hands clasping the dog, pulling her close. She buried her face against Daisy, and he had the sneaking suspicion she was hiding tears. His kid would do that. Sheâd hide it when she cried, and sheâd fight anyone who said those were tears on her cheeks.
Duke sat there watching the girl who was his daughter. He didnât know what to say. He definitely didnât know what a dad would do in this situation.
He did know heâd knock down mountains for her. âLilly, Iâm sorry. If Iâd known...â
She glared, eyes narrowed. âSorry?â She shook her head, one tear sliding down her cheek. She brushed it away. âFor what? For not telling me? For acting like my friend?â
Oregon opened her mouth; he was sure she meant to reprimand Lilly. He put a hand up, stopping the words. âShe has a right to be angry.â
He didnât have a manual on parenting, but he knew all about being an angry kid.
âYeah, angry.â Lilly said it like she was trying to find the emotion that fit. He guessed there was a lot of hurt. How much did they tell her? How much did they keep from her?
He looked to Oregon because she had the experience he was lacking. She moved her chair closer to her daughter. No, retract that, his daughter. Their daughter. He studied her face.
âLilly, Duke didnât know. I waited too long and by the time I had found him, heâd joined the army and was on his way to Afghanistan.â
âBut you came here to tell him, and you didnât. Right?â Lilly swiped at angry tears chasing a trail down her cheeks. Duke brushed dampness from his own cheeks.
He hated that she was crying and that he didnât know how to fix this for her. He loved this kid and had from the first moment she bounded up the steps of the diner, asking for odd jobs to raise money for a horse. Heâd given her a bridle for Christmas. Sheâd made him a card with a horse she drew. Sheâd signed it âwith love, Lilly.â
Theyâd had an immediate connection, he guessed. And he hadnât been smart enough to figure it out, to see the smile, the blue eyes, for what they were. His eyes. His sisterâs smile. Yeah, he saw it now. Lilly looked like his little sister, Samantha, but with Oregonâs dark hair.
âI took too long,â Oregon admitted. âFor that I owe you both an apology, and I hope youâll forgive me. I just wanted to know for sure...â
She looked up, meeting his gaze. He saw tears gather in her eyes and escape down the slopes of her cheeks. âI messed up,â she whispered.
âYeah, you did.â Lilly wasnât all about forgiveness at the moment. Duke knew sheâd get past it. She was that kind of kid.
âLilly, your mom wanted to know that I was a person sheâd want in your life. And I can tell you, a few years back, I wasnât. Iâve made a lot of mistakes.â
She shot him a look. âYeah, you did.â
âNo. Youâre not a mistake,â he countered.
âNot a mistake, just...â She grabbed her crutches and stood. âWhat am I?â
âOur daughter,â Duke said, wishing he could take back twelve years and redo everything. But he couldnât.
âIâm taking a walk.â Lilly hobbled off.
Duke started to go after her. Oregon stopped him, a hand on his arm. âLet her have a few minutes alone.â
He sat back down in the chair next to Oregon. He watched his daughter walk away, Daisy at her heels but keeping a careful distance. He knew where she was going. She was going to the horses.
âWhat are we going to do?â he asked Oregon. She was watching Lilly walk away.
âWeâre going to be parents together. Weâll figure it out.â
âRight. Of course we will.â But Oregon had already figured it out. He was the one who had a lot to learn.
Heâd spent most of his life not planning to marry, not planning on kids.