“Really?” Mum rubbed my hand. “That serious, huh?”
“Aye.”
“Fuck,” Dad huffed, slumping into a chair.
We both looked at him, eyebrows raised.
Dad scowled. “I hate him.”
My stomach knotted. “How can you hate him? You’ve never met him. Is this about Gavin?”
“No.”
“Braden, he’s been there for our daughter when she needed someone. He encouraged her to confide in us.”
“He’s also a player whose been in and out of the tabloids for his revolving door of women.”
Mum glared. “Look who’s talking, Mr. Serial Monogamist. When we met, you slept with two other women in the time it took me to give in to your unique brand of charm.”
“They were casual. I can’t even remember their names.”
“Holly and Nadia.”
Dad grinned. “See, I really didn’t remember that. But it’s telling you do. I knew you were jealous, even then.”
Mum glared. “My point is you can’t hold having a past against the guy. We all have pasts.”
“I can hold it against him when the guy is dating my firstborn child. Beth deserves better.”
“Ourfirstborn child. She deserves the person she wants.”
“I’m sorry, but when have I ever liked any of her boyfriends?”
Unfortunately, that was true. Deciding it was time to interrupt, I blurted, “But, Dad … I love him. This is different. I’m in love with him. No going back, this is it,love.”
His glower only intensified. “You’re right. That is different. I hate him even more now. And if he hurts you, I’ll fucking ruin him.”
Anger heated my skin. “Dad … he lost his family like Mum. I …” Tears filled my eyes before I could stop them. “I really want to give him a family again. To give himmyfamily. Like you gave Mum a family again. So please, please curb the macho dad bullshit and give him a chance.”
Dad studied me intensely for a few seconds and then his expression softened ever so slightly as he looked from me to Mum. When their eyes met, I imagined a thousand memories exchanged with that one look. And my goodness, I could only hope Callan still looked at me with that much love twenty-odd years later. Dad turned back to me. “I’ll give him a chance.”
I squealed in happiness and threw myself out of my seat to wrap my arms around his neck, peppering his face with kisses. “Thank you, Dad. I love you!”
He chuckled wearily, patting my back. “All right, all right. I love you too, kid.”
Releasing him, I rounded his chair only to throw my arms around Mum. “I love you.”
“I love you, baby.” Her words were hoarse, filled with emotion. “And I’m here, anytime you need to talk. Anytime. You hear?”
“I hear you.” I kissed her temple. “And I promise not to keep anything like this from you again.”
She gently pushed me away but only to hold my gaze. “You are not a failure. You didn’t fail Amanda, and you didn’t fail yourself or this family. Sometimes, we need a little help to deal with life and all it throws at us. And that’s okay.”
Emotion clogged my throat because Callan had said something similar. A weight had been
lifted when I confessed it all to my boyfriend, though not in its entirety. I knew that, because
I could feel the rest of it floating up and away. Freeing me. At least for now.
