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"I had no idea" She studied his face "When did that happen?"

"Four years ago" Cash finally found the guts to look at his daughter Co brown eyes, before those same beautiful, wise eyes filled with tears

Shit He’d never dealt ith tears

"Oh Dad That was right around the time mom died, wasn’t it?"

He nodded

"Why didn’t you tell h shit to deal with, Macie, without --"

Macie threw herself at hi her ar

Cash held her tightly, offering her co her His child Feeling like a total selfish prick because on some level, he was happy, happy, that she’d turned to hi

Macie’s cries slowed to the occasional hiccupping stutter Still she didn’t release her grip on hio of her either

Finally he irl?"

"No I hate this I’ve always hated it"

Cash’s stomach plummeted to the toes of his cowboy boots "Hate what? Me?"

"No, I hate that I don’t know you Hate that it’s so godda to be butterflies and rainbows in my life, just once I want us to finally make that connection and be, I don’t know, like a real faain and this ti the best mistake he’d ever made

"You probably think I’m a bawl baby, huh?" she asked after a tiht I’d be so happy to be wearin’ your tears on my shirt" He squeezed her hard and kissed the top of her head "We’re gonna onna be a faainst his chest Still ?"

"Anything"

"Why didn’t you ever get married and have another fauess I never found a woman ould put up with me"

"I’m serious"

"I ahway, huh?"

"Yep"

"But what about when you were younger? Before you got so set in your ways?"

"I figured there was no rush That I’d have plenty of time to settle dohen I was older" Cash didn’t want to muddy the waters and discuss his relationship with Gemma and all that he wanted from her now that he’d found a woman ould put up with his wicked ways "The sa I’s you wanna do Travel See the world"

Macie snorted

"What?"

"My ypsy type, not me"

Cash leaned back to look at her "You want to settle down?"

"Maybe"

"Here?"

"Maybe"

He kept his tone casual "With Carter McKay?"

"No I like it here because you’re here, Dad But if you’re talking about me and him?

I don’t know Probably wouldn’t work anyway"

Cash wanted to tell her it probably wouldn’t and encourage her to nip the relationship in the bud But he bit his tongue and listened

"He and I are so different He’s smart"

"So are you You passed your GED when you were fourteen"

"Hah He’s got a Masters of Fine Art"

"So?"

"That’s not all He has ties to the land and to his family and I don’t knohat that’s like"

"Is he messin’ with your head? Tellin’ you what you have and what you’ve accoh? Makin’ proonna keep?"

Her eyes narrowed and he recognized that challenging look: He’d seen it staring back at hiave hi of him in her after all

"Can I talk to you about this? Rationally? Or are you gonna run off half-cocked?"

Cash griate "Half-cocked? I’onna shoot him" Yet "Go on"