CHAPTER 53

A lengthy pause hung in the air before he sighed. ”That’s how you feel?”

“Sometimes.”

“I didn’t mean—”

“I am a big girl. I’m perfectly capable of seeing to my own needs and taking care of myself.”

“This ain’t goin’ the way you wanted, is it?”

She dropped her gaze to the bottle and her fingers picked at the soggy label. “Dad, nothing ever goes the way it’s supposed to when it comes to us. Something always comes up and changes our plans. No biggie. I’m used to it.”

Silence hummed as loud as the air conditioning.

“I’m sorry.”

More silence.

“I’m always sayin’ that to you, ain’t I?”

Macie shrugged.

After a while he laughed. “Well, this is fun. I sure know how to kill a conversation.

This wasn’t what I had in mind when I came here.”

She looked up at him. “Why are you here?”

“Here as in, here in this camper? Or here as in, here on Gemma’s ranch?”

“Both I guess.”

With a drawn out sigh, Cash took off his hat. He tossed it on the seat beside him and scratched his head. “Mostly, I’m here in the