Page 46 of Tame Me Daddy

Amber replied quickly: You look happy. That horse is gorgeous. Mom and Dad ask about you.

I doubted that. Not after what Dad had said when I left. But I appreciated Amber's attempt to bridge the gap.

Me: Tell them I'm okay. I miss you.

It wasn't a lie. I missed the sister who'd always protected me. The connection to my past that didn't hurt.

Amber: I miss you too. Love you, Cherry.

I smiled. It was good to hear from her.

I tucked Hoppy back on the shelf, smiling at how far we'd both come. Then I headed toward the main house, toward Grant, toward the evening ahead and all the possibilities it held.

*

The unfamiliar car sitting in front of the main house looked wrong, like a splinter under skin. I had just crested the hill when I spotted it—sleek, black, city-clean. Nothing like the dusty trucks and work vehicles that belonged at Warwick Ranch. My stomach dropped before my brain even connected the dots. Some animal part of me knew trouble had come calling.

Then they appeared on the porch of the main house. Three figures stepping out with Grant. My father, ramrod straight in his pressed shirt. My mother, hand clutching her purse strap like a lifeline. My sister Amber, half-hidden behind them.

My family. Here. Now.

"How did they find me?" I whispered, to myself.

But as I approached the house, Amber's guilty expression told me everything. She wouldn't meet my eyes, staring instead at her expensive shoes now gathering ranch dust.

My father stepped forward, closing the distance between us with determined strides. "Charlotte," he said, using my birth name like a weapon.

I flinched but forced myself to stand taller. "Dad." My voice came out steadier than I expected. "What are you doing here?"

"Is that any way to greet your parents?" My mother moved to his side, her smile strained. "We've been so worried."

They didn't look worried. My father looked angry, my mother anxious. Only Amber looked genuinely distressed, her eyes silently begging forgiveness. Her guilt was unmistakable. Thephotos. The one I'd sent her earlier hadn’t been the first. Somehow they'd figured out where I was from those pictures.

Grant approached our awkward cluster, moving with the confident stride of a man on his own property. His face revealed nothing of our relationship, nothing of our nights together or the private moments we'd shared. He was all business, all ranch manager.

"Mr. and Mrs. Morgan," he said, his voice measured. "As I mentioned, Cherry has become an invaluable member of our team."

Cherry. Not Charlotte. I felt a surge of gratitude even as I mourned the distance between us.

My father barely acknowledged Grant's words. His attention fixed on me, eyes hard. "Charlotte, we've come to take you home."

The declaration hit me like a physical blow. Home? The concept seemed absurd. The house I'd grown up in hadn't been home since the day they discovered what I was, what I needed. Since the day my father had called me sick and my mother had cried like I'd died.

Clearly hearing something going on, Maya came out of the house, eyeing the group with uncertainty. She came and stood next to me—I was grateful.

I forced my back straight, even as my legs trembled. "My name is Cherry now," I said, each word deliberate. "And this is my home."

My mother stepped forward, reaching for me but stopping short of actually touching me. "Sweetie, we've found a solution. Your uncle pulled some strings—there's a spot in the military program he runs. Structure, discipline . . . they'll help you overcome these . . . tendencies."

Tendencies. Like being a Little was some bad habit I could break with enough willpower. Like the core of who I was could be drilled or punished out of me.

Maya looked confused but stayed firmly at my side. I hadn't told her everything about why my family had rejected me, but she clearly sensed the wrongness in their words.

"What kind of program?" she asked, voice sharp with suspicion.

My father's gaze flicked to her dismissively. "This doesn't concern you."

"Cherry is my friend," Maya shot back. "That makes it my business."

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