Chapter Seventeen
Angel was tugged fromfitful sleep when she was pulled against another person.A shiver of unease built until she smelled the scent she had memorized.The scent had permeated every cell in her body.
It took a moment to figure out he wasn’t supposed to be there.She turned her head and saw the worry in his eyes.“Da ...Thomas, what are you doing here?”
“First of all, what do you call me?”
“T-Thomas.”
“Wrong.Try again,” he said.
Tears filled her eyes.“I can’t.”
He pressed his lips against her temple.“Yes, baby, you can.I’m your daddy, and I will always be your daddy.”
“But I saw him.”
Thomas nodded.“I know.I’m so sorry you got scared, and I wish you had come to me.”
“I didn’t want to make it harder for you.”
“Make what harder, Sweetheart?”he asked.
“Getting rid of me.”She couldn’t hold back the sound of despair.
He turned her onto her back and leaned over her.“I’m never getting rid of you.I’ll say it a thousand times, but I know it will take time for you to trust me fully.”
Angel sniffed.“But I do trust you more than anyone in my life.”
“Not enough to take what I say as the truth.I’ve told you I love you and you’re never leaving me.That’s never going to change.”
“Then why was that man here?”
“I know you’re still afraid of the man, and I wanted you to let that fear go.I thought that would settle you and make you feel more secure.I had a private detective find him for me.”
He pressed his lips together.“Sweetheart, there was no way I’d let him near you if I didn’t feel it was safe.When he called me and told me about the situation, I knew you would feel better seeing his face as he told his story.I needed you to see the truth with your own eyes so you could finally let go of that last part of your past.”
