Page 59 of Daddy's Little Farmer

“Because I fell asleep.”

He turned off the car and then reached out to grab her chin. “Don’t be. I was pleased to see you resting. You need it. Now, let’s get you into the house.”

She nodded.

He lifted her out of the car, walked into the kitchen, sat her on a chair and her feet on another.

“Don’t put your feet down. I’m going to get a water basin to soak your feet.”

She nodded and looked around. It was a very nice house with a beautiful kitchen. There were no maids, butlers, or cooks.

“Why couldn’t you have been the one?”

He glanced at her as he set the basin down in front of her, put a towel into soft the surface, and gently lowered her feet. “For what, honey?”

“To visit my farm,” she said. She knew she had confused him but needed to get it all out. For all she knew, he was gay or already in a relationship or didn’t find her attractive. Her Daddy sure hadn’t.

“Don’t move your feet. I want them on the side like this, so you’re not putting pressure on your injuries.”

He looked up and cursed, stood, lifted her, put her on his lap, and cradled her against his chest as she sobbed.

She hadn’t known she’d been silently crying.

“I promise everything’s going to be all right,” he said.

She shook her head. “Nothing will ever be the same.”

He sighed. “How about we take care of you, and then I’ll get you settled in my guest room?”

“So, you’ll let me stay until I can return to the farm?”

“I’ve got a lot of questions, but yes. You can stay here for as long as you need. But I know someone is looking for you.”

She shrugged.

“Are you sure there’s no one I can call for you?”

She shook her head.

“How about your name?”

She shook her head again.

“All right. When you’re ready,” Alex said.

She looked down at the beautiful dress Larkin had given her and teared up again.

“What?”

“I ruined her dress,” she said.

“Who?”

“Lar … just a friend of mine.” She hoped she’d stopped before he realized who she was talking about. There was a big chance he had no idea who she was, but she wasn’t taking a risk of him knowing her.

“Do you have a daddy?”

She hadn’t realized what he’d said at first. “What? No, I mean yes. But he died a long time ago.”

---