“What’s to do right by him?” I started on Patrick’s unfinished meal. He traded plates with me. “The baby and Blake are most important.”
“Add you to that, and I agree wholeheartedly,” he said.
I paused mid-bite and dropped my fork. “Don’t sit here and lie in front of them. If that were true, you wouldn’t have dropped that contract on me.”
“That’s why I did it.”
“I knew that lawyer was on your side.” I resisted the urge to scream in frustration.
“What are you talking about?”
“He said the exact same thing. That you were doing this for my protection.”
“I did do it for you. How many times do we have to go through this?”
“As many as it takes for you to understand you won’t have anything to do with this child. I refuse to have you influence her or Blake to become like you.” The words were vicious and out of line, but I couldn’t get control of my emotions.
“Enough.” Dad leveled me with a look as if I was the one who was wrong.
Patrick leaned back in his chair, but his leg bounced vigorously. He pressed his lips together.
Mrs. Quinn patted his hand. “You’re a wonderful father.”
“He doesn’t even know what that means,” I shouted. Everyone was on his side. Everyone.
“Enough.” Dad pounded his fist on the table.
We all jumped. Blake repeated the motion, and my father appeared crestfallen.
“There’s no need for you to reiterate your feelings about my ability as a father or my general demeanor as a human being. You’re perfectly clear.” Patrick’s voice was mono-tone, as if my opinion meant nothing to him.
“Good.”
He stood and grabbed Blake, whispering against his hair.
“I can’t tell you what to do, but you owe that man an apology.” Dad pointed to Patrick, who waved him off.
“None necessary. Her truth hurts, but at least I know where she stands.”
My throat constricted. He took up for me to the end, even when I didn’t deserve it. The apology formed in my head, but nothing came out. Instead, I stared at him holding my son and temporarily forgot why I was so angry with him in the first place.
Our eyes connected,
“Give him to me,” I said hoarsely, holding out my arms.
Without hesitation, he did.
“More wine, anyone?” He didn’t wait for a response, refilling glasses around the table. “Mrs. Quinn, I haven’t even asked about the shelter. Forgive me; our news has dominated the conversation.”
How could he just move on? He always did that, like he had this uncanny way of letting things go. And he’d given me the ability to get past our arguments too. I just never realized it before now.
She sipped her wine and looked down at her lap. “I had Cricket drug tested.”
He loosened his tie. “Damn. Duke left me a couple of messages. I haven’t had a chance to listen to them.”
“It’s not your responsibility to check on her.”
“Trish asked me to.”
“I know, but—”
“If we help the girl, that’s all that matters.”
She gave him this smile, like he just got it, whatever it was. And I didn’t.
I polished off the rest of Patrick’s meal and cleared the dirty dishes from the table.
“Did you have enough to eat, sweetheart?”
“I did.” I focused on Patrick. “Want something else?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
“When I said take care of her, that’s not what I meant.”
Take care of me?
“What did you mean?” I asked expectantly.
His cheeks turned bright red. “You were hardly talking to any of us. I was worried about you.”
“So you what? Asked Patrick to check in on me?” I wheeled around to him. “Is that why you’ve been around? Because my dad asked you to?” If I thought that contract hurt, this was way worse.
“Would it make a difference?”
“Yes.”
“If the answer is no, then what?”
“I—” I gaped at him. I had no idea, only that it made me feel twitchy and better at once. “It’s not no,” I whispered as pain lanced through me.
I grabbed Blake and our things. “Nothing’s going to change, is it?”
“We’ve all got to try.” Dad handed me Blake’s elephant. “I love you. Please don’t shut me out again.”
“Stop giving me reasons to.”
Chapter Forty-Three
Patrick
I caught her at the bottom of the stairs.
“Don’t do this to him.”
“You made me think you were my friend. That you cared,” she choked out.
“Then you think the right thing.” I cupped her face and tugged. “Stop this nonsense. Hell, let’s go back to the beach. Reset. Because this can’t go on. You don’t want Blake or Gummy to live like this. In constant turmoil. Say the word, Wicked. Say it and I’ll forget all the shit you’ve said and done.” It was crazy stupid on my part, but it was the truth.
“You think I owe you an apology?”
“You want one from me first? Will that fix it?”
Her eyes welled. “Nothing will. I can’t change. That’s what you want.”
“Do you ever listen to anything I say?”
“Stay out of it.”
I gripped her shoulders and shook. “Go up there and make it right with your Dad. Then do whatever you have to do to get Andrew and Holt back.”
“Why does it have to be me?”
“Because you’re the strong one.” I shook her again. “You have no idea how lucky you are to have them, and you’re about a step away from losing them. If you don’t care about a relationship with them for yourself, don’t take them from Blake and Gummy.”
She winced. “Lucky? How can you say that?”
“Do you know what I’d give to have what you have? People who love me no matter how many mistakes I make? Who live and breathe for my happiness?” I pointed up the stairs. “That man up there, you are his world. He doesn’t do anything without thinking about what’s best for all of you. And you’re just going to throw it away.”
“I’m not the only one screwing things up.”
“So what?” I exploded. “So. The fuck. What?”
She recoiled, and I dropped my hands from her shoulders. Her nose twitched. Her look begged me for understanding. Gummy
