Hot Item (Hot Zone 3)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

RILEY PATTED Lizzie’s back, and she stepped away and headed back to her seat. “You okay?” he asked her.

She nodded.

He turned to Sophie, intending to make peace between the two ladies in his life, but saw an empty chair instead. His stomach plummeted and a wave of emptiness swept through him. “Where—”

“She slipped out,” his mother said.

“I’m sorry.” Lizzie glanced at him through wide, too-innocent eyes.

He doubted her sincerity, but now wasn’t the time to get into it. As much as he wanted to go after Sophie, he intended to settle some things within his immediate family first. His father had rejoined them, and if the whispering was any indication, his mother had filled him in on what had just happened.

Based on recent experience, he’d never have them all to

gether in one room again. “I have something I want to discuss. It’s something that affects us all, and Lizzie needs to be part of the conversation.”

“What’s up?” Lizzie asked.

Riley drew a deep breath. He hadn’t slept last night and, as much as he’d like to blame his insomnia on thoughts of making love to Sophie, he’d had other things on his mind as well. Like winning Sophie back.

And cleaning house, he thought. There was no way he could try to bring Sophie into his life until he proved to himself and to her that he was a man capable of dealing with some serious issues in his life. He knew she thought of him as a guy with a girl in every city, and for a while, that hadn’t been far from the truth. The fact that he wasn’t like that anymore didn’t matter without proof that he wanted to set his life in order.

He’d caused much of his daughter’s attitude and problems by spoiling her. He’d acted with the best of intentions, but he’d screwed up and it was time he admitted it.

“You were right when you said that I never called you on your actions before Sophie came into the picture.”

“You see? I knew she was the problem!” Lizzie said triumphantly.

He shook his head. “Not the problem, but the solution.”

“I don’t get it,” Lizzie said warily.

“I don’t either, son.” Harlan held his wife’s hand and spoke for them both.

He smiled grimly. “You will once I explain. I let Lizzie get away with having an attitude, with acting like a spoiled brat—”

“Hey!” She interrupted, jumping from her seat.

“Sit down and let me talk,” he said in his sternest voice.

She sat.

“I didn’t want to be the bad guy because I was afraid of losing you, of having no relationship with you the way—”

“The way we did for a while, right?” Harlan asked quickly.

Too quickly. He had interrupted Riley in order to keep him from mentioning Spencer’s name. Riley glanced at the man who’d raised him. “It has to be said.”

His mother raised a trembling hand to cover her mouth, but she said nothing.

“What has to be said? What’s going on?” Lizzie asked.

“Nothing,” Harlan said.

“Everything,” Riley countered. “Mom, Dad? You raised me well and I love you both. But you raised me to value honesty above everything else and I can’t move forward with my life if I don’t come clean with Lizzie now.”

Harlan clenched his jaw. “She’s thirteen. I think you’re asking a lot of a thirteen-year-old to keep this kind of secret.”