Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 137310 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137310 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
And freaked.
“She didn’t tell me she did that,” I noted.
Dad said nothing.
“Why would she do that?” I asked.
Dad took another sip from his martini, and again said nothing.
“Dad,” I prompted.
Dad sighed.
“I’m sorry for it, been sorry for it nearly your entire life, Diana,” Dad said. “But me and your mother not getting along is not something you’re unfamiliar with.”
“You’ve been divorced for over two decades,” I pointed out. “She’s remarried, lives in another state, and I’m grown. There really isn’t any reason you two should be speaking at all.”
“I was glad to have the updates.”
“I can see that. But Mom knew we had a falling out, and the way you said she shared intel about me makes me think it was something she was lording over you.”
Hugger’s arm around my shoulders tightened.
“I should have chosen different words,” Dad murmured.
“But she was lording it over you,” I stated.
“She didn’t make it a secret she was pleased we weren’t speaking,” Dad allowed.
“And she told you stuff that, if I wanted you to know, I would have told you. Topping that, she didn’t mention once in ten years she was keeping you apprised of my life.”
“Diana—” Dad tried.
“She bought a plane ticket to come down here and have a shopping spree this weekend,” I announced.
Dad’s lips thinned.
Mm-hmm.
Hugger moved his hand so it was wrapped around the back of my neck.
That was sweet, supportive, but still.
“And she didn’t ask me. I told her she couldn’t come. I didn’t know we’d have that breakthrough with Maddy and get her safe. She wasn’t pleased.”
“Your mother tends to like to get what she wants when she wants it, this isn’t something you don’t know either, Diana,” Dad said.
I made another announcement.
“Nicole encouraged me to mend fences with you.”
Dad looked to his crossed knee and muttered like Hugger and I weren’t sitting right across from him, “Now, Nicole was a good woman, and I fucked that up.”
“Are you serious?” I asked.
His eyes came to mine. “Diana—”
“She said there was something I’m now old enough to know. What is that?”
Dad’s face blanched.
Oh God.
It was something.
Something big.
“What is that?” I demanded.
“Baby,” Hugger whispered.
“What is it?” I pushed Dad, ignoring Hugger.
Dad looked me right in the eye and asked, or more like pleaded, “Can we have a nice dinner, Buttercup, catch up and leave the harder stuff for later?”
The “Buttercup” was a good touch.
But…
No way.
“Let’s get it all out there,” I suggested.
“I’m not sure you want your man hearing this.”
Now I was less mad and more freaked.
Because…
Hearing what?
“Dad—”
“Diana, really—”
“Dad!” I snapped.
Hugger made a move to get up, which meant he let me go, and I didn’t like that at all.
“Maybe I’ll just—” he began.
“No.” I was still snapping. “You want to know me, you get to know this.”
“Diana,” Dad bit.
I stared Hugger in the eyes and whispered, “I need you, honey.”
A sort of manly wonder washed over his handsome face, a look I instantly adored.
It was quickly followed by a rush of warmth, and I adored that look too.
After gifting me with those, Hugger settled back in.
“Harlan and I are very honest with each other. We don’t hold anything back,” I declared to Dad, and I realized then we didn’t, and that was awesome.
“Fine then, maybe we can get into it later,” Dad replied.
“Is it something big?” I asked.
Dad took another sip of his drink.
Avoiding the question.
“Dad, is it something big?”
Again, my father locked eyes with me and he said, “Your mother was having an affair with Brendon Malley well before I began things with Nicole.”
I gasped so hard, I nearly choked.
“In fact, I’d already obtained a divorce attorney and had asked her for a divorce by the time I started things with Nicole,” Dad continued.
My mouth dropped open.
“Brendon came from family money,” Dad kept at it. “We were raising a daughter on one income and scraping together the money for me to buy in as an equity partner, and as such, I had to say no to Margaret too often for her liking. Brendon didn’t say no.”
The single most sucky part of this?
I believed it.
Every word.
“She cheated on you first?” I whispered, and Hugger’s hand was back at my neck, warm and snug.
I wanted to feel better with his touch, and I did.
But my father just rocked my world.
“She did,” Dad affirmed.
“She told me you did.”
“I know.”
Oh my God.
I jumped from my seat and shouted, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Dad stood too, as did Hugger.
Hugger’s hand lighted on the small of my back and immediately commenced stroking.
Dad spoke. “Why would I do that?”
“Why?” I all but screeched.
“Diana—”
I slammed my glass down on the table between me and my father, thankful it didn’t shatter, and straightened, saying, “She made you out to be the bad guy.”
“And what was I to do?” Dad asked. “Cast your mother in that role?”
I threw out both hands and cried, “Yes! Since she earned it.”