I move closer to him and take his hands. “You love her, Daddy, and she loves you back. My mother didn’t know how to love. She still doesn’t. She’s like a horrible monster that takes your emotions and turns them into something ugly and hard. That’s not Evelyn. And it’s not you.” I squeeze his hands. “You’ve got this, Dad.”
“Do I?”
I hear contempt in his voice and frown, unsure where this is going.
“I thought I had this fatherhood thing down, and then Anne went missing. And what did I do? Did I come to you? Did I offer my support? No. I bolted. I left you, and I left Evelyn. I was so scared I wouldn’t know what to do. And you know what? I didn’t know. I didn’t have a single clue.”
My mouth has gone completely dry. Everything he’s said is true, but that doesn’t make it right. “None of us knew what to do.”
“But the rest of you stayed. You dealt with it. You offered each other comfort. But me? I ran.”
“And then you came back.”
He scoffs. “Well, guess I win a cookie. But here’s my fear—what if it gets hard again? What if I run and just keep going?”
“Then we’ll all be incredibly pissed at and disappointed in you. But not any more than you’ll be pissed and disappointed in yourself.”
I take a breath and take a step back so that I can look him up and down. “But the fact that you’re even suggesting this means that you’re not going to do it. You know the cost. You know what you would be giving up. And who you’d hurt.”
“You don’t think I knew it would hurt you when I ran like a scared rabbit after my granddaughter was kidnapped?”
“Of course, you knew. But you hadn’t figured out the whole dad thing, and I get that. Do I wish you’d done it better? Sure. Was I hurt and angry? Hell, yes. But you got there, Daddy. You came back and you explained. It’s fine now.”
“It isn’t fine. I hurt you. I’m going to spend the rest of my life regretting hurting you.”
“I’ll make you a deal,” I say, deliberately keeping my voice level. “How about you spend the rest of your life loving your wife and your daughter and your grandchildren and your son-in-law and your friends instead? Do that, and we’ll call it even.”
He chuckles. “Well, I guess that’s fair. I think that I can handle that. God knows I want to.”
I pull him into a hug, then kiss his cheek. “I’ve got faith in you, Dad. When we started this journey, we didn’t know how to be a family. Hell, when I got together with Damien, I had no idea what a family was. The idea of what we have now? A home? Kids? A cat? It terrified me. But now here we are, and I can’t imagine anything different. And now that you’re in my life again, I can’t imagine not having you here.”
“Oh, sweetheart, neither can I.”
“I’m so happy you’re marrying Evelyn. She’s one of my favorite people. And believe me, I wouldn’t be happy about her marrying anyone I didn’t think deserved her. But you do. Just don’t let your ego get too big, okay, Daddy?” I add the last with a grin, and as I hoped, he laughs.
“Fair enough. Thank you for the pep-talk. How did I get so lucky to have such an incredible daughter?”
“Well, I think you can take most of the credit, actually. God knows, I don’t particularly approve of the parts of me that came from Elizabeth Fairchild.” I shrug, and we both laugh. That, sadly, is true.
I zip across the room to distract Bradley from the lamp he’s determined to knock over. “So you’re all packed for the honeymoon?” I ask as I deposit my son on the sofa and hand him a throw pillow.
I glance up at my dad. “Damien’s arranged to have a limo take you guys to the marina first thing in the morning. Then you’ll have a quick cruise to the resort.” Tonight, of course, they’re staying in the bungalow after the reception.
“I’m packed,” he says, but something in his voice gives me pause.
“What’s wrong? Oh, God, Dad, you don’t feel pressured into staying at the resort? Do you?” The Resort at Cortez is a vacation destination that boasts a family friendly area along with a more secluded section featuring spacious, intimate bungalows. The resort is absolutely gorgeous, and Evelyn thought that it would be a good interim place for a honeymoon since they don’t want to leave the country until after Damien and I renew our vows.
But maybe it’s not where Frank would’ve chosen. I bite my lower lip, worried we’ve strong-armed my dad into a honeymoon he doesn’t want.
“No, no,” he rushes to say. “The pictures look fabulous. It’ll be a wonderful place for a honeymoon. I’ve been reading up on it, in fact, and I already know all the restaurants we’re going to try.”
I laugh. “There are only three restaurants on the island, Dad. That, plus the candy and ice cream shop.
“Exactly. Those are the ones we’re going to be trying,” he says, making me laugh.
“You’re sure? You looked a little off there for a second.”
“Yes, well. It’s just that we may not be going at all.”
I take a step back. “What? Why not?”
His shoulders sag, as if someone has just released the air from his tires. “Evelyn told me about the text.”
“Oh.” I lick my lips, my mouth suddenly dry. “You’re not supposed to see the bride before the wedding.”
“In her dress.”
“Evelyn came in here naked?”
My dad rolls his eyes. “She came in here in a dress, but not the one she’s getting married in.”
“Sorry. Being silly. Why on earth would that mean you’re not going to go?”
“Well, she’s his publicist. I know that she’s concerned about it leaking. And concerned about the spin if it does.”
I shake my head, then go sit down next to Bradley, who immediately snuggles up. “Do you really think Damien could handle knowing that his drama upset your honeymoon plans? I thought you two bonded better than that in Mexico.”
Damien had been my hero one Christmas when he’d flown down to get my father after his commercial flight was canceled. But then things got even crazier and the two almost ended up stranded down there over the holidays.
He cocks his head. “And do you think Evelyn could stand to be away if something broke and she wasn’t there to help?”
I grimace, not liking the way this conversation is going at all.
“Sweetheart, I walked away from you in hard times before. I’m not walking away from you and your husband this time. And neither is Evelyn.”
“You walked away from Elizabeth Fairchild, not me.”
“We both know that’s not true,” he says, and I have to agree he has a point.
“Well, maybe so,” I concede, “but you’re not walking away this time. I’m pushing you. Both of you. And so is Damien. He would hate for this to mess up your honeymoon. In fact, it will royally piss him off if you stay. Believe me, I know him. So does Evelyn, and she must know I’m right.”
“Nikki—”
I hold up a hand. “If it will make you feel any better, I promise we’ll reach out if it gets bad. But until we know who sent that video in the first place, and what they want to do with it, there’s nothing Evelyn can do anyway.”