Page 184 of Ride a Cowboy

“Where is he, Doug?” she asked.

Doug jerked his head to the left, toward the family room. His initial astonishment gave way to concern. “He’s not going to fire you, is he, Daniel?”

“I hope not, kiddo.”

Doug’s shoulders sagged. “Do you think it would help if I went in with you? I can put in a good word.”

Daniel walked over to place a friendly hand on her brother’s shoulder.

Sienna smiled at the kind gesture, the genuine affection between the boy and the man. She wasn’t the only one who’d found a shoulder to cry on, a friend she could rely on. Daniel had offered those same things to Doug in the few months he’d been here.

“I appreciate the offer. Let me see how things go. If I need your help, I’ll come find you. Okay?”

Doug nodded. “I’ll just be in the stable.” He walked out slowly, giving them an encouraging, though somewhat worried, glance over his shoulder as he left.

“Come on.” Daniel took her hand once more.

Dad was leaning against his desk, his finger tapping a vicious rhythm out on the cherry wood top. He glanced up when they entered and acknowledged their linked hands with a grimace.

“Have a seat.” Dad gestured to the couch.

“Seth—” Daniel started.

“I’m going to speak my piece first, Daniel, so you may as well sit down.”

While her dad’s tone wasn’t exactly friendly, it didn’t seem nearly as menacing as it had in the trailer earlier.

She and Daniel sat together. If she’d expected Daniel to try to put a respectable space between them, she really should have known better. They were side by side, their legs touching from hip to knee. She appreciated Daniel’s unspoken support. They were in this together.

Dad walked over and claimed the chair across from them. He sank down slowly, releasing a long breath as he did so. “Why didn’t you tell me the two of you were involved?”

Sienna had expected a lecture that would take a strip out of her hide. Her father’s almost hurt question pierced more. “I was afraid you’d fire Daniel.”

Her father nodded, his brows furrowed. “Have I ever been that unreasonable?”

No. He hadn’t. The second Dad said the words, Sienna was overcome with guilt. “God, no. It wasn’t that. Not really. I was worried about what you’d think of me.”

This answer, though more truthful, was worse than the first.

“You’re twenty-two years old, Sienna. Do you think I don’t realize you have sex? Jesus, your mother took you to the doctor to put you on birth control at seventeen. You don’t seriously think I believed that line about it making your periods better, do you?”

She flushed, then grinned. “You’re pretty overprotective. You’ve got to give me that, at least. And you talk a damn good game. Poor Josh didn’t touch me for six months after that lecture you gave him about me being your little angel and how you’d do anything to keep me safe. Then you bragged about your days as an amateur boxer. You’ve never boxed a day in your life.”

Daniel chuckled. “Damn. He just told me at Christmas he’d like to see you remain young and innocent for a little while longer.”

Sienna turned her attention to Daniel. “He warned you away from me?” Her gaze flew back to her father. “Innocent? You used the word innocent?”

Dad shrugged. “I think I said inexperienced, actually.”

Sienna winced. “That’s even worse.”

“I had to say something. You’d been sneaking out to meet the man for weeks.”

Sienna leaned back, her jaw dropping. “You knew? You knew the whole time?”

Dad nodded. “It’s an old house with squeaky hardwood floors and your bedroom’s right above mine and your mother’s. We didn’t put you there by accident. Learned that trick from JD when he and Mom stayed in the downstairs bedroom.”

Sienna laughed. “God. I love you, Dad.”

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