“I know.” And Cara had valued every ounce of information he’d given her, no matter how small. “And I appreciate that you let me in.” She stepped closer, placing a hand on his shoulder, but he stepped out of reach.
She did her best not to shiver at the rejection. “I begged your mother to tell you, but she didn’t want to upset you. She insisted, and I gave my word.”
“That’s it?” He glared at her, not giving an inch. “You saw me after the judge’s house. You knew how conflicted I was. And all you can say is you gave your word?”
She nodded, pulling her walls back up because she wasn’t getting through to him. “My word is everything. It’s what defines me.”
He raised an eyebrow. “That cut-and-dried?” he asked.
“You’re damned right. Want to know why? Because I know what it means not to keep it.”
He narrowed his gaze.
Cara went on. “Every time my father swore he wouldn’t touch my mother again, he gave his word. He promised over and over he wouldn’t hit her again. He wouldn’t belittle her. Demean her.” Cara’s thoughts went back to the scene at the grocery store the other day. “Order her around, demand she walk away from her own daughter at his command.” Cara’s voice caught, but she forced herself to go on. “He makes her feel like she’s nothing. And every time he promised not to do it again, he did. He broke his word. And each time was worse than the last.”
She felt rather than saw his shock. The atmosphere changed between them, chill turning to warmth, but Cara didn’t want Mike softening toward her because of pity. He needed to understand why she’d keep a promise no matter what.
“I learned early on, the only thing that matters is whether a person can keep their word. That’s what defines who I am as a human being. That’s what makes me different from him.” Her voice cracked, but she wasn’t going to fall apart on him. “So no, I didn’t tell you what I knew because I promised your mother I wouldn’t.”
This time he came to her, his body heat bracketing her where she stood. “Cara.”
She shook her head, unable to believe that the night she’d looked forward to had gone so far off course. Yet she didn’t blame him for being hurt or angry with her.
“Look at me,” he said, his voice gruff and a lot warmer than when he’d walked in.
She wasn’t ready, but he turned
her to face him. “I, of all people, know what it’s like to not want to be like my father. I was pissed at everything, and I overreacted. Took it out on you because I couldn’t have it out with Rex.” His half-grin disarmed her own anger and hurt.
She sighed. “I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t.”
“I get that now.”
And Mike did. Talk about blindsided. All his righteous anger dissolved in the face of her admission. This woman had the ability to twist him in knots, making him feel things completely foreign to him. They had more in common than he realized, wanting not just distance from a parent they despised but proof they were nothing like them.
He ran a hand through his hair. “Should we go?” he asked, eager to put the discussion behind them. No good could come of talking about it anymore.
She eyed him warily. “That’s it?”
“Do I look like the type to hold a grudge?”
She burst out laughing. “Yeah, as a matter of fact, you do.”
He rolled his eyes, knowing the tension had broken. “Let’s go, okay?”
She inclined her head. “Okay.” She seemed happy to let it go too and reached for her bag.
With his anger gone, he exhaled long and hard, finally getting a real look at the enticing female he’d picked up for a date. Her long, dark hair, normally pulled back in a ponytail, fell over her shoulders; bangs skimmed her forehead; and she’d put on more makeup than he was used to seeing on her. The effect, combined with the sexy outfit she’d chosen, blew his mind.
This wasn’t Cara the cop. It wasn’t Cara who filled out a pair of jeans and looked damned good in a worn T-shirt. This was a sexy siren who’d dressed with him in mind, and he’d shown up here blasting her for hiding things from him instead of admiring her.
“I’m an ass.”
“You said it, not me.” Her lips twitched in amusement.
“I’m sure you thought it,” he muttered. “You look beautiful.”
She blinked, obviously startled, before smiling widely. “Thank you.”