nervous.
“You better calm down, Sandy. Your friend there is getting nervous.”
Sandella rubbed gentle circles on Royce’s back. “It’s okay, Royce. I’m sorry for yelling.” She smiled. He lowered his hand to his side, and smiled back.
Kane’s gaze shifted to the pistol then back up to her face. He extended the case to her. “I bought this here beauty for you. If Colonel Barton or any of those Marines come near you, I want you to blow their fucking heads off. Don’t even hesitate. Just shoot the shit out of them.” Dear Lord. “Starting tomorrow, I’m going to teach Drew how to shoot, too.”
Feeling overwhelmed, she folded her arms beneath her breasts. “Don’t you think you’re overreacting? I mean…not all Marines are bad. I’m sure there’re more good ones than bad ones.” Especially the one that nearly sucked my face off earlier…I loved every minute of it, too.
His eyes widened. After putting the case on the bed, he wheeled himself as close as possible to her, leaving hardly any space. He glared. “The day,” he bared his teeth, “you let your guard down and began to trust one of those Marines…” He swallowed, his Adam’s apple gliding up and down. “…is the day you’re going to end up just…like…your…mother,” he clipped out.
The dark malice swirling inside his pupils caused her own eyes to mist. Kane’s tremendous grief pained her. Standing before him, she mentally prayed that God someday, real soon, would heal his broken heart. She’d give anything for him to be whole and happy again. “I love you, Daddy.”
Bobbing his head, he sniffed. “I love you too, baby girl.” A tear slipped from his eye and ran down over his coarse beard. “I ain’t taking any chances of losing you or your brother, like I lost your mother. I’ll kill anybody that tried to hurt any of my children.” He handed her the case with the loaded gun.
First thing tomorrow morning she would end her budding relationship with Braylon. Of course she’d still be cordial to him. But she wasn’t going out with him anymore.
Why me? If her father hadn’t been sitting there, she’d slap the hell out of her forehead.
“Another thing. After Drew graduates, I’m selling the house and moving to an apartment.”
“You’re what? What about me?” she asked, though she knew she could take care of herself.
“I know you’re taking college courses online, but I want you to finish your last year on an actual campus, like you’d been planning to do before your mother died. I don’t have much money, but the little I do have, and whatever I get from the house, will be yours.”
Sniffing, she pressed her hands together in a prayer symbol over her mouth. “Dad, I can’t take money from you. You may need it someday.”
Kane rolled his eyes. “You will take the money and go to college. It’s an order, not a question, Sandy.”
After she got her business degree, maybe she could go to culinary school and become one of the world’s greatest chefs. Perhaps her caramel pecan pies would become a hit like Braylon had said they would. Although she had no intentions of taking money from him, she wrapped her arms around her father and squeezed him tightly.
“The Wexlers had an emergency and had to leave town. After I talk with Drew and make dinner, Royce and I will be heading back to the estate.”
“Whew! Thank God y’all ain’t staying here. The last time they went out of town and he stayed here, he was up all night scraping his nails against the walls. I didn’t get any sleep.” With an elbow on the arm of the chair, he touched his forehead. “He scared me half to death.”
“Do you have to be so animated all the time?”
Kane’s brows arched. “Me. Animated? I thought that there boy was going to whoop my ass that night.”
“Ass. Ass,” Royce mocked Kane.
“Well, I’ll be damn. He can talk. He likes curse words, I see.”
She smiled. “You’re too much, Dad.” A light chuckle
“You better calm down, Sandy. Your friend there is getting nervous.”
Sandella rubbed gentle circles on Royce’s back. “It’s okay, Royce. I’m sorry for yelling.” She smiled. He lowered his hand to his side, and smiled back.
Kane’s gaze shifted to the pistol then back up to her face. He extended the case to her. “I bought this here beauty for you. If Colonel Barton or any of those Marines come near you, I want you to blow their fucking heads off. Don’t even hesitate. Just shoot the shit out of them.” Dear Lord. “Starting tomorrow, I’m going to teach Drew how to shoot, too.”
Feeling overwhelmed, she folded her arms beneath her breasts. “Don’t you think you’re overreacting? I mean…not all Marines are bad. I’m sure there’re more good ones than bad ones.” Especially the one that nearly sucked my face off earlier…I loved every minute of it, too.
His eyes widened. After putting the case on the bed, he wheeled himself as close as possible to her, leaving hardly any space. He glared. “The day,” he bared his teeth, “you let your guard down and began to trust one of those Marines…” He swallowed, his Adam’s apple gliding up and down. “…is the day you’re going to end up just…like…your…mother,” he clipped out.
The dark malice swirling inside his pupils caused her own eyes to mist. Kane’s tremendous grief pained her. Standing before him, she mentally prayed that God someday, real soon, would heal his broken heart. She’d give anything for him to be whole and happy again. “I love you, Daddy.”
Bobbing his head, he sniffed. “I love you too, baby girl.” A tear slipped from his eye and ran down over his coarse beard. “I ain’t taking any chances of losing you or your brother, like I lost your mother. I’ll kill anybody that tried to hurt any of my children.” He handed her the case with the loaded gun.
First thing tomorrow morning she would end her budding relationship with Braylon. Of course she’d still be cordial to him. But she wasn’t going out with him anymore.
Why me? If her father hadn’t been sitting there, she’d slap the hell out of her forehead.
“Another thing. After Drew graduates, I’m selling the house and moving to an apartment.”
“You’re what? What about me?” she asked, though she knew she could take care of herself.
“I know you’re taking college courses online, but I want you to finish your last year on an actual campus, like you’d been planning to do before your mother died. I don’t have much money, but the little I do have, and whatever I get from the house, will be yours.”
Sniffing, she pressed her hands together in a prayer symbol over her mouth. “Dad, I can’t take money from you. You may need it someday.”
Kane rolled his eyes. “You will take the money and go to college. It’s an order, not a question, Sandy.”
After she got her business degree, maybe she could go to culinary school and become one of the world’s greatest chefs. Perhaps her caramel pecan pies would become a hit like Braylon had said they would. Although she had no intentions of taking money from him, she wrapped her arms around her father and squeezed him tightly.
“The Wexlers had an emergency and had to leave town. After I talk with Drew and make dinner, Royce and I will be heading back to the estate.”
“Whew! Thank God y’all ain’t staying here. The last time they went out of town and he stayed here, he was up all night scraping his nails against the walls. I didn’t get any sleep.” With an elbow on the arm of the chair, he touched his forehead. “He scared me half to death.”
“Do you have to be so animated all the time?”
Kane’s brows arched. “Me. Animated? I thought that there boy was going to whoop my ass that night.”
“Ass. Ass,” Royce mocked Kane.
“Well, I’ll be damn. He can talk. He likes curse words, I see.”
She smiled. “You’re too much, Dad.” A light chuckle
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