“Watch out,” Riley warned. “Give her an opening like that and you just might hang yourself.” Riley couldn’t help but laugh.
“Hey! I’m not that bad. Give me some credit!” Lizzie said, blushing.
“This from the girl who’s just now working her way back into everyone’s good graces? I think there’s someone else you should apologize to for spilling the beans.” Suddenly he was no longer thirsty. Riley placed his untouched glass back on the bar and waited for his daughter’s defiant outburst.
But to his never-ending shock, Lizzie didn’t argue. Instead, she nodded. “I’m sorry,” she said to Spencer. “It wasn’t my secret to tell.” She glanced down and away.
Spencer’s eyes opened wide, stunned at her admission. “That’s a very mature thing for you to admit,” he said at last.
“My shrink says taking responsibility is important.” She glanced around the room, suddenly distracted. “Hey, Dad, isn’t that Brandon Vaughn?” She pointed to the retired football player who’d married Sophie’s sister Annabelle.
Riley felt certain the middle sister couldn’t be far away and he stiffened in preparation for that meeting, as well.
“It sure is Brandon Vaughn,” Spencer said, before Riley could respond. “Would you like me to introduce you?” Spencer asked.
Lizzie’s head bobbed up and down. “Can I go with him, Dad? Please?”
Riley didn’t hesitate. “Of course you can go.”
Over Lizzie’s head and eager bouncing, Spencer met Riley’s gaze—gratitude, appreciation and more in his solemn expression.
A silent understanding had just passed between them, Riley realized. The first awkward bridge had been crossed.
As he watched his daughter, his pride and joy, walk off with her grandfather, an unfamiliar emotion swelled in his throat. Lizzie would have another adult to look up to in her life.
It came at an important juncture, when she was impressionable and vulnerable all at the same time. There had been a time when Riley wouldn’t have envisioned Spencer Atkins as any kind of role model, especially not for Lizzie. But so much had changed in such a short time.
Nothing could alter the fact that the other man had ignored Riley for the first part of his life. But Riley had also learned that Spencer hadn’t lived a carefree existence during these past years. He’d suffered plenty, too. Riley admitted to being curious about the details, and he’d always had a burning desire to understand the father he’d never really known. He finally had his chance.
There was nothing except his pride to prevent them from going forward from here and he wasn’t about to let it get in the way of what he’d wanted his entire life.
SOPHIE WAS RUNNING LATE. Unintentionally, but she was still going to end up making an obvious entrance. That was something she’d have preferred to avoid, but not even her uncle’s wedding reception could change the fact that she had an upset client who’d demanded her attention.
But she was here now, and though she’d spent hours planning the details of this event, tonight she was simply a guest. Lola had hired a staff to see that the night ran smoothly. Sophie would rather be preoccupied with the details, but Lola had insisted she relax and enjoy the evening.
She smoothed the beading on her long gown, drew a deep breath and walked inside the ballroom of the beautiful hotel.
“You’re late!” Annabelle grabbed Sophie’s arm the moment she set foot inside the room.
“I had a work-related emergency.”
“Nothing serious, I hope?” Annabelle asked.
Sophie shook her head.
Annabelle exhaled with relief. “It’s just that the break-in and other problems are still fresh in my mind.”
“Mine, too,” Sophie admitted. “Spencer said he’d taken care of things. He won’t say what he did or who was responsible, but he swears it’s over. And you know Spencer—when he holds on to a secret, nobody finds out.”
“Not for decades anyway,” Annabelle said wryly. “Okay, on to other things. You look beautiful,” she said, kissing Sophie’s cheek.
“Thanks.” Sophie stepped back and took in her sister’s formfitting light blue gown that set off the color of her eyes.
Annabelle’s pregnancy was over but its effects remained, her already voluptuous curves even more pronounced. As always, Annabelle looked statuesque and gorgeous, Sophie thought. “You look fabulous yourself.”
“I second that.” Annabelle’s husband, ex-pro football player Brandon Vaughn, came up beside his wife, linking his arm through hers. He turned to Sophie and grinned. “You’re looking pretty damn good, too, little sister.” Vaughn treated her to a brotherly wink.
Sophie laughed. “Thanks. You clean up pretty nicely yourself,” she said, taking in his black European-cut tuxedo.