Page 52 of Untamed Heart
‘You don’t have to stop,’ I whispered, still trying to catch my breath.
But he chuckled, shifting the truck into gear and pulling off, roaring up the steep track to the ranch.
‘I don’t want to,’ he replied, his voice rough. ‘But not in my truck, in the middle of the drive. You deserve more than that. I’ve got bigger plans for you than that.’
I gritted my teeth at the thought of it, hands clenching the strap of my bag.
‘Hold up,’ he said suddenly, the truck racing forward as a car came into view, parked up outside the ranch. ‘Who the hell is that at this time of night?’
‘A guest?’ I replied, noting the Colorado plates. ‘The ones that booked are already here though, right?’
He nodded as we got out, both of us striding to the front of the ranch house. As we opened the door, the sound of voices reached us, coming from the back.
‘You recognize the voice?’ I asked, hanging back a little as we walked through the house and out to the back porch. The voices stopped.
‘Oh, there you are,’ Lil said, a thread of relief in her words. ‘Is Lottie with you?’
Cole stopped abruptly, moving to the side so I could come through. Confused, I walked forward slowly, stopping next to him.
Just as a figure stood up from the rocking chair to the right of the back door, turning to face me with an expression like thunder.
My dad.
CHAPTER14
‘What are you doing here?’ I asked, confused. ‘I thought Mum said you were in Georgia?’
Dad glared at me, the combined weight of every one of my childhood and teenage fuck-ups delivered in one look.
‘Would you both mind giving us a moment?’ he asked Lil and Cole, his eyes lingering on the cowboy, a calculating look at the proximity of our stance, my dress.
I felt Cole’s hand on my lower back.
‘I’ll be right inside,’ he murmured as he turned, his and Lil’s footsteps loud against the vast quiet outside. ‘Just say the word and I’ll be right back here.’
As the door swung shut, Dad shook his head, hands balled up on his hips.
‘What amIdoing here?’ he hissed, his face darkening by the second. ‘What areyoudoing here? And saying nothing to Kyle either? It wasn’t until he called a few days ago and spoke to your mum that he realized you’d even left the country!’
My gut reaction was to take it, let his angry outburst flow over me. Placate and agree until it’s over. Dad’s temper had been an ever-present threat growing up, one that had pushed me to take up hobbies that involved staying out of the house or tucked away in my room, and had pushed me into a more academic route at university than I otherwise would’ve chosen.
‘It’s none of his business,’ I said, trying to keep my voice even as the anger built, rising steadily. ‘I told him it was over and that should be enough.’
‘Of course it’s his business, you’re his bloody girlfriend! You can’t just up and leave people like that – it’s cruel, Lottie. We raised you better than that. What must his parents think, for God’s sake?’
The anger stirred further. Of course, he was only interested in appearances, in making sure the sodding Montgomerys had the best possible impression of me, of our family. I resisted the urge to tell him just how far down her nose Marina looked at us, how a middle-class no one like me – with an American mother, no less – couldn’t matter less to someone who didn’t give a flying fuck about anyone outside of her own circle of wealth.
‘I’m not doing this,’ I said, fighting with myself to keep it civil and stepping back, placing my hand on the door handle. ‘You don’t know anything about the situation. Honestly, Dad, it’s none of your business and you have no right to come here and yell at me like I’m still a child you can bully.’
His face changed, blanching white with rage. He knew the truth of my words, felt it at his core. I braced myself, knowing this conversation had been a long time coming.
‘I’ll speak to you however I like,’ he hissed, stepping forwards. ‘You will get yourself home on the next flight and stop behaving like a child. You have responsibilities at home, not least that of owing Kyle a damn good explanation for your behaviour—’
‘MYbehaviour?’ I gripped the handle, rage breaking through, self-restraint be fucking damned. ‘MYbehaviour? Really? I suppose he conveniently forgot to mention that he’s been fucking some woman he’s working with? No? No mention of her?’
His silence said it all.
‘I don’t owe Kyle the shit on the bottom of my fucking boot,’ I spat. ‘He’s a liar, a cheat and an all-round condescending asshole. Hestia was right about him all along, all while you worshipped the ground he walked on.’
