Page 70 of Giddy Up, Daddy

“Why would you want to see . . . oh my God! Grandpa Jack is the biggest tattletale! He told you that I fell over as well as telling you that I was up that ladder.”

“And just as well he did,” he said sternly. “Otherwise, I’d have no idea about any of this. If you get hurt, you need to tell me. Let me see.”

“They’re fine.”

“I didn’t ask if they were fine.”

“You didn’t ask at all,” she grumbled.

“No, I didn’t. Because it’s my job to take care of you and by keeping things like this from me, you’re not allowing me to do my job.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “But I don’t want to be a job to you.”

He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and kneeled in front of her. “You’re right. That was badly worded. You are not a job.”

“You already have so much on your plate. It’s a huge responsibility running this place and I don’t want to be a burden.”

“You are never a burden and you are not a job. You’re the best damn thing in my life and I hate that you don’t know that. If anything happened to you, Blakely, I don’t think I could handle it. Because I love you so fucking much. I’d leave this ranch now if I needed to in order to keep you.”

“You . . . you really love me?” she asked in a hushed voice.

“I do. So fucking much. And I’m sorry you didn’t know that. That I didn’t tell you. But I’m learning that I’m a terrible communicator.”

With a sob, she wrapped her arms around him. He fell back onto his butt with her in his lap, peppering kisses over his face.

“I don’t care that you didn’t say it before, you’re saying it now. And I never want you to leave the ranch. I just want you to be happy.”

“You make me happy.” He cupped her face between his hands. “Coming home to you each night is the best part of my day. I know I haven’t been here much. That I haven’t done a good job of being your man or your Daddy. In fact, I haven’t been your Daddy at all. Mostly because I’ve been too busy, which has to stop. I’m going to make more time for you. For us.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I do,” he said firmly. “And not just for you, but for me, too. I need to learn what you need. Which means spending time with you, talking to you, ensuring that you’re safe. But you also need to speak to me. You have to tell me when you need me. Like when you fall and hurt yourself.”

“It was so minor that it wasn’t worth mentioning.”

“Nothing is so minor that it’s not worth mentioning, understand?” He ran his thumb over her lips. “I want to knoweverything. From now on, I’d like to know what you plan to do during the day. Like deciding to climb a ladder.”

“I was just trying to help.”

“You can help with both feet on the ground. Now, do you have something to say to me?”

“Um.” What did she have to tell him? “I think your grandpa is a tattletale.”

“Already knew that. It’s a good thing he is too, or someone would still be up a ladder, clearing gutters. What else?”

“I tripped and fell yesterday and hurt my knee.”

“Which you still haven’t shown me.”

He helped her stand and strip off her pants. Then he kneeled and carefully removed the Band-Aid over her knee.

“Poor babygirl. This looks very ouchie.” There was a soft note to his voice and she felt herself melting, her Little side slipping out.

“It’s really ouchie.”

He stared up at her sharply.

Shit. Had she done the wrong thing? She bit her lip. “Sorry.”

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