*“I mean it, Daddy. I want to stay, and I’m going to marry Jethro whether you like it or not. If that makes you unhappy, so be it.”
“You can’t be serious.” She could imagine his bulging eyes as he struggled to take in her words. “Your mother and I—”
“Are not living my life. Now I know how much you’ve sacrificed to give me what I want, and I appreciate that. But if I did what you’ve planned for me, I’d never be happy. James and I would be divorced within a year. Believe me on this.”
“But, Sadie, he has nothing to offer you. You’re our only child, our princess, and we want the best for you.”
“I know, Daddy. I know. And here’s where I need to say something. For years I’ve tried to make up for you losing Robert.”
“But—”
“Please, Daddy. Let me finish. I’m not saying it has anything to do with you or Mom, but I always felt like I had to try harder because he wasn’t here and all of your expectations were on my shoulders. It was wrong of me to do that, and I know that now. If I hadn’t put that much pressure on myself, we might not be at this stage now.”
“Sadie. Nothing could be further from the truth. Of course your mom and I were devastated when we lost your brother, but we’d never put that kind of guilt trip on you.” He coughed as the emotion roughened his voice. “We thought it was what you wanted. If we’d known how you were feeling…”
“I know that now. It was my own fault. I never should’ve held those beliefs, but I did. I want to be a good lawyer, but you need to let me decide for myself where that will be. I’m not five years old anymore.”
“How long do you think you’ll like living in that rundown ranch house? How long before you get sick of scraping for money and struggling to pay the bills?”
“We won’t. You didn’t look closely enough when you went searching for dirt on him. The mortgage is tiny; I could pay it off tomorrow, but I won’t because it’s a matter of pride with Jethro. He wants to do his grandfather proud, and I won’t take that away from him.” She paused and smiled to herself. “And that’s another thing, his pride. You know he took the blame for his little brother over the drugs, don’t you?”
Silence met her statement.
“Crease was young and impressionable, in with the wrong crowd. It could’ve happened to anyone. Jethro was there at the right time or wrong time, whichever way you want to look at it, and took the blame to keep his brother out of the foster care system. To me, that means he’s committed to family, and I wouldn’t want to be with anyone else.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“You could say you approve and you’ll make it up to Jethro. He didn’t deserve your visit, Daddy, not on those terms. You need to sit down with Mother, talk it over, and agree to let me live my own life. If you want to be happy for me, I’d love to see you both. If you could apologize to Jethro, that’d make me very proud to call myself your daughter.”
*
Jethro was on his knees in the front yard, pulling weeds from the neglected flowerbed when Sadie’s car came down the driveway. He stood up when she pulled the car in beside the house, dusted his hands off on his jeans, and waited for her to give him another dose of anger and disappointment. Should’ve been used to it, but with Sadie, he’d hoped for more. Guess it wasn’t to be and he’d have to deal with it. He squared his shoulders.
She slammed the car door and advanced on him, an inscrutable look on her face. This didn’t bode well for his broken heart.
Jethro looked away, scared and embarrassed to see her here when he’d let her down so badly. She threw herself into his arms and knocked him backward. It took him a couple of steps to gain his balance and realize she was grinning.
“You stupid, stubborn man. Why did you let me believe the worst of you?”
“What are you talking about?” If Tyson said something, he was in trouble. For once, he’d be on the wrong end of a fist—Jethro’s fist.
“Your little brother came and told me the truth about the drug conviction.” She stared into his eyes and frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me yourself? I can understand you not saying anything to my father, but I thought you and I could talk about anything.”
He should have been able to tell her, but if word got out that Crease was the one to blame, people wouldn’t give him a chance.
“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t do it to Crease. For years, people have believed the worst of me more than the others, so why change things?” His arms slid down to her butt and held her close. He’d missed this woman in his arms more than he would have thought possible.
“Because it’s not fair, that’s why.” Her eyes darkened, and he braced to defend his brother again.
“I know, but that’s life. We really had only each other growing up, and I’m the eldest. It’s what big brothers do.”
Sadie raised an eyebrow.
“True. Scout’s honor.”
“I wouldn’t know, would I?”
He grinned. “Does this mean you forgive me?”
“Maybe. But more to the point, do you forgive me? I was the one who didn’t stand by you. And it was my father who threatened you if you didn’t back away from me.” Her tongue whipped out and moistened her lips. “I’m sorry about that. He had no right. We’ve had words over it and will probably have more once he’s taken stock of what I said.”
“Really? Let’s see how that works out. I’ll fight him tooth and nail if he gets the bank onto us. We’ve never had a missed payment, so they don’t have any right to call in the mortgage.”
“Correct, and my father has no right to swing his political weight around either. Being a public figure means he needs to do things by the book. Or he’ll be the one watching his back.”
“I think I like you when you’re all fired up, Sadie St. Martin.”
“There’s something I have to tell you.”
Jethro raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”
“I don’t entirely blame my father. He was wrong to threaten you, definitely. But I understand why he did it even if I wholeheartedly disapprove.” She repeated what she’d told her father earlier.
“Why would you do that to yourself?”
Sadie shrugged. “I know it was silly of me but, at the time, it’s how I felt. I know better now.”
“All these years and you’ve carried that guilt around, thinking you had to make up for their loss. What am I going to do about you, Sadie?”
“Love me?”
“You only have to be yourself around me. Don’t try being something you’re not, Sadie, because to me you’re perfect being you.”
He dipped his head and took her lips with his. Soft at first until she opened up to him and then Jethro deepened the kiss, giving her all the love he’d missed the last few days. Her fingers bunched in his hair as she pressed herself against him, sending all kinds of signals to his lower regions. He broke for air and let out a whistle.
“What was that for?” Her cheeks were flushed.
“You make me want you every day. I never thought I’d find someone like you.” He held her face in his hands, staring into her eyes. “I’m a lucky guy.”
“I think that works both ways, Jethro. You’ve made me find things about myself I didn’t know before I met you.”
He laughed. “Like being poor, thrown into situations you didn’t want to be part of. What else have I shown you? Oh, that’s right, animals, and here they come.” He held her close as Clumsy came tearing up from the barn with Christmas hot on his heels.
Jethro held up his hand as the dog approached. “Sit.” He waited until the dog did as he was told and then released his grip on Sadie. “I think you’d better say hello before he shakes himself stupid.” Clumsy’s tail was beating a pattern in the driveway and his butt was struggling to stay still.
“Oh, you beautiful boy. Come here, then.” Sadie held her arms wide and Clumsy launched at her while Jethro held her up so she didn’t land on the ground. She rubbed the dog’s ears and didn’t even whimper when his tongue lashed her face. The turkey strutted his stuff, fluffing his tail feathers.
“Are you sure you want to take this lot on?”
Sadie gave him a huge grin. “Only if you’re part and parcel of the deal.”
“You have no idea how much I love you, Sadie.”
“If it’s half as much as I love you, Jethro, we’ll be fine together.”
The End