things I had to give up I didn’t see it. In reality, I gained so much more than anything the bull-riding world could have given me.”