I’d walked out of this same office earlier, knowing I’d lose my ranch. Now because of Opie, I had another chance.
“Yes, everything is fine,” I said.
“Good.” The sheriff nodded. “I better go disperse the crowd.”
Opie ran straight into my arms, and I held him tightly, stroking his hair as I glanced from Anders to the bank manager.
“Don’t expect any thanks from us,” I told them.
“We don’t expect any,” Anders said, the smile on his face sad. Remorseful. It made me almost want to know why he’d done what he did. That he might have some explanation after all.
But I didn’t care anymore.
“Let’s go home,” I said to Opie. “I need to know exactly what happened before I came here.”
He nodded, then turned to Anders. “Just for the record, I still hate your guts.”
Anders snarled at him. “Good luck trying to fill my place.”
I clutched Opie’s arm and hauled him from the office before he could think to retaliate. I needed to get him someplace where we could talk. We marched across the street into the café.
Cole grinned when he saw us. “I heard crazy blew back in town. You two are the hottest topic in town since Days of Our Lives was first aired. Glad to see you’re okay, Opie.”
“I missed you too, Cole.”
“We’re going to use your office,” I said.
He waved his hand. “Lysol’s in the drawer. As are wipes. And other unmentionables.”
I shook my head and dragged Opie along with me to the back. As soon as I closed the door, I turned, and he jumped me. I caught him, stumbling back into the door. He had clumps of my hair in his hands as he kissed me.
“Happy New Year’s Day, Daddy.”
“It’s the day after New Year’s, you silly twit.”
He giggled. “It’s only fitting with Christmas, don’t you think?” He trailed kisses over my cheekbone. “Was it my imagination, or was Cole telling us he had lube in that drawer?”
“Eh, we’re going to talk.” I tugged Opie’s head back. “In fact, you’re going to start talking.”
He sighed. “It’s quite simple. I had a ton of stuff stored up over the years. I told you I was possessive of my things, so I kept them in a storage unit. I had expensive art, jewelry, furniture, odds and ends. Maddy helped me to sort and sell it all.”
“You sold all your stuff?”
He nodded. “It was harder than I’d thought. Not because I got rid of it, but because I couldn’t tell you. And then I couldn’t get a flight out sooner and missed the bank hours. I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry? Baby, you just made my life a whole lot easier.”
“Our life. It’s our life now, right?”
“Damn right. I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”
“Just love me, Daddy. That’s all I ever wanted.”
Epilogue
Opie
4 years later
“Oh my god, they’re here! They’re here, Maddy!”
I jumped to my feet so suddenly, Maddy startled and nearly fell out of his chair. He’d been so engrossed in the movie we were watching, while I’d kept an ear cocked for the unmistakable sound of a vehicle approaching. Lawson had been gone for the whole week, and I’d been a nervous wreck without him. He’d been so smart in asking Maddy to stay here with me to keep me distracted, but not even that had fully helped.
I needed my Daddy.
“Opie, wait!” Maddy called after me as I ran out of the living room. “Ms. Cluck and her chicks!”
I braked sharply and glanced back in the corner of the living room where the hen rested on one of the good cushions, her baby chicks chirping around her. She looked so comfortable, and I knew how screwed I was for letting her eggs hatch inside the house. Now I couldn’t get close enough to her without her chasing me off for fear I was there to harm her chicks.
It was adorable how protective and possessive she was of her chicks, but sometimes I also felt betrayed. She should know I didn’t want to harm her chicks. Hadn’t we spent enough time together? I could just hear Lawson clicking his tongue at me in his regular ‘I told you so’ manner.
“Well, there’s nothing I can do about it,” I said eyeing the hen. “She won’t let me go near her but to give her food, and even so, I have to stand a mile to do it.”
“Are you going to be spanked?” Maddy asked me.
I shrugged. “Maybe. Daddy hasn’t spanked me in a while.”
Because I’d been so good. After how