“I know you’ve struggled with what to do with your life, and boy, have I been there.” Daddy looked down at the pages in the folders. “This is a trust Sunny and I set up. We have one for each of you kids, but no one else knows about them.”
“Not Rosie,” Sunny said, and it seemed like she and Daddy had rehearsed this a little bit. “We’d like to be the ones to tell her, so please keep this to yourself for now.”
Cole swung his attention to her and nodded. “Of course,” he said, his voice coming out froggy and hardly like his own.
“I rode the circuit for a long time,” Daddy said. “And while I didn’t win as much as Blaze, I still won a lot. And Uncle Gabe is a genius, and he’s made it possible for me not to have to work ever again.”
Cole blinked, because he knew his daddy had money. He didn’t know how much, and his father had always been quite frugal, especially when it came to giving money to him.
“The idea was that you’d have access to the trust when you turned twenty-one, which is only a couple of months from now,” Daddy said. “And with you getting engaged tonight.” He paused to smile. “You might want to talk to Rachel about this.”
His eyes dropped to the papers again, and this time, Cole’s did too. When he didn’t go on, Cole whispered, “Daddy?”
When his father looked up, he carried tears in his eyes. “I know I haven’t been the best father for you.”
“Daddy.” Cole shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re a great dad.”
“I did my best, and I try to get better every day,” Daddy said. “And I know this can’t make up for those years I wasn’t around, and all the mistakes I’ve made, but I want you to know that my life is empty and meaningless without you as my son.”
Cole’s chest collapsed, and while he didn’t cry very often, he certainly felt like doing so now.
“It’s just money,” Daddy whispered, and he turned the folder around. “But it should get you and Rachel off to a good start, and you can come to me and Sunny at any time for advice.”
“Or Uncle Gabe,” Sunny said. “He’s quite the investor.”
“Yeah, I remember when Uncle Luke was named a billionaire,” Cole murmured, his vision miraculously working now. He took the folder from his father and stared at the number there.
He looked up again, his pulse racing through his body, and his adrenaline making the world fuzzy around the edges for a moment. “Daddy, I think there’s too many zeroes on this.”
“Nope.” Daddy’s jaw strengthened as he shook his head. “One million dollars. For you, for Rosie, for Ladd, and for Skye.” He put both hands over his heart. “My heart and soul.”
Cole let his tears fall down his face, and he abandoned the folder on the table and lunged toward his father. Thankfully, hisdaddy caught him and pulled him right into his chest, holding him tight and close as Cole wept.
“I love you, son,” Daddy whispered. “I know you worry about making me proud, and I want you to stop doing that. You’re a fine young man, and I couldn’t be prouder to be your father.”
He’d just given Cole the gift he’d been craving for years now. “I love you,” he choked out. He pulled away and let his father cradle his face in his hands. The love between them knitted itself down in Cole’s soul, and he finally felt like he and his father had found common ground.
His father pulled back and looked over to Sunny. “She’s just as responsible for this as I am.”
“Yeah, I’m still working.”
Cole turned toward Sunny and found her wiping her eyes. He leaned over and hugged her too, this good woman who’d married his father, taken him into her life without question, and loved him unconditionally. “Thank you, Sunny. I love you too.”
“Mm, you’re my favorite boy ever,” Sunny said, her voice thick with emotion.
“So.” Daddy drew in a deep breath. “Stop all this thinking and talk about how you’re not good enough for Rachel.” He thumped the folder on the table again. “You’re a millionaire, and you know she loves you for you, and not your money.”
Cole nodded, his adrenaline falling and allowing the numbness to set in. Daddy got to his feet and exhaled. “Ah, the coffee’s done. I have to get going, or I’ll be late.” He walked into the kitchen and noisily got down a mug from the cupboard.
“Oh, and I’ll text Wyatt and set up something for dinner.”
“Okay.” Cole reached for the folder and looked at Sunny. “This is mine?”
“That’s yours, Cubby.” She smiled and stood too. “It has all the account information you need to access the trust, and I think your daddy is going to go change the date you can do that today.”
“Yep,” he said. “After my meeting and my breakfast with Mav and Blaze.”
Cole got up and faced the kitchen. “I don’t know what to say.”
