Eric Camden saw Lucy standing in the crowd and his eyes immediately
went to the tall young man next to her. He noticed his strength,
confidence, determination and his undeniable possession of Lucy.
He went to her and took her in his arms. He released her and turned to the man beside her. "Dad, this is Kevin Kinkirk."
"The person you wanted me to meet."
Kevin held ou his hand. "It's a pleasure sir."
Eric shook his hand. "I would like to know your intentions with my daughter."
"Sir, with you permission, I would like to marry her."
"And without it?"
He straightened, "I would prefer with it."
Eric resisted the urge to smile. That was about as 'in your face' as someone had gotten in a long time.
"Should we get your luggage sir?"
"I don't have any. I'll be leaving tonight. Unlike my daughter, I have commitments and responsibilities." And he intended to bring Lucy with him.
Lucy pulled his arm. "Then come and see the ranch please."
They got to Kevin's truck and began driving back to the ranch.
"Kevin owns it." Lucy said as they drove up the mountain.
"You own it?"
"Yes sir. Free and clear."
"He even built it himself." She said as they got out.
Eric turned to Kevin. "I would like to speak to my daughter alone, if you don't mind."
"Sure. I need to check the livestock."
They went inside and hung their coats. "Lucy when are you going to tell me what this is all about?"
"Let's talk over coffee."
"No. I want to know what you're doing in the middle of nowhere with that man. I think I have the right to know."
"Do you? Do you think you have the right to control everything I do?"
"Haven't I given you everything you wanted? I never denied you anything."
"Only my life." Lucy paused and sighed. "Look dad I don't want to fight."
"Then why did you ask me to come?"
"Because Kevin insisted."
"Fine. Well then lets use some common sense. Lucy, come home."
"I am home." She spoke with such emotion Eric was left speechless.
The only thing he could think to say was, "What about Jeremy? He is worried about you. If you wanted out of the relationship then you should end it fairly instead of disappering like a child."
"You don't understand. I am not leaving."
"So you're going to stay here with his cowboy."
"Yes."
Kevin came in and hung his coat. He motioned for Eric to sit on the couch. He sat in the chair and Lucy stood.
"So, Kevin, how did you meet my daughter?"
"She was looking for a place to stay, and I had a room for rent."
"You never saw her before she came here?"
"No sir."
"And you payed the hospital bill?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"She fell off one of my horses. That's why I have the insurance."
"There wasn't a waiver?"
"Yes this was, and she signed it."
"But you paid the bill. Why? Were you trying to buy her affection?"
To his annoyance, Kevin grinned. "No."
"Are you aware that Lucy is engaged?"
"Was."
"Her fiancé is someone that I have a lot of respect for."
"Mr. Camden I love your daughter and will care for her to the best of my means." Kevin said as he slid his arm around Lucy's waist.
"You have no idea what she wants."
Lucy stiffened. "I do know what I want. I want to marry Kevin and live here in Colorado."
Eric stood silently for a moment. He realease a long breath and looked over at Lucy. "Are you sure this is what you want?"
She nodded.
"All right. You have my permission, and more than that my wish that you two will be happy."
She went to her dad. "Thank you, dad." She hugged him.
"But you need to talk to Jeremy and explain things to him." He saw the muscles in Kevin's jaw tighten. He knew something.
"Jeremy knows why I left."
"Well I better be going?'
"I'll take you to town."
Lucy smiled, "So you'll be here next week for the wedding. It will be a small wedding with the reception here at the ranch. It's what I want."
"I'll be back." He turned and left.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jeremy flew to Boston and was standing in an art gallery. He was looking at all of Lucy's paintings. This was the first joy he felt in months. A woman came over, "Is there something I can get you?"
"I must have one by this artist. Her work is incredible."
"Yes it is. Lucy Camden is new to the market, but her work is very promising."
"I grew up with her. She was always drawing and painting. Do you think it's the same person?"
"Well Lucy Camden isn't a common name, so it probably is."
"I'll take this one."
He walked with her to the counter. "Would you happen to have the address or phone number where I can contract Lucy."
"No, I'm sorry I don't. Her work is sent here from a town in Colorado. She has an agent there."
Colorado? "That's to bad, I haven't talked to her in a long time and we did grow up together. I would really like to see her again."
"Well I have an address where I send money orders." She pulled out a book and flipped through until she found it. "Yes here it is. Do you have something to write this down with?"
He wrote the address down with reverence. "Thank you very much." He left the store with the address held tightly in his hand – he had Lucy.
A/N: Please review!
He went to her and took her in his arms. He released her and turned to the man beside her. "Dad, this is Kevin Kinkirk."
"The person you wanted me to meet."
Kevin held ou his hand. "It's a pleasure sir."
Eric shook his hand. "I would like to know your intentions with my daughter."
"Sir, with you permission, I would like to marry her."
"And without it?"
He straightened, "I would prefer with it."
Eric resisted the urge to smile. That was about as 'in your face' as someone had gotten in a long time.
"Should we get your luggage sir?"
"I don't have any. I'll be leaving tonight. Unlike my daughter, I have commitments and responsibilities." And he intended to bring Lucy with him.
Lucy pulled his arm. "Then come and see the ranch please."
They got to Kevin's truck and began driving back to the ranch.
"Kevin owns it." Lucy said as they drove up the mountain.
"You own it?"
"Yes sir. Free and clear."
"He even built it himself." She said as they got out.
Eric turned to Kevin. "I would like to speak to my daughter alone, if you don't mind."
"Sure. I need to check the livestock."
They went inside and hung their coats. "Lucy when are you going to tell me what this is all about?"
"Let's talk over coffee."
"No. I want to know what you're doing in the middle of nowhere with that man. I think I have the right to know."
"Do you? Do you think you have the right to control everything I do?"
"Haven't I given you everything you wanted? I never denied you anything."
"Only my life." Lucy paused and sighed. "Look dad I don't want to fight."
"Then why did you ask me to come?"
"Because Kevin insisted."
"Fine. Well then lets use some common sense. Lucy, come home."
"I am home." She spoke with such emotion Eric was left speechless.
The only thing he could think to say was, "What about Jeremy? He is worried about you. If you wanted out of the relationship then you should end it fairly instead of disappering like a child."
"You don't understand. I am not leaving."
"So you're going to stay here with his cowboy."
"Yes."
Kevin came in and hung his coat. He motioned for Eric to sit on the couch. He sat in the chair and Lucy stood.
"So, Kevin, how did you meet my daughter?"
"She was looking for a place to stay, and I had a room for rent."
"You never saw her before she came here?"
"No sir."
"And you payed the hospital bill?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"She fell off one of my horses. That's why I have the insurance."
"There wasn't a waiver?"
"Yes this was, and she signed it."
"But you paid the bill. Why? Were you trying to buy her affection?"
To his annoyance, Kevin grinned. "No."
"Are you aware that Lucy is engaged?"
"Was."
"Her fiancé is someone that I have a lot of respect for."
"Mr. Camden I love your daughter and will care for her to the best of my means." Kevin said as he slid his arm around Lucy's waist.
"You have no idea what she wants."
Lucy stiffened. "I do know what I want. I want to marry Kevin and live here in Colorado."
Eric stood silently for a moment. He realease a long breath and looked over at Lucy. "Are you sure this is what you want?"
She nodded.
"All right. You have my permission, and more than that my wish that you two will be happy."
She went to her dad. "Thank you, dad." She hugged him.
"But you need to talk to Jeremy and explain things to him." He saw the muscles in Kevin's jaw tighten. He knew something.
"Jeremy knows why I left."
"Well I better be going?'
"I'll take you to town."
Lucy smiled, "So you'll be here next week for the wedding. It will be a small wedding with the reception here at the ranch. It's what I want."
"I'll be back." He turned and left.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jeremy flew to Boston and was standing in an art gallery. He was looking at all of Lucy's paintings. This was the first joy he felt in months. A woman came over, "Is there something I can get you?"
"I must have one by this artist. Her work is incredible."
"Yes it is. Lucy Camden is new to the market, but her work is very promising."
"I grew up with her. She was always drawing and painting. Do you think it's the same person?"
"Well Lucy Camden isn't a common name, so it probably is."
"I'll take this one."
He walked with her to the counter. "Would you happen to have the address or phone number where I can contract Lucy."
"No, I'm sorry I don't. Her work is sent here from a town in Colorado. She has an agent there."
Colorado? "That's to bad, I haven't talked to her in a long time and we did grow up together. I would really like to see her again."
"Well I have an address where I send money orders." She pulled out a book and flipped through until she found it. "Yes here it is. Do you have something to write this down with?"
He wrote the address down with reverence. "Thank you very much." He left the store with the address held tightly in his hand – he had Lucy.
A/N: Please review!