“But, Daddy?—”
“I said no, Michaela. I’ve lost my dignity and all my money. I’ve done enough to disrespect your mother’s memory by nearly losing the family hotel. I refuse to pawn her jewelry. Those precious pieces are worth a fortune, and they’re irreplaceable. Not to mention, many were your grandmother’s and great-grandmother’s. They’ll remain in the bank’s safe, unless you want to wear them. End of discussion.”
I stare at him.
His lips turn up in a lopsided smile, but his eyes are veiled with sadness. “Your mother was always the brains of the operation, Mikki. If she were still alive, none of this would’ve happened.”
You would never have married Thana.
“I’ve never been a numbers guy, which explains my predicament. I have nothing left to my name. I used every penny to save the hotel, but even that wasn’t enough.” Tears well in his eyes. “I thought I could dig myself out of this mess.”
I suck in a shaky breath and lift my gaze to the ceiling.
Dear God.
“I’m sorry I failed you, ladybug.”
My heart breaks at his words. “Oh, Daddy, you didn’t fail me. It’s business. I wish you would’ve confided in me instead of shutting me out.”
“I’ve said everything I had to say on the subject.” His tone bodes no further discussion.
“Given her position and knowledge, didn’t Thana try to do something to help?”
He lets out a sarcastic laugh. “Oh, she did something all right.”
I frown my confusion. “What does that mean?”
“Let me start from the beginning,” he says.
“Please do.”
“About five months ago, Thana started taking nighttime classes, claiming she wanted to be proactive to better help us navigate the ups and downs of the hospitality business. I didn’t object. She knew things weren’t looking too good. I thought she had my best interests at heart. Then all of a sudden, she declared she had to go to an intensive weeklong training in Tucson that was going to propel us forward. Once again, I was all for it. She left on Thursday, even though the classes started on Monday, stating she wanted to avoid being jetlagged by arriving a few days early. She didn’t call much, but she sent a few text messages. I was too busy to make much of it. Monday morning rolls around, and my older brother barges into my office upon his return from a tech conference in San Diego, waving his phone, declaring he knew I had married a bitch, and he had proof she was two-timing me.”
“What proof did Uncle Ian have?”
“Thana wasn’t in Tucson. She was in San Diego with her lover.”
“What?”
“She was cheating on me.”
“Are you sure? I’m not trying to defend Thana, but that’s a bold accusation.”
“Ian caught her walking hand-in-hand with a man––”
“What if it was someone else?”
“Thana has a unique name. Furthermore, she’s five-eleven, a natural redhead with long hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. Even with heavy makeup, it’s a struggle to hide her freckles. What are the odds it would be someone else?”
Okay, he has a good point.
Still, I find it hard to believe Thana would cheat on my father. After all, my stepmother loves to remind me I’m stuck with her forever because Daddy is the love of her life.
“Your uncle didn’t want to jump to conclusions,” Daddy says. “It could’ve been a family friend. The guy’s much older than me. I’m going to guess he’s in his late sixties or early seventies.”
“Wow.”
Thana is thirty-five. Daddy is fifty-two. They’ve been married for a year and a half. They dated for five months before Daddy announced they were getting married. That was a dark day in my life. So much so, I went to Mom’s grave to talk to her. Daddy had his heart attack five months after marrying Thana. Coincidence? I think not.
