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“Seriously?” he asked.
“Oh yeah. That was a fun revelation. They stood up for me though. Or beside me. However you want to phrase that. I told him that I wanted to make my own decisions in my life. I wanted to choose who I wanted to marry and I wanted to get an education. Or at least be educated.”
“I bet he didn’t take that well.”
“Not at all. He almost hit me for it until my brothers stepped in.”
“He did what?” he asked.
“It didn’t actually happen.”
“But it has before, hasn’t it?” he asked.
I took a sip of my coffee as I watched Travis straighten up in his chair.
“Has he done it recently?” he asked.
“It’s not a big deal. It’s under control. Mostly.”
“It is a big deal. To me, it is. A man should never be laying his hands on a woman. Especially a father to his damn daughter.”
“It happens more often than you realize,” I said.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m the best I’ve been in a long time. Things are tense in the house, but I’m about to go home with a cup of forbidden liquid in my hands and a bag full of books my father would hate me reading just to prove my point. I feel… confident. I feel like I’m leading on some sort of march that will free my brothers as well. I had no idea they felt just as oppressed as I did.”
“I have to admit, I’m glad to see you. I’ve been thinking about you,” he said.
“Oh really?” I asked. “I wonder why.”
“Not just because of that,” he said with a chuckle. “I was just… worried. That your father would squeeze you back into the life you’re trying to get away from.”
“Nope. I’m stronger than most people give me credit for. I just had to figure it out for myself.”
“That you are, Ava,” he said. “That you are.”
“So, tell me about this meeting you just had. What happened?” I asked.
“How much have I told you about my family’s company?” he asked.
“Not much. I only know that you have one.”
“Well, through our company we own part of Kettle. Most of the mountainous terrain.”
“I know that part,” I said.
“There’s a company who’s threatening us with all sorts of action to try and get us to sell.”
“Is that a thing companies can do?” I asked.
“It’s not kosher business practice, but yes. Currently, they’re threatening to get the government involved.”
“Why do they want your land so badly?”
“They want to put a gas line through the mountains. It’ll save them millions of dollars to cut through rather than go around. My family’s company tried to stop the line from being settled though this town altogether, but our lawyer got us to compromise.”
“Was that your lawyer you were talking with?” I asked.
