“You’re doing well, a mhuirnín,” he reassured her.
“Why do you call her that?” Dare asked suspiciously. “What is that?”
“It’s Gaelic. And stop treating him with such suspicion. Dylan is a good man. He’s kind, honest, and protective and everything Javier wasn’t. He’d never hurt me or put me down. In fact, he’s risked his life to save me.”
“Save you from what?” Dare asked.
Dylan cleared his throat. “There was a mugger, nothing too interesting.” The fewer people who knew about what had really happened the better.
“A mugger?” her father said. “I knew living in the city was a bad idea.”
“Daddy, Austin is a perfectly safe place to live. Dylan took care of me. He’s a good man. He was a Marine, you know.”
“Really? How long?” Dare asked.
“Eight years,” he said. “But right now we should be concentrating on Tilly. Do you have anything more to say?”
“It’s not important,” she replied.
“Tilly,” Dylan warned.
Asher glared at him. “I don’t like the way he talks to her.”
“Damn it, Asher, his name is Dylan,” she snapped. “And he wants me to tell you everything so I can come home again without drowning in guilt. I fell for Javier’s smooth lines. He made me feel special. But he was just using me to get access to the ranch.”
“Shit, Tilly,” Eli said. “You were seventeen when you met him. Of course, you were taken in by his fast talk. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”
“He had a lot of people fooled,” her father added. “Including us. I can’t believe he managed to hide drugs on my property and we never knew!”
“It helped that he had three of our men on his payroll,” Eli said darkly. “And he moved things quickly. But I feel just as duped by him.”
“I’m sorry, Daddy. I know I disappointed you over and over. First, by moving in with Javier then by not going to college.”
Her father sighed. “Jesus, I’ve done this all wrong, haven’t I?” He studied Tilly, sadness in his gaze. “I drove you away.”
“No, Daddy, really. I needed to find my feet. And my life wasn’t ruined by Javier. I needed to do things for myself, to know that I could. Before I always relied on
someone else to do things for me. But for the last few years I’ve stood on my own feet and although I’m not proud of the way I’ve stayed away from all of you, I am proud of what I achieved. It might not be the life you wanted for me, but it’s a life I built for myself.”
“No, you’re wrong,” he told her. “It is the life I wanted for you. I only ever wanted you to be happy and if you’re happy where you are, then I’m happy.”
“Really?” she asked.
“Really.”
Chapter Thirteen
Two days later, Dylan walked up behind Tilly as she gave her horse some water. Waiting behind while she went out riding on her own wasn’t easy for him. His mind automatically turned to all the bad things that could happen to her. But he tried to rein in his more overprotective instincts. But he was going to have to learn to ride if they were going to visit often.
“How was your ride?” he asked as he leaned against the entrance to the stall.
“Oh,” she said as she stood and turned, placing her hand on her chest. “Can you please make some noise when you walk up behind me?”
“Sorry,” he said sheepishly. “Didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“It was good. I’m going to miss riding when we return to the city.”
“Do you miss living out here?” He wouldn’t blame her if she did. There was something about the clean air and wide spaces. He loved the city, but he could probably get used to living out here. If that was what she wanted.