closer to him and rested
her head on his shoulder. He tentatively put his arm around her
waist. She smelled like fresh honeysuckle and he inhaled
deeply.
If she joined the tour he would have
to stay away. Because she was too much for him to handle. And God
knew how much he loved it.
***
Triny Newton watched the red cloud of
dust barreling towards his home, knowing his daughter was in the
center of it. She was driving like a bat out of hell and he shook
his head. That girl always let her emotions get the better of
her.
He stepped off the porch to meet her
in the driveway, having a pretty good idea of why she was coming to
see him. The show last night had been newsworthy and he was proud
of her. But could he convince her to chase that crazy
dream?
The door to the GTO flung open with a
flourish and out stepped his one and only child. She was the
spitting image of her mother: long, chocolate hair hung in messy
waves with just enough red in it to make it look like she was
burning from the inside out; dark, expressive eyes; a smile that
could warm the coldest of hearts. Triny recognized the perturbed
look on her face and suppressed a chuckle. Only one man in the
world could get her that riled up.
“ What has got you out here
so early?” he asked, embracing her and noting the grass sticking
out of her hair. He plucked at a few blades and raised an eyebrow.
“You sleeping outside again?”
“ I have to talk to you,”
she said bluntly, ignoring his query.
“ All right, walk with me.”
Triny led her down the fence line towards the back pasture. She had
her mother's passion and his tenacity, which made for a volatile
combination at times.
“ Did you see the show last
night?” Lucy asked, falling in step next to him.
“ Of course. You were
fantastic, by the way.” He grinned at her sideways and she smiled
sheepishly.
“ Taylor got asked to join
DBS on tour. Starting immediately.” The words came out in a huff,
like she was upset at the sudden turn of events.
Triny nodded, waiting for her to go
on.
Lucy frowned. “He wants me to come
with.”
“ Smart man.” Triny gave
his approval, knowing that's not what she wanted to
hear.
Lucy spun toward him and he stopped
walking. “Daddy! I can't just leave! Who would take care of the
diner?”
Triny cracked a smile. “That diner
doesn't need you to babysit it. Mac can handle it just
fine.”
Lucy crossed her arms and scowled at
him. The diner wasn't the problem, it was written all over her
face. She could never hide her feelings very well and the
frustration, fear and hope were a tangled mess in her dark
eyes.
“ What's really getting to
you, Sweet Bit?” He softened his tone and tilted his
head.
Her eyes shifted to look at the ground
rather than him. “I think it would be a bad idea,” she
muttered.
“ Because of Blake?” he
prompted, grimacing when her eyes flashed back to his with fire in
them.
“ Yes, because of Blake!
Isn't that obvious?” She flung her arms out to the sides in
exasperation and, again, he was reminded of her mother.
He walked a few more paces and rested
his arms along the wooden fence. She joined him after several
moments and they both looked out over the open prairie. He waited
for her to calm down again before telling her what he knew he
should have said years ago.
“ You two have always been
like fire and gasoline,” Triny started. “You'd run like crazy; two
rebels hell-bent on changing the world. You always reminded me of
wild horses, couldn't tame either one of you, but you both kept
trying to break the other.”
Lucy huffed, “Exactly. We're bad news,
Daddy. We can't even be near each other.” She shook her head and he
knew she had been with him last night. It's not that they couldn't
be near each other, it's that they couldn't leave each other
alone.
“ Maybe,” Triny said
noncommittally. “Or maybe this is an amazing opportunity to follow
your dream, and you get to do it with one of your
her head on his shoulder. He tentatively put his arm around her
waist. She smelled like fresh honeysuckle and he inhaled
deeply.
If she joined the tour he would have
to stay away. Because she was too much for him to handle. And God
knew how much he loved it.
***
Triny Newton watched the red cloud of
dust barreling towards his home, knowing his daughter was in the
center of it. She was driving like a bat out of hell and he shook
his head. That girl always let her emotions get the better of
her.
He stepped off the porch to meet her
in the driveway, having a pretty good idea of why she was coming to
see him. The show last night had been newsworthy and he was proud
of her. But could he convince her to chase that crazy
dream?
The door to the GTO flung open with a
flourish and out stepped his one and only child. She was the
spitting image of her mother: long, chocolate hair hung in messy
waves with just enough red in it to make it look like she was
burning from the inside out; dark, expressive eyes; a smile that
could warm the coldest of hearts. Triny recognized the perturbed
look on her face and suppressed a chuckle. Only one man in the
world could get her that riled up.
“ What has got you out here
so early?” he asked, embracing her and noting the grass sticking
out of her hair. He plucked at a few blades and raised an eyebrow.
“You sleeping outside again?”
“ I have to talk to you,”
she said bluntly, ignoring his query.
“ All right, walk with me.”
Triny led her down the fence line towards the back pasture. She had
her mother's passion and his tenacity, which made for a volatile
combination at times.
“ Did you see the show last
night?” Lucy asked, falling in step next to him.
“ Of course. You were
fantastic, by the way.” He grinned at her sideways and she smiled
sheepishly.
“ Taylor got asked to join
DBS on tour. Starting immediately.” The words came out in a huff,
like she was upset at the sudden turn of events.
Triny nodded, waiting for her to go
on.
Lucy frowned. “He wants me to come
with.”
“ Smart man.” Triny gave
his approval, knowing that's not what she wanted to
hear.
Lucy spun toward him and he stopped
walking. “Daddy! I can't just leave! Who would take care of the
diner?”
Triny cracked a smile. “That diner
doesn't need you to babysit it. Mac can handle it just
fine.”
Lucy crossed her arms and scowled at
him. The diner wasn't the problem, it was written all over her
face. She could never hide her feelings very well and the
frustration, fear and hope were a tangled mess in her dark
eyes.
“ What's really getting to
you, Sweet Bit?” He softened his tone and tilted his
head.
Her eyes shifted to look at the ground
rather than him. “I think it would be a bad idea,” she
muttered.
“ Because of Blake?” he
prompted, grimacing when her eyes flashed back to his with fire in
them.
“ Yes, because of Blake!
Isn't that obvious?” She flung her arms out to the sides in
exasperation and, again, he was reminded of her mother.
He walked a few more paces and rested
his arms along the wooden fence. She joined him after several
moments and they both looked out over the open prairie. He waited
for her to calm down again before telling her what he knew he
should have said years ago.
“ You two have always been
like fire and gasoline,” Triny started. “You'd run like crazy; two
rebels hell-bent on changing the world. You always reminded me of
wild horses, couldn't tame either one of you, but you both kept
trying to break the other.”
Lucy huffed, “Exactly. We're bad news,
Daddy. We can't even be near each other.” She shook her head and he
knew she had been with him last night. It's not that they couldn't
be near each other, it's that they couldn't leave each other
alone.
“ Maybe,” Triny said
noncommittally. “Or maybe this is an amazing opportunity to follow
your dream, and you get to do it with one of your
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