The Cowbear's Curvy Valentine (Curvy Bear Ranch 5) by Liv Brywood Page A

earth to serve men. Can you believe that crap?” Vicki asked.
    “I’m sorry. I—I don’t know what to say,” Abby stammered.
    “I used to think it was normal. Wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I wised up and realized he was full of shit.” Vicki cased her a sidelong glance. “Your daddy ever hit you?”
    “No. Not really.”
    “Either he did or he didn’t, which is it?” Vicki asked.
    “He never slapped me, not with his hands.” Abby said.
    “They can slap you with words too,” Vicki said. “It wasn’t just the business end of the belt that got me so messed up in the head. Some ideas are like poison, infecting you from the moment you hear them, lurking in your subconscious until they strike at the worst possible moment.”
    “I don’t think he consciously intends to do it, but he’s dictated every decision in my life for as long as I can remember. I don’t even know when I gave up control of my destiny to him. Maybe I never had control of it,” Abby said.
    “He never let you dream.”
    “No. And I realize that’s nothing compared to being beaten and abused—”
    “We’re not in a contest, so no worries there.” Vicki managed a crooked smile. “Besides, I’d win for sure if we were. But what your daddy did—taking away your ability to dream—if you ask me, that’s just as bad as being beaten with a belt.”
    “How so?” Abby asked.
    “I used to be full of dreams. I wanted to be a nurse so I could help people, but I never even finished high school. I would have though, if my daddy hadn’t crushed my dreams when I was a kid. I can pinpoint the moment it happened. I was fourteen years old, getting ready to head out for my first day of high school. I’d swiped some makeup from the gas station and had used it to cover the most recent bruises. I thought everything was going to change for me. I just needed an education and then I’d be able to do anything I set my mind to.” Vicki stared off into space as if reliving the memory.
    “What happened?” Abby asked.
    “Daddy was sitting in the living room, drunk as usual. He took one look at me and laughed. He said I was a whore like my mother and wouldn’t amount to shit. I told him I’d never be like her, that I would become a nurse and help people. He threw a shoe at me and told me I’d better learn my place. I didn’t argue with him—by then I knew better. But I remember walking outside that morning… it was like my heart had been sucked out of my chest. I never talked about my dreams again. They all died that day.”
    “I’m so sorry,” Abby said.
    “You got nothing to be sorry about. You’re still young. You have your whole life to go. If you still have a dream, even a sliver of one, go out there and do it. If your daddy really loves you, he’ll understand.”
    “Do you have any dreams now?” Abby asked.
    “Yeah,” Vicki said. “I want to spend the rest of my life surrounded by people I love. I’ve been blessed with a new family and maybe one day I’ll even get to hold my grandkids. That’s my dream.”
    “I hope it comes true for you.”
    “It will,” Vicki said with a smile. “I’m just happy to get up every day and take it as it comes. I can’t change the past, but I can live on my terms now, not someone else’s. And let me tell you, that’s the biggest joy in the world.”
    Abby gave Vicki a hug. To survive everything she’d endured and still come out with a positive attitude was a miracle. Maybe there was hope for a different kind of future.
    “Want one more bit of advice?” Vicki asked.
    “Sure,” Abby said as she pulled away.
    “If you ever run into a good man, don’t let him go. They are few and far between.”
     
    ***
     
    Cody pushed open the sliding glass door and stepped onto the porch where Vicki and Abby stood huddled together. They both looked at him with a conspiratorial glance before smiling at each other. What was that all about?
    “Mornin’, Cody,” Vicki said as she brushed past