Page 16 of Protecting Little Phoebe

She hadn’t brought anything formal to wear. Everything in her suitcase was more playful and fun. It was what she preferred to wear even if some of her brothers rolled their eyes at her choice of wardrobe.

It hurt that they didn’t understand her. That they constantly wanted her to change and grow up. But that was a big part of the reason she’d come here to Rawhide so she could just be herself without worrying about anyone judging her. Without anyone trying to change her.

Acceptance was just a big thing for her. It was all she wanted from her family and something that she rarely felt. Finally, she decided to wear her favorite white T-shirt dress with a red jacket and some pretty, glittery red shoes.

Everything was better with a bit of glitter. She kept her hair up in pigtails but put some glittery eyeshadow on and some bright red lipstick. A knock on the door had her rushing over and opening it.

“Little girl, you shouldn’t open the door unless you know who is on the other side,” Barren scolded.

Lord, he looked gorgeous. That salt and pepper hair was cut short, but it looked amazing on him. He had lines and wrinkles, but somehow they made him appear more attractive. He wore black pants and an off-white shirt. Simple, but classic.

Perfect.

“Oh, but I knew it was going to be you.”

He shook his head, giving her a stern look. “You should still check. Are you ready to go? I’m glad to see you have a jacket on even though we’re not going outside. I don’t want you getting cold.”

He was so very sweet.

“Got your key card?”

“Yep!” She patted the pocket of her jacket. “I’m all set!” She shut the door behind her, and he checked to make sure it was locked.

“You know, my dad always did that too. He was always checking that the doors were locked. I never had to worry about stuff like that when I lived with him.”

Darn it. Why was she talking about her dad? Most of the time she managed to push her sorrow deep. To put on a happy face. But sometimes it still hit her hard that he was gone. Her biggest supporter. Her best friend.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart. How long has he been gone?”

“Eight months,” she replied as she walked beside him. “I still miss him a lot. We were really close. I still lived at home. Which sounds a bit bizarre when I’m twenty-eight. But I had my ownapartment in the basement with my own entrance. I just didn’t like to be alone and neither did he.”

“If I had a daughter, I wouldn’t want her to live alone,” he said firmly. “And of course you still miss him. I still miss my parents and it’s been years since they died. What happened to your dad if you don’t mind me asking?”

They’d reached the restaurant by now and the server led them to a table. Barren drew out her chair and pushed it in for her.

She could feel herself blushing with pleasure. “He had a heart attack. His job was stressful. And he didn’t take care of himself very well. I should have helped take care of him better.”

Barren reached out and clasped her hand. “Look at me.”

Phoebe glanced up at him. “I’m sorry.”

Surprise filled his face. “Why are you sorry, sweetheart?”

“This was supposed to be a thank you for rescuing me and all I’ve done is talk about sad things.” Nothing good came from talking about stuff. It only made her feel worse.

“No.”

“No?” she asked curiously.

“No, you aren’t to apologize for that. You haven’t done anything wrong, understand? And your dad wouldn’t want you thinking that you could have helped him or that you did something wrong. He’d want you to live your life.”

She managed a shaky smile. “I’m trying. So, tell me about you. What brings you here?”

“A divorce,” he replied.

Phoebe grimaced. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It was really tough at the time, but I think it might end up being a good thing. I’m not sure that I was happy for a long time.”

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