“Speak for yourself,” Patty whispered under her breath as she took another sip of wine. “I’m sure it’s just an excuse so he didn’t hurt Destiny’s feelings as he looked for his next conquest. You dated another young man like that, what was his name, Jeremy? Strung you along for months until he dropped you like yesterday’s news and found himself an heiress. I’m sure this one is no different, though I’m sure he’s looking for someone more in his class.” Patty chuckled to herself like it was a joke.
Destiny felt her hands ball into fists. Her palms ached from her nails scoring the skin, but she didn’t care. She’d had just about enough of her mother’s slips about Mike and his character, or any man in her life. She had pretended not to hear them at the dinner Mike attended, but no more. Her mother was bashing the man she loved. “And what exactly do you have against him, Mother?”
Patty looked up at her, wide-eyed at her outburst.
“Is it because he doesn’t come from money like you? That he doesn’t leach off of others to get by in life.”
“Destiny, how dare you,” Patty sputtered indignantly, her fingers like talons around her wine glass. “I’m your mother.”
“I dare much,” Destiny spat, slamming her napkin down on the table as she stood up. She couldn’t stand looking at her mother anymore. “Mike is ten times the man any one of your paramours could ever be. At least Mike is with me for me and not because I have money.”
“Destiny Ray Sheppard, I will not stand for you talking to me this way. I demand you apologize to me at once.”
Destiny noted her mother didn’t correct her about men using her mother for money. Her mother didn’t care. She didn’t delude herself into believing these men were with her for her winning personality. They only stuck around for a free ride until she dropped them. “I’ll apologize when you apologize for the deploring way you’ve treated Mike.”
“I will not.” Patty slammed her glass down on the table, red liquid splashing over the rim and onto the white linen tablecloth but no one seemed to notice. All eyes were on mother and daughter. Ron looked between them uncomfortably. “He’s trash. Far beneath this family. I’ve had time to look into him.”
“Stop right there.” Destiny held a hand up. “I will not sit here and listen to this anymore.”
“Destiny, you don’t know who this man is. What kind of man you’re allowing into your home, God forbid your bed, or even near your weak grandmother.”
“You’re lying. You’ll say anything to cast him as the villain.”
“I’m trying to protect you.”
“That’s laughable. You have never once cared about me. You only care about yourself.” Destiny must have a devil sitting on her shoulder egging her on. She’d never lipped off like this before. Years of suppressing her feelings toward her mother were spilling out of her like an old festering wound that needed purged.
“If I only cared about myself why would I look into him and try to warn you he’s a criminal.”
Destiny’s heart sputtered. Another betrayal. A liar and a criminal. Did she know this man at all?
Do you trust him?Cora’s words came back to her. She did, wholeheartedly. Government secrets and all. She had been looking at this all wrong. Allowing past experiences with men to influence her when Mike was nothing like them. No, she wouldn’t believe he’d done anything wrong.
“You’re lying. The military would never allow him to stay in if he was.” Her mother would say anything.
“He is. I have the report if you don’t believe me.”
“I’m leaving.” She wouldn’t hear another word of these blasphemous lies. If Mike had ever been in trouble with the law, he would have told her.
He loved her. She knew that now. It took this disastrous dinner and Cora’s wise words to realize it. He wasn’t going to walk around with a giant neon sign professing his feelings. He kept them to himself. Her brain replayed their time together. Analyzing every moment much like she did looking through codes for patterns. It stared at her straight in the face. He hadn’t been hiding her because of shame, but he cared about her and selfishly wanted her for himself. She wanted the same thing. She had to go to Mike now and tell him. She had to fix things between them.
“Destin—” Grandma started to call out but ended on a groan as she clutched her chest.
“Grandma,” Destiny ran to her grandma’s side. “Someone call an ambulance,” she yelled, not looking to see if her mother or Ron obeyed. Her only focus was on her grandma. “Hang on, Grandma.”
Chapter 25
Destiny clung to her grandmother’s hand as they waited for the doctor to return and tell them if Grandma was going to be okay. It had been a long night and she hardly slept a wink, fearing the worst. Her mother and Ron had only stayed long enough to make sure Grandma was settled before they went back to their hotel. Good riddance, she said. Destiny couldn’t handle her mother complaining about the hospital staff and nothing being up to her standards right now. Her anger with her was still too fresh. At least her mother had dropped the Mike conversation.
“You’re going to be okay, Grandma,” Destiny whispered to her sleeping form. Her grandma laid there as still as death. If it weren’t for the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor and the steady rise and fall of her chest, Destiny would think she were gone. She hated seeing her like this. So lifeless. “Please come back to me. I’m not ready to be without you.”
“I’m not going anywhere any time soon.” Destiny gasped when her grandma responded. Her voice was strong and steady. Her eyes slowly opened and peered straight at Destiny then around the room and settled on a spot on the wall and smiled.
“What?” Destiny looked at where she was looking, not knowing what to expect.
“Told you they reserve this room for me.” She pointed at the spot. “I see my initials from here.”
Destiny dropped her head on the bed hot tears leaking out of her eyes even as she chuckled. Her grandma was going to be okay. If her grandmother could joke, she’d be okay.
