Kissin' Tell (Rough Riders #13)(108)

The hair on the back of Georgia’s neck stood up. “Whoa. Are you telling me you know Barbara Wyrelinski?”


Her father nodded.


“How long have you known her?”


A pause. A heavy sigh. “Forty-some years. She’s the sister of my army buddy who got killed in Vietnam. She sorta adopted me as her big brother. We both had interest in the western lifestyle and we stayed in touch.”


“Why didn’t I know that?”


“I’ve been around the world and I’ve got lots of friends you aren’t aware of,” he said tightly.



“I get that. But this is my boss we’re talking about, Dad. In the four years I’ve worked for her, she never once mentioned knowing you. Why?”


“Because I wouldn’t let her tell you.”


Georgia frowned. She thought back to her conversations with Stephanie. About the odds of getting assigned a job in Sundance, Wyoming. So what were the odds that Barbara, a business owner from Dallas who just happened to be a friend of her father’s, just happened to be one of the employer interviewers in Laramie, Wyoming, four years ago?


Astronomically slim.


Then she knew. Her father had set up the entire thing. He’d always run her life with a heavy hand and it seemed no matter how far away she moved, she’d never be out of his reach.


She stood and paced angrily, kicking up dust that reeked like pig manure. “I always believed I’d nailed that interview with Barbara on my own merits. But now I find out you…” Her entire body burned with humiliation.


“You did get hired on your own merits, Georgie. Yes, I asked Barbara to do the official interview at UW, but she does that all the time. And she wouldn’t have hired you as a favor to me—she’s too shrewd a businesswoman for that. Barbara liked what she saw in you—that’s why she offered the job. And I’ve not meddled in your life since.”


Her head spun. “Did Mom know about this?”


“No one but me’n Barbara knew.”


“Didn’t you think it was wrong if you had to keep it a secret? From everyone? Especially me?”


“What would you have done, Georgie, if I’d told you that I’d asked an old friend to interview you? You would’ve refused the meeting out of anger and resentment, just because that option came from me.”


She opened her mouth. Closed it. That wasn’t true. Was it?


“I’ll agree some of your anger toward me is justified. But you are my daughter. I care what happens to you. As your father, you can’t fault me for tryin’ to help you secure a job so you could provide for yourself. I’ll repeat, the only part I had in this process was getting you the first interview. The rest you did on your own. And you should be proud of that. God knows I am.”


Georgia was too mad to acknowledge his pride in her. “And what part did you have in convincing Barbara to assign me to a job in Sundance?” she demanded.


He looked away.


“Not meddling in my life anymore? Bullshit.”


“I know what it looks like. But Larry and Kim Pradst, who own L bar K, are friends of mine. They’ve stuck by me when no one else did. When they hit tough times because of Larry’s cancer, I gave them Barbara’s name for a possible buyout since rodeo promotion is part of her business. Barbara handled it from there, but the Pradsts knew you worked for her.”


“How?” she demanded.


“Because I told ’em.” His voice dropped. “They got a promise from Barbara that you’d take over their events in Wyoming, if only for this season.”


Throughout her realizations and recriminations, one question kept repeating in her head: had her life ever been her own? Had she ever been allowed to make her own decisions?


Her father’s gruff voice roused her. “Georgia Lou. Please. Stop cryin’. You’re gonna make yourself sick.”


She reached up to find her cheeks were wet. And although the sun beat down, she was cold. So cold. She shivered.


“I’ve gotta go. I’ve gotta…” What? Where did she go when her life was in shambles?


Then her dad did the strangest thing. He hauled her into his arms, hugged her tightly, patted her back awkwardly and released her abruptly. “I know you’re upset. But that was the last thing hanging between us. Now that everything is out in the open, we can start fresh. I don’t wanna lose you, now that there’s a chance we can fix this.”


Georgia nodded numbly, trying to ignore the pleading tone. The only thing she wanted to fix right now—was a drink.


Chapter Twenty-Seven


At the Golden Boot, Georgia poured her heart out to Stephanie.


Stephanie made sympathetic noises, patted her hand, handed her tissues, ordered her another drink. “G, you know I love you, right?”


“Yes. And can I just say the day we became college roommates was one of the luckiest days of my life?”


“Such a suck-up,” Stephanie said dryly. “But that sweet sentiment doesn’t mean I’ll sugarcoat my observations.”


“I know.” Georgia wiped her eyes. “Which is why I had to tell someone who’d have an unbiased opinion.”