“You told him I needed him?”
I took a step back into the kitchen counter and planted my hands on the edge.
“I knew Grant would come back to help, and I knew you would listen to him. But I didn’t think things would escalate like this. I didn’t think he would—that he would still have that crush on you. I didn’t think things would develop like they did, and I panicked again. His life is in Boston, and I was afraid you’d run off to be with him and I’d lose you like I lost your mom.”
“But Dad, I’m not your wife, I’m your daughter. And Mom is dead, gone for good. If I moved to Boston, it’s a five-hour drive, not a permanent removal from your life. I’m supposed to grow up and move on and live my own life.”
He nodded sadly. “I know honey, and I’m sorry I’ve tried to hold you back from that for so long.”
I still couldn’t believe that he had been the reason Grant had come to town. And I couldn’t believe that Grant had lied to me about it. That he had been here to try and push me away from Ike and he hadn’t come clean with me. Just another man trying to push me in the direction he wanted me to go.
“I know I’ve tried to control certain aspects of your life, and for that I am sorry, but I won’t apologize for doing whatever it is I could do to get you away from Ike for good. I will never apologize to you for that.”
My head was spinning with all the information coming my way.
“I’ll find Grant, and I’ll apologize to him. I know you want me to, and I know he deserves it. He deserves to know that I didn’t think he was just garbage to be thrown away.”
I felt my father’s arms drape around me one last time and I hugged him close. My ribcage and the bruising on my thighs still hurt. I choked back my tears, not wanting to cry into his chest. I came here in strength, and I would leave here in strength.
But I wanted to sink to my knees and cry.
“I love you, Princess.”
“I love you too, Dad.”
“And when you have this conversation with Hollis, go easy on him. I only saw you in the hospital, but he saw that man on you. It’s going to take him a while to get over seeing his sister like that.”
I nodded against his chest before I stepped away. But my priorities had changed. Grant kept something from me, and I needed to know why. I looked over at the clock and saw it wasn’t quite noon yet. There was a chance Grant was still at the hotel
“Do you want to get some lunch or something?” my father asked.
“How does dinner tonight sound? I’ve got somewhere I need to go first,” I said.
“Whatever you want is fine. But it would be nice to sit and have a nice conversation with my daughter.”
I smiled up at my father before I made my way to the front door, feeling more at ease in his presence than I had in years.
“Put me down for six tonight. But you’re buying,” I said.
“Then we’ll go out for a nice steak!” my father called after me.
I shut the front door behind me, but a weight hadn’t lifted from my shoulders. One burden had replaced the other, and I was very upset. Grant had lied to me about why he was in town. I could see in the beginning why he wouldn’t want to tell me. Hollis had tried to get me to leave Ike before, and I had bucked him. I probably wouldn’t have listened to Grant anyway, especially since it had been so damn long since I’d seen him.
But after what we’d shared, after what we’d admitted we’d felt for one another, why wouldn’t he just tell me? Did he think I’d be angry and tell him to go? Probably, but it didn’t excuse anything. He knew I was tired of other people controlling my life. Why would he not come clean and deal with the consequences with me?
I was going to find him, and I was going to ask him all those questions.
And he was damn well going to tell me the truth this time.
CHAPTER 28
GRANT
I decided to stay one extra day in case Theresa called and wanted to talk. But that wasn’t the only reason why I was staying. I wasn’t ready to return to Boston yet, because I knew once I did, I wouldn’t be able to pull away for a while. And if there was any chance that I could run into Theresa one last time, this had to be it. Once I returned, work would bog me down more than ever, and it would be weeks—possibly months—before I’d make it back up this way.
If anyone wanted me to.
I sat at the table overlooking the ocean and clicked through some documents. Some financial issues had arisen that Matt called me about a few minutes after Theresa had left. When I set out to start my own construction company, I had a job as a foreman, learning the ropes, excelling at the trade. I wanted knowledge of what it was like to work for the company so I could have some empathy for those I would eventually employ. I became good friends with the owner who then became my mentor, the man who helped me start my own company out of Boston. He taught me everything he knew, and in return, we partnered up on some projects that bolstered both of our reputations.