Page 84 of A Texas Hero

“Is that it? Just say the word and I’ll get rid of Peter. I’ll fire him. Whatever it takes.” He made a slash through the air with his arm.

Zoey was appalled to have that much control over someone’s livelihood.

“Don’t fire him!” She groaned in frustration. “He does a good job for you. Did you ever stop to think that for once in my life I want a man who doesn’t work for my father, or who doesn’t put my father first?”

“What are you talking about? The only person on my staff who you’ve dated is Peter.”

“You don’t understand. It’s one thing for someone I date to respect my father, it’s quite another for him to idolize him. Do you even realize that over half the men I’ve ever dated simply wanted to get close to you? No sooner did they realize that, yeah, I’m part of ‘that’ Lambert family, they start in on wanting an introduction to you. You’re the star, you’ve always been the star. Mami and me were simply in your orbit. Oh, we didn’t mind. We liked being in the background, supporting you. But everyone deserves that kind of adoration from one person in their life. You’ve got millions. All I need is one.”

“I’m so sorry, baby girl. I had no idea you were dealing with this.”

“No, you wouldn’t. I never told you. It’s too embarrassing to think that for some people, I’m not enough. You and Mami always raised me to believe in myself, and I always did. It was tough to realize that my own father was stealing my limelight. Worse, I hate myself for feeling this way. You matter. Your accomplishments and charities matter. I just want to be seen for my own.”

“You have every right to be appreciated for what you’ve done. Don’t you know I realize you could be living with me, high on the hog, taking expensive vacations and sitting around the house simply enjoying life? Not contributing to society? I’m very proud of what you’ve done. You have drive and ambition. That’s the one part of you that’s most like your old man. The truth is, I relied too much on your mother to be the bridge between us. You were a girlie girl, and I didn’t really totally understand you. Your mother was like our translator. And then we lost her, and I honestly felt like I’d lost both of you. I didn’t know how to reach you without her, so I just tried to keep you close.”

Zoey’s heart ached to see her father, such a large man, reduced to such loneliness. With all his adulation, he’d missed the one thing he could never replace: his intact family. It wasn’t just her mother, but the picture all three of them made together. He’d missed out on so much of it, but he couldn’t get it back now.

“Daddy, I’m so sorry.” Zoey reached for her father, standing on tiptoes to hold on to his shoulders. “I know you want to recreate the family you once had, but you’re going to have to start over with Robin. It’s your second chance at love, I’m not going to be a part of that, and neither will Mami. You need to accept that it’s just you and Robin going forward.”

“God help me, I don’t know if I can do it. I made so many mistakes the first time, and your mother forgave every single one. There’s no one like her and never will be again. How can Robin compete with that? She’s going to leave me, isn’t she?”

It had never occurred to Zoey that her strong, famous athlete father worried he might lose someone. But then again, he already had, even if it hadn’t been her choice.

“No, I would bet that she’s never leaving you.”

“Because of the money.”

“No, because she adores you. She missed having the first part of her life with you, and now she gets a chance to love you until the day you die. And while I don’t have a direct line to her, I’m pretty sure Mami would approve.”

“That really means the world to me.”

“I’m sorry I gave you a tough time about Robin. Archer made me realize she’s a good woman, and that’s all that matters. It’s your choice, not mine, but if I had to choose someone for you, I think it would be someone exactly like her.”

“Thank you. And you’ll be glad to know Archer turned me down on the job offer. Oh, he was nice about it. I offered him twice what he currently gets paid. That was the moment he won my respect. He wants to make his own way. That’s the kind of man I’ve always wanted for you.”

“Me, too.”

Maybe Zoey no longer wanted exactly what her parents had after all. It had looked picture-perfect from the outside, but now with the benefit of her grown-up glasses and a realistic view of the world, she saw how much her mother gave up, being with her father. It had been noble and loving of her, even if a bit old-fashioned. But that was her mother, who’d grown up in an economically disadvantaged family. She’d accepted her role as a tradwife who kept the home fires burning while her superstar husband was away—and she seemed to enjoy it. She and her mami had spent many wonderful years together, with much of that time being just the two of them.

And she was grateful for every minute she had gotten to spend with her mother.

* * *

When Zoey reached her car, she saw that she had a message on her phone. It was from Archer, telling her to meet him and giving her an address. She texted him back.

Where are you?

It’s a surprise, he replied. I think you’ll like it.

A surprise! The idea of being out with him in public appealed to her. It was one thing they hadn’t done much of, except within the confines of the shop. They’d certainly been on public display there, trying to hide the connection they had. But she no longer had to be worried about people thinking she had a bodyguard. Now she had a real boyfriend, and she didn’t care who knew it.

Zoey plugged the address into her sedan’s GPS system and followed the directions, winding up driving to the outskirts of Charming. It was an area she wasn’t very familiar with. There were undeveloped plots of land around here, formerly fields of cotton, long gone now. The odd barn dotted the landscape. She pulled up to the address and nearly burst out laughing.

Old-fashioned hayrides! Haunted house! Maze! Corn on the Cob!

Archer stood by his car, one hip leaning against it, a big smile on his face. She walked up to him, smiling.

“How long has this been here, and why didn’t I know about it?”