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It had been a full day since she’d almost died in Chuck’s arms. She felt so embarrassed about the fact he’d had to perform CPR on her a few minutes after she’d vomited. She felt so grateful that he hadn’t even thought twice about doing it.
He stood next to her now, as her hand wavered above the door. “You can do it, Mill,” he said, his voice low and firm.
She nodded, and then she knocked.
Millie’s dad was waiting for her in the ranch house’s bar. Apparently, Takis had wanted to throw him out, but Chuck had convinced him that it would be for the best if her father had somewhere comfortable to stay until he was due to leave.
“Come in.” Her father’s voice was thin, tired.
Millie stepped in. She was holding her breath. Her dad was sitting at the end of the bar. He’d loosened his collar, and his hair looked a mess. To her surprise, he wasn’t drinking alcohol. He was sipping coffee.
“Been waiting for you,” he said. She hadn’t known what she’d been expecting. Maybe a little more anger, though.
“Dad, I… I need to tell you something.” She took a seat near him and breathed deeply. “I’m a Little.”
The words felt strange coming out of her mouth. As if she was confessing some sort of crime.
But to her surprise, her dad didn’t look angry or surprised. He just smiled and nodded slowly. “I know, love. I know. I’ve always known there was something different about you.”
“I’m not telling you because I need your blessing.”
“I understand.”
“I’m telling you because this is who I am, regardless of what anyone else feels. It doesn’t matter what the rest of the world thinks, or what they feel I should be. This is who I am.” She was so nervous that her teeth were almost chattering.
“I see, Mill. I’m glad you could share this with me.”
“There’s more, though.”
“I want to hear it all.”
“I… did my best.”
Her father smiled a sad smile.
“I’m not lazy. I’m not a failure. I did my best. When I was a kid, all I wanted was to be the best dressage rider in the world. But it didn’t happen for me. And when it didn’t… I saw how disappointed you were. How angry you were.”
“I was cruel,” her father said. “I was angry at what happened to you. But I took it out on you. I can see that now. I drove you away.”
“I l-love you, dad. I just always thought you were ashamed of me.”
“I think I blamed you for the break-up of my marriage,” Boris said. This was a big admission from her father. Millie’s mom had left a few years after Millie had come off Wizard at the National Championships. Her father’s increasing anger and cruelty had been too much for her.
“I felt blamed,” Millie said. “Maybe it was my fault.”
“No!” She was surprised by the force of her father’s reply. “It was my fault. I let myself become a tyrant. Ordering you around. Forcing you to take jobs you didn’t want. I should have let you leave, should have let you live your own life.”
Millie felt a well of warmth start to fill her. “Dad, I’ve needed this from you.”
“I can’t believe I left it this late. When I saw you lying on that floor, so cold and still… something broke in me, Millie. I’m sorry. I’m so, so, sorry.”
Before she knew what she was doing, Millie was in her father’s arms, clinging on to him.
“I don’t want to lose you,” he said. “I won’t lose you. I swear, Millie Reynolds, that from now on, I’m going to be the father you need — loving, accepting, and here for you when you need me.”
“I love you, Papa. I always did.”
Tears rolled down her father’s cheeks. He stroked her hair as if he was comforting a baby. “I love you, too.”
