Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 64880 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64880 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
“Oh, Dad, that’s not true.” Tulsi shook her head, stunned to realize that this was what had been going through her father’s head all these years. “I respect myself. And I picked a wonderful man, we were just young that’s all. We both made mistakes, but Clementine isn’t one of them. She’s the best thing that ever happened to me. I wouldn’t take back one minute of being her mama. And you’re a wonderful grandfather to her. She loves you to bits and pieces.”
Dale pulled in a breath and his lips turned down hard. “I tried my damnedest with her. Tried to make up for how I failed you and your sister.”
Tulsi squatted down beside his chair, looking up at him with pleading eyes. “Daddy, you have hurt me, but you haven’t failed me. It’s not too late. We can have a fresh start. Right now. I’m ready to let all the bad things go, aren’t you?”
His lips pressed so tight together the color seeped out of them, but after a long moment he nodded. “This is hitting me hard, Tulsi,” he said in a strained voice. “I barely slept last night for thinking. I don’t want to go out feeling like I’ve failed the people who matter the most.”
“Then you won’t,” Tulsi whispered. “You’ll make a change and make things better. But as far as you and I are concerned, all the sad stuff can stay in the past. I’m keeping my eyes on the future.”
Dale swiped the tears from his cheeks as he cleared his throat. “That reminds me, I was thinking…I can probably let the barn rent go until after Christmas. There’s a difference between teaching someone how to run a business and punishing them for things they can’t control. I know your funding was cut and that’s not your fault.”
“Thank you, Dad,” Tulsi said with a smile. “But I think it’s time to find another therapist for my kids. There’s a wonderful woman in San Antonio I bet I can convince to come take care of my clients one day a week. I’ve got things to think about, too, and I have a feeling my life is moving in a different direction.”
“Knock, knock,” Pike called softly from the door, making Tulsi smile.
Speaking of different directions…
“Can I come in?” he whispered. “The nurse said morning visiting hours started a few minutes ago, but I don’t want to interrupt.”
Tulsi stood, turning to face him, smile widening when she saw the flowers he’d brought. “Come on in. Dad and I are waiting for Clem to wake up. She should be awake soon. She slept really well last night, which the nurses say is a good thing.”
“Great,” Pike said, looking a little nervous as he entered the room and said good morning to her dad.
“Morning,” Dale grunted as he rolled his chair away from the bed. “I should get back to my own room. Patty’s plane landed a while ago. She’ll be here soon. We’ll both come back later when Clem’s awake.”
“Okay, Daddy,” Tulsi said, watching her dad roll slowly out of the room, hope swelling inside her.
Maybe things really would be different between them from now on. She hoped so. The real test, of course, would come when she told her parents who Clem’s father really was and that she and her daughter were moving to Montana to be with him. If her dad didn’t give her the disapproving glare and at least a thirty-minute lecture after that doozy, then she’d know they were truly on the path to a healthier relationship.
“How about you?” Pike set the flowers and a brown paper bag, she hoped contained breakfast, down on the nightstand and pulled her into a hug. “How did you sleep?”
“Not much,” Tulsi said with a smile. “But that’s okay. I’ll take a nap later when Clementine does. Are Mia and Sawyer coming by again before they catch their flight?”
“They are. Mia was talking about canceling the honeymoon, but I told her that would only make you and Clementine feel bad. And I promised I’d stick around so you two will have plenty of support until they get home next week.”
“Good.” Tulsi rested her cheek on his chest, soaking up the strength she always found in his arms. “They should go enjoy themselves. We’re all going to be just fine.”
“We are,” Pike agreed, kissing the top of her head. “I have breakfast, by the way. And three bags of hard candy from the drugstore. I didn’t know how much we’d need for candy poker, but I figured that’s a good place to start.”
“I like gummy worms better,” Clem’s sleepy voice said from the bed. “But we can start with hard candy, and once I win all that, you can go get gummies, Mr. Pike.”
Tulsi grinned as she turned to Clem, relieved to see her daughter looking more alert this morning. “Well good morning, bossy pants. A please and thank you in there somewhere would be nice.”