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My father spat blood into the dirt.
“Well, I’ll be damned. You finally learned how to throw a proper right hook for a change. God knows I’ve been waiting for you to grow up and act like a man.”
Chapter Eleven
Callie
“Get out of here,” Landon said, his voice trembling with fury. “Before I kill you.”
I glanced at the visitor.
God knows I’ve been waiting for you to grow up and act like a man.
This was Landon’s father. They looked nothing alike. Landon was tall and lean, sandy brown hair nearly rendered blond by the sun, with somber gray eyes and a reserved demeanor. He never raised his voice before, and even his footsteps were faint, moving through the world so lightly that he barely made a sound. But this man seethed with anger—the set of his jaw, the rigid way he stood as if he was ready and willing to kick your feet right out from under you if given the opportunity.
“Kill me?” Landon’s father scoffed. “You don’t have the balls for that, son.”
Landon lashed out, clawing at his father. The only thing holding him back was Beau. Lieutenant Cross hurried over to help, along with a few other men. In the end, it took five grown men to restrain the cowboy that I loved.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. My shy Landon was practically spitting with rage.
“He’s not worth it, Landon,” Beau said. “Don’t throw your life away for a sack of shit like him.”
“What life?” Landon’s father countered with disgust. “My son has been useless since the day he was born and he’ll die that way. Waste of breath, waste of space, that’s what I always said.”
“Then you’d be wrong.”
It took a moment before I realized the voice that had spoken was my own. Every eye turned and fixed on me. Landon’s father looked me up and down with a sneer.
“Callie.” The edge of fear in Landon’s voice was unmistakable. He shook his head. “Let me handle this.”
“Callie, huh?” Landon’s father came toward me and extended his hand. “You must be the McClaren girl—belle of the ball, as they say. I’m Dixon, Landon’s old man. I heard he was going door to door asking for help to raise a barn for you.”
Dixon’s gaze flicked to the barn, clearly half finished.
“I thought I’d drop by and see what all the fuss was about. It seems Landon didn’t bother to pay a visit to my door.”
I ignored his hand with a pointed look.
“If Landon didn’t invite you, I’m sure he had a damn good reason for it. But that doesn’t mean you invite yourself.”
Dixon raised an eyebrow.
“Rude little bitch, aren’t you? I don’t see why I should go out of my way, let alone lift a finger, to help you.”
“Good,” Landon snapped. “You’re not wanted here. Leave.”
Dixon narrowed his eyes with an appraising glance.
“I’ve never seen my boy fired up over a woman before. There must be something special about you. Did you spread your legs for him?”
Landon’s face flushed a dangerous red. He struggled against the five men holding him back and managed to get an arm free before he was pinned to the ground. Beau jabbed a finger in Dixon’s direction.
“Dixon, I swear, if you don’t get your ass in that car and drive away, I’m letting Landon go. He can do whatever the hell he wants to you. I won’t stop him. No one will.”
Dixon snorted. “I’d like to see him try.”
Beau’s jaw twitched. Every muscle in Landon’s body strained to be released. The tension that hung in the air was as thick as a thundercloud, ready to burst.
