Lachlan noddedas he took a sip of his drink. “My parents were my lifeline.Without them, well, I can’t imagine how we would have turnedout.”
“How old isshe?”
“Nineteen.”
“Young.”
“Yep.”
“I take ityou’re not quite as accepting of it as you’re trying to makeout.”
Lachlan sighed.“She loves Gene, and he adores her. I have to trust that I’veraised her right and let her make her own decisions. Interfering isas good as writing her a one-way ticket out of my life.”
“Insightful.”
Lachlan sparedher an are you kidding me glance. “What the heck did we knowat nineteen? But if I tried to stop her, I’d lose her. If I knowanything at all, she’s her father’s daughter.”
“When I wasnineteen, I was studying at university while my sister was wowingthe world in her skimpy bikini.”
Lachlancoughed. “Um, excuse me?”
“My sister is aswimsuit model. You ever heard of Mishka?”
He shook hishead. “Nope.”
“Well, you’reprobably the only man on the face of the planet who hasn’t.”
“Jealous,much?”
Emma tilted herhead as she considered it. “Not jealous, exactly. Well, I guess Iam but not in the way you think. We’re just so different, you know?Like that first night, when I woke from a deep sleep and thoughtyou were an intruder? Mish would have thrown back the covers andasked you to join her.”
“Might havebeen more fun than parading half-naked through the hotel.”
Emma bit back alaugh. “What did your daughter have to say about it?”
“She thoughtyou were insane. A fruit cake.”
Emma coveredher eyes with her hands. “She might be right.”
His voice was alittle gentler. “Is this your first time to Vegas?”
“First tripoverseas. And the last, at this rate anyway. You?”
“We spent ourannual holidays at a seaside caravan park.” Lachlan spoke with asmile, but his tone belied deeper meaning.
“I bet shethought it was the greatest place on earth.”
He lifted aneyebrow. “How did you know?”
Emma caught thebartender’s eye and ordered another drink. She glanced at Lachlan’sempty glass and he nodded. “Because the destination isn’timportant. It’s the fact you made time and spent it with her.Together.”
“You know, atthe risk of sounding totally inappropriate, we should continue thisconversation in my room.”
Emma tried notto choke on her drink. “Why?”
“Because,thanks to you, the hotel is paying for everything. I can charge ourdrinks to my account, and we’d be far more comfortable.”
Should she?Emma considered the alternative–going up to an empty room anddwelling on the rejection she’d suffered. Lachlan’s idea madesense. Company—even his—was better than being alone right now.
“Lead theway.”
Lachlan staredat Emma from the corner of his eye.
Today she waswearing a sundress with small pink and blue flowers on it. Herlight brown hair was tied back from her face but a few wisps hadcome loose, probably dislodged by the sunglasses she had perched ontop of her head. She looked young and carefree but the lonelinessin her eyes pierced his heart.
Why didfamilies hurt each other so much?
All those yearsago when Daphne walked out, Lachlan had been shattered. It was onlynow when he looked back, he realised he’d been more upset for Sarahthan for himself. He didn’t understand how a mother could walk awayfrom her child, for the good of a child or not. Some bonds couldn’tbe broken. At least, that’s what he’d always thought.
Emma stoodopposite him in the lift, not wary exactly, but distant. He knewexactly how she felt.
“So,” He leanedback against the mirrored wall. “When you’re not accusing innocentmen of being thieves, what do you do?”
“I teach thethird grade.” Emma pulled out her wallet and touched her key card,as though reminding herself it was safe, and Lachlan spied aphotograph of three young women, Emma in the centre.
“Your sister?”he glanced at the wallet she was shoving back in her bag.
“Amber andTash. I met them the year after Dad took Michelle away. I guess youcould say they filled the whole she left. We’ve been best friendssince were eight.”
“Did they cometo Vegas with you?”
“No. I wishthey had but…we kind of made a pact this year. Each of us hassomething we need to do alone. For me, it was coming here andreconnecting with my family.”
“Tell me aboutit.” Lachlan folded his arms.
“She’ll beokay, you know.”
“It’s not herI’m worried about.”
“Ah.” Emmaglanced at him with concern etched in her pretty brown eyes.
His heart did astrange little flutter so he moved his gaze away. “You’d think agrown man would be looking forward to living his life, doing allthe things he missed out on when he was raising his kid. Not havingan anxiety attack because he’s worried that he won’t be there whenshe needs him.”
“Are youworried about not being there, or are you worried that she won’tneed you anymore?”
It was a directshot to the heart. He sucked in a breath as Emma walked past himinto the plush sitting area of the suite.
“You’re notabandoning her. Trust me, I know abandonment and that’s not whatthis is. Oh, wow! Look at the Eiffel Tower!” She wentstraight to the windows in the sitting room and stared at the view.“That hotel looks just like the Ritz in Paris!”
“I think thehotel management was worried I’d sue.”
“You saidthey’re paying for your expenses? Gee, you should be thanking mefor mistaking you for a thief. This view is unbelievable.”
He fought agrin and lost.
“So,” she said,settling into an armchair and making herself at home. “When you’renot terrorising innocent women in hotel rooms, what do youdo?”
Lachlan chokedback a laugh and sat on the sofa across from her. “Any number ofthings. I started out packing shelves at the supermarket in themiddle of the night. I’ve been a janitor, a delivery guy. I workedfor a garden landscaping company for a few years. I’ve worked in acall centre and at my daughter’s school canteen. The last fewyears, I’ve been managing a small supply office and kept up withthe night-packing on weekends.”
“You forgot themost important role.”
“What’sthat?”
Emma lifted aslender shoulder. “Dad.”
Lachlanswallowed and blinked away the sudden mist in his eyes. This waswhat he’d missed out on in his relationship with Daphne and all theyears since she’d left. Companionship. Acceptance. Understanding.Here was someone who not only knew how important family was butcommended him for sticking around and doing his best. Even thoughhe wished he could have done better. Sarah was
