Page 16 of Seeing Harper

“You both need to bring it down a notch,” Libby said.

Travis’s gaze shot over to Libby. He nodded his acquiescence.

“Yes, ma’am,” Harper said.

“Good. Now, let’s try again. Harper, go ahead.”

Harper took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I mean, what about Scotty? Doesn’t he own a stake in this farm, too? Doesn’t he want his kids to help run it one day?”

“He does, and they’ll help,” Travis said.

“Dear, Lord. Can you imagine that?” Libby asked.

Harper snickered a little. “They’ll grow into themselves at some point. And maybe they won’t want to be a part of it. Maybe they’ll want to follow their own dreams like I do. But I’m willing to bet one of them will. And we’ll all be here to help just like we do now. And the Pride will be like they always are, standing beside us when we need them. I’m not walking away. I’ll always be here when you guys need me, when this place needs me. I’m just saying I want some of my own dreams, too.”

Travis shook his head as he aimed the remote at the television and turned the volume back on, not even looking her way.

“I don’t want you angry with me, Daddy,” Harper said.

He shook his head. “I’m not angry with you, Harper.”

“Or disappointed.”

“How can I be anything other than disappointed? You have no regard for the work, the dedication that it takes to keep this place profitable. All you’re worried about is some pipe dream filled with horses that aren’t even yours. But you know what? It’s fine. Somebody else’s horses are more important than our family, more important to the services we provide to the families in town all through the seasons and the holidays.”

“I didn’t say that, but why can’t you see that there are things I want for my life?”

“Because this is our life!” he insisted, his voice raised, but not quite yelling as he looked angrily at her.

She watched him quietly, gauging his anger, feeling completely unseen by him. “It’s your life. It’s what you chose. Why don’t I get to choose?”

He aimed the remote at the TV again, turning the volume up drastically. “It’s fine, alright? Let’s just see how things develop.”

“Which means just ignore it and push it under the rug and maybe you can convince me tomorrow.”

Travis’s face was less than impressed as he looked her in the eye.

“I’m going to bed. I have an early day tomorrow.”

“With the horses,” Travis said sarcastically.

“Yes, with the horses. Why? It’s Sunday. It’s my time, isn’t it? Are we working here tomorrow?”

“Nope. Just making sure I know where you’ll be.”

“You always know where I’ll be,” she said as she left the room, waggling her phone at him to remind him that she knew he tracked her.

Travis sighed as he sat back heavily against the sofa and scrubbed his hands down his face.

“She’s right, you know?” Libby said quietly as she sat beside him.

“It’s not what I ever saw happening. I thought of us as a family unit, all working toward the same thing. I never considered that she’d grow up and have her own ideas and desires that weren’t in line with our family and our business. And yes, I hear how selfish and controlling that sounds when I say that. But isn’t she the one turning her back on us?”

“She’s not turning her back on us. The fact that she has her own dreams doesn’t mean that we don’t have her support.”

“How do you figure that?” Travis asked doubtfully.

“She’s said as much!”