Page 52 of High Water

“Well, I don’t mean to dredge up an uncomfortable conversation, but your son wasn’t exactly the picture of a good father.”

“You don’t have to pull punches about my son. He was an asshole. Always was. Always will be. God rest his soul. But Bishop could have come to live with us, and he chose to stay on your family ranch. I couldn’t imagine why he’d want that over being with his own kin, but then I saw you. That explained a lot. Pretty young thing his own age, batting her eyelashes and having him teach her how to hold the reins. You had your fun, and then you ran off to greener pastures. Farmer’s daughter is a tale as old as time, isn’t it?”

“It wasn’t like that. Bishop was good to me, but he never wanted any sort of commitment, and I did. I waited for a long time. I stayed single all the way to college in hopes of him someday coming around. When I went to college and he went to the military, I assumed our time was up, and he never offered me anything to the contrary.”

“Did you ask him?”

“No. But I didn’t want to ask him for things he wasn’t willing to give.”

“You didn’t seem to have a problem asking for things when he got back from his last tour of duty, given the two of you have a daughter.”

“I missed him, and I wanted his help, and he was willing to oblige.”

“Because that boy’s been messed up over you for two decades now. He won’t even look at another woman when he thinks he has a chance with you.”

“Well, isn’t that the hope when you agree to marry someone? That they’ll give up alternatives like Tiffany?”

“As long as you’re finally willing to give him the love he deserves. My grandson is a light in this world. Everything he’s been through, the way he’s had to persevere despite so much being against him. He deserves someone who will treat him right, love him above all else, forsake all others. I hope you can do that.”

“I absolutely intend to do that.”

“I didn’t ask what you intend. I ask what you’re going to do. No matter how good a man he is, there are times when your marriage is going to get tough. I imagine it’s going to start that way, seeing as you let another man raise your daughter all this time, and now Bishop has to play second fiddle to a man who didn’t deserve her.”

“Ethan was—” She holds up her hand to cut me off.

“No one but my Bishop is good enough to deserve my great-granddaughter. So spare me any of your explanations.”

“I’m more than happy for him to finally get to meet his daughter and spend time with her. I’m elated that he’s getting that chance, and even more so that she is. And I agree that it takes a very special person to deserve a chance in her life.”

“Much like you.”

“I don’t claim to be special.”

“Of course you do. You’re a Stockton. You don’t forgive. You never forget. You punish anyone and everyone around you for daring to stand in your way. That’s practically your family motto. Has been for generations. You forget I grew up on the other side of the mountain, and so did my grandparents and their parents before them.”

“I appreciate that we come with a reputation.”

“One I’m not even a little bit scared of.”

“I believe you, given the way you’ve held this conversation.”

“Good. Then I hope you can learn to make an exception to all those rules for Bishop. If anyone deserves it, it’s him. He’s been in love with you since he was a kid, and I don’t think his love ever wavered. He’ll be a good father too. I know him well enough to know he’ll do the opposite of everything his father ever did. He’ll spoil her rotten if anything. He’s already talked about wanting to buy her a horse and teaching her to ride.”

“I know he’ll be a good father to her. I have no doubts whatsoever there.”

“He’ll also be a good husband. He’d do anything for you and for that family of yours. Even forsake his own.”

“I agree that his loyalty runs deep.”

“I just hope you deserve him. I’m not sure you do. I don’t know if you’ll ever appreciate him the way someone like Tiffany would. You’ve had it too good to know what bad is, I think, even with that divorce of yours under your belt.”

“My life has been far from easy.”

“No one said it was easy. I just said it wasn’t bad. Those are two different scales, dear.”

“I suppose you could argue that.”

“Then I suppose you could understand my concern. I don’t want to see that man get hurt trying to live up to your ideals and expectations. I don’t want him crushed under the weight of not feeling good enough for his own daughter. If you love him, you’ll look out for him just as much as you would yourself and your daughter.”