He cleared his throat and held out his hand. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Mr. Harper.”
“It’s been a long time.” Tony shook Noah’s hand. “Come in. Did you have a good flight?”
“I did.” He followed Tony into a spacious living room. Sunlight poured through the large picture windows overlooking the backyard. “You have a lovely home.”
“Cassie helped me find it last year. Would you like a cup of coffee?”
Noah shook his head. “I don’t want to interrupt your weekend for too long.”
Tony’s eyebrows rose. “A cup of coffee won’t keep me away from much. Would you like cream and sugar?”
“Cream with no sugar would be great.”
“Have a seat. I’ll be back soon.”
While Tony made the coffee, Noah stood in front of one of the windows lost in thought. He’d never spoken to Cassie’s dad, but he’d seen him at the trial. At the time, Noah had been surprised at how calm Tony seemed. It wasn’t until near the end, when the media reports became vicious, that Tony had broken down.
No one, including the attorneys representing Emanuel, knew that Tony’s wife had cancer. Not having any family present at the trial had made Tony more of a target. What person, the media argued, would go through an entire trial without the support of at least one family member? The media had used Cassie and her mom’s absence as a way of belittling Tony’s character. Noah could only imagine how that must have felt.
He picked up a framed picture of Cassie and a woman who must have been her mom. With their arms wrapped around each other, it was easy to see how much alike they were. They had the same oval-shaped face, the same pixie nose, and similar mischievous smiles that would light a room.
“Cassie was fifteen when we took that photo,” Tony said from the doorway. “Ruth wanted to do something special for Cassie’s birthday, so we went to San Francisco for the weekend.”
The noose around Noah’s neck tightened. He took the cup Tony handed him and sat on the edge of a chair. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. You’ve come a long way to see me.”
Noah nodded. “I want to apologize for what happened four years ago. The allegations against you should never have gone to trial.”
Tony placed his cup on a table. “I foolishly thought the case would be dismissed. I’d never met Emanuel Ricardo let alone visited his studio. I was extremely lucky the jury saw through his lies.” Tony sent Noah a piercing stare. “Why are you apologizing now? As you said, it’s been four years since the trial.”
“I didn’t realize the impact it had on your life. Cassie told me about being homeless and losing everything.”
Tony’s eyes narrowed. “It was a difficult time.”
That was the understatement of the year. Noah’s heart pounded. Nothing he’d ever done had been as hard as sitting here, trying to find a way to make up for everything Cassie’s dad had lost.
“Cassie also told me about your wife. I’m sorry for your loss.”
Tony glanced at the photo Noah had been holding. “We had a wonderful life together. She was incredibly proud of Cassie.”
Sweat beaded on Noah’s forehead. “Has Cassie told you anything about us?”
“She said you had visited Sapphire Bay a few times.”
There was no flicker of emotion, nothing that told Noah how much Cassie had said. His heart plummeted. What if she hadn’t told her dad she loved him? What if the most she’d said was that Noah had rented Acorn Cottage?
With a trembling hand, he left his coffee beside Tony’s. “While I was in Sapphire Bay, Cassie and I became friends, and then I fell in love with her.”
“That was quick.”
Noah frowned. Of all the things Cassie’s dad could have said, that wasn’t what he was expecting. “I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love Cassie. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. But I also know how much you mean to her.” Now the hard part, the words that could strip away everything he felt and wanted. “I would never hurt Cassie or stand between the two of you. If you have any concerns about my relationship with her, I’d appreciate hearing them now.”
“What would happen if I said I don’t want Cassie to have anything to do with you?”
Noah thought he was going to be sick. “I’d walk away.” Just saying the words brought tears to his eyes. “It’s the last thing I want to do, but Cassie would be miserable without you in her life.”
“I have a feeling she would be worse if you left.”
