“Just having dinner with friends,” Sienna said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. “What are you doing here?”
“Having dinner,” Tom replied evenly, though he could feel tension building in his shoulders. “Lucy and I were just finishing up.”
Sienna’s gaze flicked to Lucy again with obvious disdain, but she continued to act as if the other woman were invisible. “How nice for you, Daddy.”
“I hope you’re not paying for your entire group tonight,” Tom said, glancing toward the hostess station where Sienna’s friends were being seated at what appeared to be a table for eight.
“Oh, I’m not paying for them, Daddy dear,” Sienna said, her smile turning smugly triumphant. Her eyes slid pointedly to Lucy, then back to him. “You are thanks to my credit card.”
Tom’s jaw clenched as understanding hit him. “Sienna, we’ve discussed this. That credit card is for emergencies only.”
“I need to use the restroom,” Lucy said quietly, clearly recognizing the family drama that was about to unfold. She gave Sienna a polite, if strained, smile. “Sienna, have a lovely evening with your friends.”
Sienna completely ignored her, not even acknowledging that Lucy had spoken.
The moment Lucy was out of earshot, Tom turned to his daughter with barely controlled anger. “That was incrediblyrude, Sienna. Lucy delivered you into this world, and she’s been nothing but kind to our family. You will show her respect.”
“She’s your friend, not mine,” Sienna sneered, crossing her arms defensively. “I’m not obligated to be nice to your little girlfriends.”
“You’re obligated to behave like a civilized human being,” Tom shot back, his voice low but fierce. “And if you can’t manage basic courtesy, then perhaps you’re not mature enough to handle the privileges that come with being my daughter.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sienna asked, though her cocky expression faltered slightly.
“It means I’m not obligated to fund your social life,” Tom replied coldly. “You’re thirty-seven years old, Sienna. Don’t you think it’s time you put that expensive college degree to use?”
“There are no jobs for financial consultants in Sandpiper Shores,” Sienna protested, though her argument sounded weak even to her own ears.
“Then perhaps you should start looking for positions in Miami,” Tom said flatly. “Since you’ll be moving there with your mother anyway.”
Something flickered across Sienna’s face. An expression Tom couldn’t quite read. “We’ll see about that,” she said with a strange smile. “Who knows? I might be married before then and won’t need to work at all.”
Tom stared at his daughter in genuine dismay. “You’re actually happy with that prospect? To spend your entire life depending on other people to support you?”
“I’m not depending on anyone,” Sienna said angrily, as if Tom had physically slapped her. “You owe me. I didn’t ask to be born, and supporting me will be the price my husband pays for having me in his life.”
“How did you become so shallow?” Tom asked, no longer bothering to hide his disgust and disappointment. “This isn’t how I raised you.”
“Whatever, Dad,” Sienna sneered, her mask of civility completely dropped now. “I have to get back to my friends.”
She turned and walked away without another word, leaving Tom staring after her with a heart that felt like it was splintering. His daughter had become everything he’d hoped she wouldn’t. She was entitled, manipulative, and completely devoid of the values he’d tried to instill in her. Sienna was a carbon copy of her mother, complete with Victoria’s venom, superiority, and feeling the world owed her just for being in it.
“Are you all right?” Lucy’s gentle voice came from behind him, and Tom turned to find her watching him with understanding and compassion in her eyes.
The contrast between Lucy’s genuine kindness and his daughter’s calculated cruelty was so stark it took his breath away.How had he ever let this woman slip away from him? How had he been foolish enough to allow his parents to make him choose Victoria when he could have had a life with Lucy?
“Children,” Tom said with a heavy sigh, offering Lucy his arm and trying to shake off the painful encounter. “How would you feel about taking a walk along the beach boardwalk back in Sandpiper Shores? I’m not quite ready for this evening to end.”
“I’d like that very much,” Lucy said, linking her arm through his with a smile that helped ease some of the sting from Sienna’s behavior.
As they walked to Tom’s car, he made a mental note to investigate who might have captured his daughter’s romantic attention. Sienna’s comment about marriage had been too specific, too confident to be mere wishful thinking. She clearly had someone particular in mind, and given her track record of poor judgment and manipulative behavior, Tom was concerned about what kind of scheme she might be hatching.
But for now, he pushed thoughts of his disappointing daughter aside and focused on the woman beside him. Lucy had chosen to spend her evening with him, despite the awkward family drama she’d just witnessed. She’d been gracious and understanding, showing the kind of class and maturity that made him remember why he’d fallen in love with her in the first place.
The night was far from over, and Tom intended to make the most of every moment he had with the woman who was quickly reminding him what real happiness felt like.
Two hours later, they arrived back at the Sandpiper Inn. Tom walked Lucy to her room door, neither of them quite ready for the evening to end despite the unpleasant encounter with Sienna.
“Thank you again for a wonderful evening,” Lucy said softly, fishing her key card from her purse.
