Back Road Chances (Roughneck #2) Read Online Free Page B

sometimes. Plus traveling down from the wedding and going straight to work took a toll on me. I ain’t getting no younger,” he said with a laugh. “But I’ve got Vickie here to baby me now.”
    I really was glad that he had a girlfriend now. I often wondered if he would marry Vickie. I knew he loved her, but he never mentioned marriage. That bitch did a number on him, too. I hated her more for what she did to him, than what she did to me.
    “Well good, she needs to baby you,” I said. “I’m so glad y’all got to come to the wedding. I know it meant a lot to Lainey.” Funny how my Daddy was a “y’all” now. They were a package deal.  Vickie had quit her waitressing job and followed Daddy from rig to rig now. She fought him tooth and nail at first because she was so used to taking care of herself. That’s when I knew she was good for him and wasn’t after his money. I liked her.
    “Me too. I hated that we had to leave so quick but you know how the oilfield is. It don’t stop for nobody.”
    “I know,” I said, trying to hide the sadness in my voice. I had a love-hate relationship with the oilfield. I loved that it provided stability to so many people around me. I hated that it took them away from me. I tried to just roll with it now, because I knew it’s just the way it was, but it still bothered me sometimes.
    “So, whatcha got going on tonight?” He asked.
    “Moon made plans, he won’t tell me what though,” I said.
    “That boy’s got it bad,” he said through a laugh.
    “What?” I asked. No he didn’t. Did he?
    “Angel, don’t you see the way he looks at you? That boy loves you,” he said.
    “I don’t know about all that, Daddy,” I said. “We’re not that serious.”
    “You keep telling yourself that,” he said. That was the exact same thing Moon said to me last night.
    “Dad, I gotta finish getting ready. He’s gonna be here in a minute.” I wasn’t ready for this conversation. So I did what I do best, I avoided it.
    “Alright, sweetie. But hey, listen. Take it from me; don’t walk away from something that’s good for you just because you’re scared.”
    “I’m not scared of anything.” I lied.
    “Angel, don’t forget who you’re talking to,” he said.
    “Love you, daddy,” I said, trying to push the lump in my throat away. Are you fucking kidding me? What was wrong with me? I didn’t cry; I sure as hell wasn’t starting now.
    “Love you too, sweetie. I’ll call you in a couple of days.”
    “Ok bye,” I said, and ended the call before I lost my shit.
    I put my phone down, walked to my bathroom and tried to get myself together. My dad was right. I was scared. I didn’t want to be. But I wanted to protect myself. I couldn’t handle going through what he did. He loved that bitch more than anything and she left. He was devastated. I was just a kid, but I wasn’t stupid. I knew he was hurt. And his pain lasted for years, even though he tried to hide it. I couldn’t do that. I wasn’t as strong as he was. It took him fifteen years to move on after what she did, it would take me a lifetime. But the truth was I would already be hurt if he left me. I was attached to Moon, whether I wanted to admit it or not. The thought of him walking away almost made me sick.
    I was touching up my make up when I heard a knock at the door. I waited to hear it open but it didn’t. Moon always just came right in, it was what we did. I stopped and listened for footsteps. Nothing. Then another knock. So I walked to the front door and opened it.
    “What are you doing, you never kn…” I was frozen. He was beautiful standing there.
    He had on his boots and fitted jeans, which of course I loved. Then a white v-neck fitted t-shirt that showcased that amazing body of his. You could see his huge tattoo peeking through the neck of his shirt and out of the sleeve. He had worked on that piece for months. It was a tribal design that covered his left peck and went over his shoulder down