Walking down a broken country road

Maybe not.....

Ophelia's POV:
I woke up to hear Daddy and a voice that sounded similar to Daddy's in the kitchen. I decide to get up and change and head down stairs. I get to the kitchen to see this tall, buff man standing in my kitchen. He's honking cute. He's wearing a white cowboy hat, jeans boots, and a flannel. Obviously I must me looking at him as if he's a piece of meat because he says;

"Hey Honey, You must be Ophelia. I'm Bennett, but you can call me Ben, or really anything."

"Hi" is almost all I can say... cause i'm shy and I don't want to make a fool outta myself especially in front of this cutie.

"Oph, this is your brother, and he just got back from College. So he will be living here with us for a while. I've got to go to the store so please don't give him a hard time."

Well that crushed all hopes 🤦🏻‍♀️

"Yes sir. When will you be home? I don't want to stay alone."

"Baby Bennett's here. He's not gonna let anything happen to you."

Bennett's POV:

This is my princess, I already love her to death. Any boys that screw with her have to come through me first.

"B, you need to go talk to her. She's really shy and doesn't really like new people. If she's giving you a hard time, call me."

"Dad, don't worry. That's my princess, I've got everything under control."

And like that my dad walks out the door. Maybe she won't be in the typical teenage bratty mood. She definitely doesn't seem like the bratty type.

"Hey baby, Dad said you needed to go feed the horses and the chickens. I've got the cows and Hamilton (our hog). Don't go beyond the fence O. I don't want you getting hurt. Dad said you couldn't go out there without one of us."

"Okay! B, can you carry me? I don't wanna get uppppppppppppp!"

"Sure honey."

As I'm carrying her, she falls asleep. How am I supposed wake this angel up? Ahh forget it. I'll just lay her in the barn when I get the feed. I'll just do her chores for her this time. Just don't tell dad. As I get back from feeding Hamilton, She's not on the bale of hay I layed her on. As a matter of fact, she's not even in the barn.

"OPHELIA REIGN LAKESLEY! WHERE EVER YOU ARE YOU BETTER GET YOUR BUTT IN THIS BARN BEFORE I GET A HOLD OF YOU!"

No response. Shit. I go in the house to see if she came in to get food. Nope, not here either. Then I hear a scream from what sounds like the end of the farm. Is she standing outside of the fence. Hell naw not today.

"Ophelia Reign Lakesley, what did I say about going outside of that damn fence?"

"Not to go without you or Daddy."

"Exactly! You deliberately disobeyed me Ophelia. Get your butt in that barn. RIGHT. NOW."

"B-B-Bennet, y-you're scaring m-me."
Shit. I didn't mean to scare her. Her little eyes are swelling up with tears. Damnit.

"Baby, I didn't mean to scare you. You can't just disobey me and do whatever you want to do. You need to know that your actions have consequences. Get your tail in that barn young lady. I'm not going to ask you again."

And like that she walking back towards the barn. My heart is torn right now. I don't even know how to handle this. Like that my dad is pulling into the driveway. Here goes nothing.

Brendyn's POV:
Bennett tells me what Ophelia had done, going behind the fence after he told her not to. That pisses me off.

"Dad, I sent her to the barn. I didn't know how to handle her."

"Don't worry son. Her hide's about to get a tanning of a lifetime."

"Hell no Dad. You can't spank her!"

"HEY! She's my kid, I know what I need to do to keep her in check."

"Dad, don't you think that's harsh? She left the fence, not killed another Rancher's animal!"

"Bennett let me refresh your memory since you clearly don't remember. When you were 12, What happened when you went outside of the fence after I said not to?"

"I got chased by a water moccasin."

"Exactly. There is too much out there that could harm her, that she could not defend herself from, without our help. For god sakes Bennett she's 13! She's a little older that you were. She needs to know her actions have consequences."

"Please just don't go as hard on her as you did on me when I was young."

"Okay B. Can you go start on Supper? Let me go handle this and then you can have all the time with her you want."

Like that I was off to the barn. This is tiring. I walk in to see my babygirl sitting on the milking stool in the corner bawling her eyes out. This is heartbreaking. I close my eyes and I pray. I pray that God guides me on how to handle this situation, and that he gives me the strength to go through with this. 

"Ophelia get your little tail over here."

"Daddy i'm so sorry! I didn't mean to disobey Bennie! I just wanted to explore. I didn't go far and I came straight back when he called for me!"

"Hush Ophelia. You still went off after he said not to. I don't set boundaries for you for no reason Ophelia Reign! What have you got to say for yourself you could've gotten hurt! You really disappointed me today Ophelia. Bennett feels like he did something wrong and that it was his fault. That he isn't capable of looking after you!"

"Daddy I'm so so sorry. It won't happen again!"

She goes to hug me, I turn it down. I've got to be stern. I've got to let her know that this is not acceptable. She's crying hysterically.

"DADDY PLEASE! I wasn't t-t-trying to disobey. I really w-wasn't!"

"Not another word. You're actions have consequences Ophelia."

I pull her arm so that she follows me. I don't know that I can do this. Damn this is hard. She still is crying hysterically. I sit on a bale of hay, and set her on my lap. With Bennett, I had to stay stern because if I comforted him before I punished him then he would get clingy and I would cave. I don't think that's the case with Oph. So I cuddle her a minute. I let her cry on my shoulder. I still want her to know she's daddy's little girl, and I love her and her brother more than life itself.

"Baby. I love you and you're my little angel from heaven. But, you're actions have consequences. You're grounded for a week. No phone, no Ipad, no computer."

Damn. I couldn't do it. I don't think what I did with Bennett is going to work for Oph. She's too fragile and generally well behaved. He was a monster. (Much like his dad, my internal thoughts roar.) I pick her up and carry her back in the house. I set her on the couch, and I see B looking at me ready to run and comfort my baby. I give a nod, I go to finish dinner as he just hugs her and watches the ball game. I couldn't ask for a better family.