“That’s easy for you to say. You don’t get to pick and choose when you tell a man he has a daughter.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I can’t be near you right now. I can’t be trusted what I’ll say.” He stormed passed her.
“Creed? What will you do now? Jane is here.”
He stopped, feeling like he’d been blasted with ice cold water. “She’s here?” He kept his back to Mindy, not wanting to lose it in front of her.
“Yes. I want you to meet her. I want her to know you and Livvy.”
“I don’t know,” he said in a whispered voice. He didn’t think she heard him, until she answered.
“I realize you need some time to wrap your head around this. What about us? Can you forgive me?” There was a pleading lilt to her voice.
“I don’t think that’ll ever be possible.”
Practically taking the gate off the hinges, he barreled through and kept his gaze ahead on the stretch of grass. At his truck, he looked at the quiet house, feeling tears at the backs of his eyes. Knowing he had another daughter changed everything. Not just for him but for Livvy too. How would he tell his daughter she had a sister? Would Livvy blame him? Despise him more?
Jumping into the driver’s side of his truck, he turned the key and the engine roared alive. He wasted no time in slamming the gear into reverse, pulling out and taking the narrow lane too fast but not caring. He sped out onto the main road and pounded his palm twice against the steering wheel. How was a man supposed to feel in a situation like this? He had an adult daughter—a stranger for a daughter.
Anger pierced his heart, but the hurt, betrayal, sadness, and torment lingering in his chest almost made him feel like he had reached the depths of hell.
He wasn’t an award-winning father by far, but he loved and cared for Livvy. Took care of her. Protected her.
His daughter Jane had grown up without him. Another man had been all those things for her, and from what Mindy had told Creed, Branch had cared more for his career than his family. This choked Creed up. He wanted to hate Mindy, rip every memory of her out of his heart and mind, but he’d been such an arrogant ass. She had been right when she said he’d had big dreams that didn’t include a family. Hell, he knew Melody had been callous and bitter and yet he’d married her. That showed where he’d been emotionally.
He rolled down the window, filling his lungs with fresh air.
He wanted to punch something.
By the time he reached the farm, his anger had been fueled with more emotion.
Then he saw Melody’s luggage sitting on the porch.
The second he stepped into the house he heard raised voices coming from upstairs. He took the stairs two at a time and walked into World War Three happening in Livvy’s bedroom.
Melody was dropping clothes into a suitcase while Livvy stood by her desk, arms crossed and her eyes red.
“What’s going on?” he asked from the open doorway.
“She’s angry,” Melody said without looking at him.
Blowing out a long breath, he stepped inside. “Livvy? What’s wrong?”
No answer, she just stared at the wall.
He looked at his ex for some answers. “Melody?”
“Don’t look at me like that,” she muttered. “You’ve raised her to be spoiled.”
Creed took a second to gain his bearings before saying, “You’ve been here for less than twenty-four hours and you’ve already wreaked havoc.”
She lifted her chin high, wearing a cold grin. “Oh, I’m gathering you spoke to Mindy then? While you were off taking care of that situation you needed to be here taking care of your daughter,” she slurred.
He chose not to fall into that dirty web. “Why is Livvy upset?” He could only deal with one problem at a time and right now Livvy needed him. He had never seen her this quiet.
“I told her that I’m leaving,” Melody confessed then slammed the lid to the suitcase.
He looked over at Livvy, understanding her anguish. People came and went, and sometimes it broke a person’s heart. He’d had his broken a time or two. He’d known this would happen, just didn’t expect it to be so soon. “Why are you leaving now?”
“I received a call from my agent this morning. He has managed to secure a role for me in an upcoming made-for-television movie.” Her eyes twinkled in pride, and arrogance. “I booked a flight for early this afternoon.”
Creed swiped both hands down his face then turned to his daughter. “Livvy? Let’s talk.”
“Go away!” she said softly.
“Sweetheart, please. You still have a few hours until your mom leaves. Maybe you two can go for breakfast.”
“I gave her that option.”
“You lied!” Livvy turned her heated gaze on Melody. “You said you’d stay for a while. You even told me last night that you’d talk to dad about you and me going on vacation together.” Livvy’s shaky voice told Creed she’d been crying hard.
“I wasn’t referring to this moment.” Melody intentionally didn’t look at Creed. “Honey, you have to understand that I can’t refuse work. It’s my career, just as one day you’ll have a career that you’ll have to dedicate yourself to.”
She was met with silence.
“She gets this from you, you know,” Melody whispered, rolling her eyes.
He shifted from one dirty boot to another. “Is that what you think? Why did you make all those promises when you knew you wouldn’t keep them?”
“Don’t blame me. I didn’t know my agent would score a role for me. What? Am I supposed to refuse work and stay
