down from his horse, throwing the reins to Joseph, while Garrett dismounted and handed his to Gavin. Before she could utter a single protest, Nicholas had her in his arms and was turning her around as if to inspect every single inch of her.
“She looks to be in one piece,” she heard her husband mutter.
Still Daughtry could say nothing, and not until Nicholas completely shocked her by handing her over to her father to continue the examination, did Daughtry finally voice her protest.
“Stop this at once!” she exclaimed and pushed away from her father. “I’m not a helpless child, you know. I’m perfectly fine—or at least I was until you all got here.”
She looked from the two men at her side to her brothers. “How dare you interfere in my life this way! I’m old enough to know my own mind. You can’t just waltz in here and think to control me!”
Garrett glanced at Nicholas and received one of his lazy, I-told-you-so grins. “I think you should spank her,” Garrett said with a slow drawl.
“Sp–sp–spank me?” Daughtry sputtered, completely enraged. “You think he should spank me?”
“That’s right,” Garrett replied.
“If he doesn’t want to do the job, I’ll do it,” Gavin called down from his mount.
“You’re all insufferable.” Daughtry put hands on her hips and struck a defiant pose. “I’m a grown woman and. . .”
“You may be a grown woman, but you haven’t got a lick of sense,” Garrett replied.
“I have plenty of sense.”
“Then what are you doing out here when you have a perfectly fine home?” Garrett questioned.
Daughtry looked to her husband for help, but Nicholas looked away as if to keep from laughing.
Daughtry crossed her arms. “I wouldn’t be out here at all if it hadn’t been for the way you treated me. I may have run off, but you forced me to make that decision.”
“I know,” he said in a dejected tone that immediately softened Daughtry’s heart.
Garrett pushed his black Stetson back and drew a deep breath. “I know I’ve been unfair to you, Daughtry. It’s just that ever since Julie died, I guess I felt like I had to keep a better eye on you. I couldn’t get past feeling that if I’d only watched her closer, made her take someone with her when she rode, that maybe she’d be alive today. You’ll feel different when you have your child. You’ll know just how much a child means to a parent.”
Daughtry reached out to touch her father’s cheek. “I know. I miss her too. And I also feel guilty.”
“Guilty for what?” Garrett asked in complete surprise.
“For being angry with her. Angry that she died. Angry that because of the way she died, I had to bear the consequences.” Garrett grimaced at the latter, but Daughtry continued. “We all miss her, but overprotecting me won’t change the fact that she’s gone to heaven and we’re still here.”
“You’re right, of course,” Garrett answered and opened his arms. “Will you forgive me?”
Daughtry melted into her father’s embrace. “Of course,” she sighed. “I forgave you a long time ago. If it hadn’t been for our confrontation, I might never have met Nicholas—and, Daddy, I do love him. I didn’t just marry him to get away from home. He’s a good man, and he loves God.”
Garrett glanced over her shoulder at Nicholas.
“I’m glad you love him, Daughtry.”
As if reading her father’s feelings, Daughtry pulled back. “I’ll always love you too, Daddy. Please forgive me for the way I’ve done things. I know I was wrong. You and Momma brought me into the world and raised me up to love God and my fellow man—and now it’s time for me to go on and live my life with Nicholas.”
Garrett nodded. “I know. Just as Julie’s death isn’t the end, I know that your marriage is just the beginning of many wonderful things. Nicholas helped me to see that. He helped me to realize that life and death are just a part of the circle that makes us who we are. Julie may
“She looks to be in one piece,” she heard her husband mutter.
Still Daughtry could say nothing, and not until Nicholas completely shocked her by handing her over to her father to continue the examination, did Daughtry finally voice her protest.
“Stop this at once!” she exclaimed and pushed away from her father. “I’m not a helpless child, you know. I’m perfectly fine—or at least I was until you all got here.”
She looked from the two men at her side to her brothers. “How dare you interfere in my life this way! I’m old enough to know my own mind. You can’t just waltz in here and think to control me!”
Garrett glanced at Nicholas and received one of his lazy, I-told-you-so grins. “I think you should spank her,” Garrett said with a slow drawl.
“Sp–sp–spank me?” Daughtry sputtered, completely enraged. “You think he should spank me?”
“That’s right,” Garrett replied.
“If he doesn’t want to do the job, I’ll do it,” Gavin called down from his mount.
“You’re all insufferable.” Daughtry put hands on her hips and struck a defiant pose. “I’m a grown woman and. . .”
“You may be a grown woman, but you haven’t got a lick of sense,” Garrett replied.
“I have plenty of sense.”
“Then what are you doing out here when you have a perfectly fine home?” Garrett questioned.
Daughtry looked to her husband for help, but Nicholas looked away as if to keep from laughing.
Daughtry crossed her arms. “I wouldn’t be out here at all if it hadn’t been for the way you treated me. I may have run off, but you forced me to make that decision.”
“I know,” he said in a dejected tone that immediately softened Daughtry’s heart.
Garrett pushed his black Stetson back and drew a deep breath. “I know I’ve been unfair to you, Daughtry. It’s just that ever since Julie died, I guess I felt like I had to keep a better eye on you. I couldn’t get past feeling that if I’d only watched her closer, made her take someone with her when she rode, that maybe she’d be alive today. You’ll feel different when you have your child. You’ll know just how much a child means to a parent.”
Daughtry reached out to touch her father’s cheek. “I know. I miss her too. And I also feel guilty.”
“Guilty for what?” Garrett asked in complete surprise.
“For being angry with her. Angry that she died. Angry that because of the way she died, I had to bear the consequences.” Garrett grimaced at the latter, but Daughtry continued. “We all miss her, but overprotecting me won’t change the fact that she’s gone to heaven and we’re still here.”
“You’re right, of course,” Garrett answered and opened his arms. “Will you forgive me?”
Daughtry melted into her father’s embrace. “Of course,” she sighed. “I forgave you a long time ago. If it hadn’t been for our confrontation, I might never have met Nicholas—and, Daddy, I do love him. I didn’t just marry him to get away from home. He’s a good man, and he loves God.”
Garrett glanced over her shoulder at Nicholas.
“I’m glad you love him, Daughtry.”
As if reading her father’s feelings, Daughtry pulled back. “I’ll always love you too, Daddy. Please forgive me for the way I’ve done things. I know I was wrong. You and Momma brought me into the world and raised me up to love God and my fellow man—and now it’s time for me to go on and live my life with Nicholas.”
Garrett nodded. “I know. Just as Julie’s death isn’t the end, I know that your marriage is just the beginning of many wonderful things. Nicholas helped me to see that. He helped me to realize that life and death are just a part of the circle that makes us who we are. Julie may
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