Sweet and Wild - Carmen Jenner Page 0,19
eat in silence until we’re done, then my father leans back in his seat and glares at me. “Clean this up, and then you head on over to the Winchesters’ and you make it right, boy,” my father says.
“Yes, sir.”
“Lemon Winchester is off-limits.”
I nod as I collect our plates and scrape off the table scraps into the dog’s bowl. I wash the dishes in record time and leave the house. My face and body hurt from the beating my daddy gave me. I didn’t fight back, because I earned it. I kept Lemon out all night. My selfishness could have ruined her reputation, but worse than that, I made her daddy and her brothers look at her like they were ashamed, and I never wanted her to feel the brunt of that anger. It should all be directed at me. This is all on me.
I saddle up Knievel and ride on over to the Winchester Ranch. It’s just after dinner, and I know the boys will be finishing up in the stalls as Mr. and Mrs. Winchester sit on the porch with a whiskey, while Lemon is usually up in her room doing her homework.
The Winchester boys all side-eye me as I pass on my way to the ranch house, but I don’t stop to talk to them because I got to make it right with Mr. and Mrs. Winchester first. Eventually, West and I will have it out, but that’s a problem for another day.
I climb off my horse and tether him to the fencepost. He whinnies and bows his head to gnaw on the lush green grass by the fence. I don’t expect to see Lemon when I glance up. She’s standing on the front porch, as if she just came bolting out from inside. She takes a step toward me.
“Go on back to your room, now, Lemon,” Mr. Winchester says.
“Daddy,” she says in a warning tone.
“You mind if I visit with you a minute, Mr. Winchester?”
“You’re standin’ in my yard talkin’ now, ain’t ya?”
“Yes, sir.” I take a deep breath and try not to glance at his daughter as I address him. “I’d like to apologize for my actions. I know it was wrong of me to meet her last night, and I know I should have come and spoke to you first, but I love your daughter, sir. I can apologize for going about things the wrong way, and sneaking around behind everyone’s backs, but I won’t apologize for lovin’ her.”
“You’re old enough to be her big brother, and you’re certainly old enough to know right from wrong.”
“Yes, sir, I am. But being with Lemon doesn’t feel wrong, and I swear I ain’t ever looked at her like a little sister.”
“You broke my trust in you. You broke my trust in my little girl.” Mr. Winchester glares at me, and then he looks at his daughter, the tears streaming down her face, and something in him seems to melt. Lemon has a way of doing that to a man. All your resolve just disappears into thin air. I don’t care that my daddy warned me away from her because the truth is, I can’t stay away. Now that I’ve kissed her, been inside her, and held her in my arms, I can’t ever give her up. And if I can sway old William Winchester, I know my own father will come around.
“I could tell you to stay away from him, Lemon, but I know two things. One, you’re Winchester wild. I told you that Sleep’n Pete was off-limits and it just made you want him more. I’m not stupid enough to believe that won’t happen again here. But you’re my little girl, Lemon, and while you live under my roof, you won’t go sneaking out with boys in the middle of the night.”
She swallows hard and nods. “No, sir.”
He turns toward me. “And you come to my front door when you wanna see her.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You hurt my little girl, if you disrespect me, her, or the Winchester name again, I will castrate you.”
“Yes, sir.” I smile as it finally registers the boon he’s giving us here. “I won’t do nothing to hurt her or your family name.”
“Oh, Daddy.” Lemon throws herself into his arms and he looks taken aback, but he holds her tight and buries his face in her neck. After a beat, I clear my throat, because I don’t know what else to do. I wanna be the one holding her right now, though