Total pages in book: 248
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
Casey was silent for a long moment. “You seem to think I’m scared of you. Or maybe intimidated.”
“You aren’t?”
She shrugged. “No, I don’t know. I guess maybe I should be? But I’ve lived with someone scary. He liked to yell a lot and throw things. He would stomp through the house and you’d want to run away. Sometimes I would hide, but that would make him more mad.”
“What the fuck? Who was that?” he snapped. “Your fiancé?”
“What? Oh no. Derick was nothing like that. I mean, I never lived with him. But he was always nice to me when we were together.”
“So who were you talking about?” He was a bit confused. She sounded very unconcerned when she spoke of her fiancé. As though he hadn’t meant much to her.
How had their relationship ended?
“Oh, my father. But I don’t want to talk about him. My point was that you don’t do anything like that. Sure, you get mad sometimes, but mostly when you’re worried or concerned. You don’t yell. Although you are very bossy. Yes, if I had to offer some feedback it would be that you could tone down the bossiness.”
“I don’t believe I asked for feedback.”
She shrugged and patted his hand. “Consider it a bonus.”
A bonus?
Jeb shook his head. “I’m not going to be less bossy. In fact, you need bossy. You need someone to give you some rules and enforce them in order to keep you safe.”
“That’s rude,” she grumbled. “I don’t think I need that at all. I think I’m doing very well at taking care of myself. I got myself all the way from Connecticut to here without any incidents. I think it’s this place. It seems to bring something out in me.”
Or maybe it wasn’t the place.
Perhaps it was him.
“Not sure I agree with that. I’m shocked that your family let you travel across the country on your own.” There was disapproval in his voice.
“They didn’t want me to. But they couldn’t really argue with me.”
“Why not?” he asked curiously.
“Because I didn’t tell them that I was leaving,” she said.
“What?” He gaped at her. “You didn’t tell your family that you were going?”
“No. It was hard to keep my plans a secret too, since I lived with them all. I have four older brothers and they all live at home with my father.”
“Why didn’t you tell them?” he asked.
“Uh, because they would have argued. And my father would have found a way to stop me.”
“He sounds like a controlling asshole,” he muttered.
“Yeah, he is.”
“What about your fiancé? You were already broken up?”
“Uh, I called him as I left. I know that wasn’t a good way to break things off. But he really sounded relieved. I mean, it wasn’t like we were in love or anything.”
“You weren’t? Why were you engaged to him, then?”
“My father arranged it.”
“Wait. Your father arranged your engagement? Did you have a choice?”
“Oh no. I never have a choice when it comes to my father. It’s his way or the highway. And God help anyone who disobeys him.” She shuddered.
“Did he hurt you?” he asked.
“He never hit me. He didn’t have to. Not when he could yell and snarl and smash things up. He has a huge temper. Things set him off very easily and I learned to just give him what he wanted. Then sneak around and do what I liked.”
Right.
That explained a lot.
Her experience of discipline was abuse. And likely her father’s rules had been about controlling her rather than protecting her.
Which meant he had to tread carefully. Especially when he didn’t want her to grow too attached to him.
“That explains why you’re so reckless with your safety. He probably had lots of rules that constricted you rather than protected you.”
“My father didn’t care about protecting me. He’ll be mad that I left because he can’t control me now. I hope he didn’t take his anger out on my brothers.”
“He abuses them as well?” he asked.
“He doesn’t treat them the same as he does me. They’re useful to him. I’m just a waste of space.”
Jeb growled and she startled.
“Sorry. That wasn’t aimed at you. And you are most definitely not a waste of space, understand? I don’t want to hear you say that again.”
She stared at him for a long moment. “All right. I won’t say that again. I know it’s not true. I’m great at lots of things. Just not working for my father . . . I hated it.”
“Then you never have to do it again. In fact, I forbid you from having anything to do with him. I’m not even sure if you should have anything to do with your brothers if they did nothing to protect you.”
“They did what they could. But no one really goes against my father. He’s the big man in the area where we live. Everyone does what he says. The sheriff. The mayor. Everyone.”