Fisher (Prince of Tigers, #3) - Kathi S. Barton Page 0,62

I mean, it’s fine; however you want to do this, but why no women?”

“You’ll see that you’re delivering to prisons. This isn’t a mandate from us, but the board of directors of each of the jails. They don’t want women in the trucks in the event that some of the men, the ones that will be unloading the trucks, get an idea in their heads that they can overpower one of them and get out. It’s been my experience with my wife and sisters-in-law that they can fight harder than a man if cornered. But I’m not the one in charge.”

It was a good answer. One that he was sure Emmie would still tear apart. But he did like the fact that the man didn’t necessarily agree with the findings. Putting his paperwork on the seat next to him, Collier pulled away from the dock and onto the road leading out of the new building.

When Emmie sat down on the seat, she picked up the paperwork. Olivia, he could see, was in the back working on something on the floor. Collier could drive long enough to get them out of town, but his nerves wouldn’t allow him to get them onto the highway toward their first stop. Emmie was looking over the paperwork when he asked her if she thought it was a good run.

“It is. The pay is better than I would have gotten if it had only been a drop and go at even a larger chain. I know this is donated items for the prisoners, but they’re spending a great deal of money on getting it there.” Olivia told them both how much. The smile that both him and her mother gave her made his heart sing. “Yes, quite a bit. Thanks for asking him about the women, Dad. I guess that does make sense if you think about it.”

“It does.” When she turned away from him, he saw the scar, one that he was sure his daughter saw every time she looked in the mirror. A scar that had nearly ended all their lives. There was no way he could have lived without his little girl. And then his granddaughter. “I like the fact that it’s a one day and done delivery. That way, we can be home every night and not have to be out on the open road.”

“Nothing would have happened to us had we had to. We’d have been safe locked up in here overnight.” He knew that in his head, but his heart and nerves thought differently. “Did you take your medication today?”

“I did. Before we left the house.” She nodded and read over the paperwork they’d been given. “Daughter, do you suppose when this is up and going, you could try and work with me again to get me driving on the highway?”

Her smile, always something he looked for, turned to him. “Yes. You know I’ll do whatever you want.” He laughed a little, still his little maneuver. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. I was just thinking how Olivia says that now too. She no more means it than you do. Whatever I want simply means whatever you think is best for me. You’ve been the parent in this relationship since you came to me with that little suitcase filled with all your things.” Collier laughed again. “You know, I really thought you’d only been threatening me that day and had yourself an empty case. I nearly sobbed when I saw how you’d packed all your little things so neatly in it. When I asked you about your dolls, you told me if you were having to live on your own, you didn’t have time for frivolous things. Such a big word for such a little girl, I thought.”

“I’m glad you didn’t test me on it. I haven’t any idea where I might have gone that day. To the barn, I suppose.” She turned away from him again, he knew, so he’d not see the sadness there. “Dad, did you hate me for treating you that way? I’ve never been as scared as I was back then that you’d take drink over me.”

“I’ve never hated anything about you, love. Never in all my life, since I held you in my arms, has anyone meant as much to me as you do. Then you know what you went and did? You gave me a second chance at being a good person when you laid that little one back there in my arms.” Olivia pointed