“Who?”
He stared at the television, the sound still on mute.
“Tripp Masterson.”
Francisco glanced at her.“No.”
“Did you know he was the defense attorney on my case?”
“No.”
She watched him.“Do you remember what happened?Back then?”
He blinked slowly.“I remember you cried.For days.”
And she had.He’d broken her heart and left a scar that still lingered.It was hard to trust someone when you’d been lied to like she had.
“That’s all?”
His mouth twitched.“I remember I wanted to kill the boy for breaking your heart.”
A typical fatherly response.But did he have something to do with the annulment?It had been delivered to the house by someone from Tripp’s father’s law firm.All she’d had to do was sign.
Nicole let out a dry laugh.“I thought he left me.Just walked away.But now… I don’t know.Something’s not right.”
Francisco didn’t respond.Instead, he stared at the television screen that he’d muted.
Nicole looked back toward the kitchen.
“She’s hiding something.”
Her father took a sip of his beer, which was now open.“She always was better at keeping secrets than I was.Still is.”
Was she keeping secrets from Nicole about Tripp?
“I’m going to find out the truth,” she said.
“What good will that do?Leave the past in the past,” her father said, glancing up from the television, his expression tight and drawn.
Nicole’s chest tightened.“Did you want us to end?”
Francisco didn’t answer right away.Then: “I wanted you to be happy.I didn’t think he could give you that.You’re my beautiful daughter, and I want the best for you.Even after twenty years, I still want the best for you.”
Everyone assumed that they couldn’t be happy.Even her friend Paige had doubted their marriage would last.
Nicole swallowed hard.“Maybe he could’ve made me happy.”
Her father didn’t look at her.“Doubtful.What took him so long to return to the island?”
“Don’t know.But he’s my opponent in court.He’s my enemy until I put his man away,” she said.“And his family is still in control of him.He’s working at his father’s law firm.”
Why she’d been surprised, she didn’t know.But he’d always said he didn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps.That he wanted his own firm.
Francisco gave her a look.“So was I the day I asked your mother to marry me.Her father threatened to shoot me.”
Nicole shook her head, a bitter smile on her lips.“That’s not the same.”
Francisco raised an eyebrow.“It’s not that different.”
