Fear and uncertainty gripped her like icy fingers again. Why did Harper feel he had to do this? For her? For Karen? For himself? For Thunder?
She had no idea. He’d made it clear enough that she had no future with him. Yet here he was, taking care of her again. She’d never asked him to take care of her, so why did he do it? Maybe he thought if he got her father to take over, he’d be off the hook.
Thing is, he was never on the hook to begin with. True, she loved him, but he didn’t know that. She’d never told him.
And she never would.
* * *
“Thank you for lunch, Harp,” Thunder Morgan said, touching his napkin to his lips. “The small talk’s been great, and it was great seeing both of you, but now I’ve gotta ask why you had me come dow
n here.”
Amber stiffened. Here it comes. Now or nothing.
Harper cleared his throat. “I’m thinking Amber should tell you.”
Amber’s chin dropped to the table. Seriously? He might have warned her.
“Well, pretty lady, what’s goin’ on?” Thunder asked.
“Um…well. I’m not sure where to start.”
“Always best to start at the beginning,” Thunder said.
“Yeah, I suppose so,” she hedged. “Do you remember a woman named Karen Hedstrom?”
Thunder’s forehead wrinkled. “Hedstrom? Can’t say it rings a bell.”
“She was a cocktail waitress here in San Antonio about twenty-three years ago. Very light blond hair, clear blue eyes.”
Thunder’s amber eyes lit up. “Karen? Ah, yes. Gorgeous thing. I remember meeting her. Never saw her again when I came through here. She must’ve stopped waitressing.”
Amber cleared her throat. “Yeah. She did. She…uh…had a baby.”
“Did she? I never knew what happened to her. I’m glad she settled down and got married.”
“She didn’t actually get married.”
“Oh? Well, single motherhood works these days. Lots of women are doin’ it.”
“Yeah.” Amber shrugged and looked at Harper. Now what?
“Go ahead,” he urged. “Thunder’s a good guy.”
“Sure I’m a good guy. But what’s that have to do with anything?”
“You see…” Amber swallowed and gathered every ounce of courage she possessed. “I was that baby Karen had. And you’re my father.”
Thunder didn’t react at first. He simply stared. Second by second passed, until Amber didn’t think she could bear one more, when Thunder finally spoke.
“Say what?”
There went that shrink-wrapped feeling again. Her guts would squeeze out of her skin any minute now. “You’re my daddy. Your name’s on my birth certificate. Morgan Cross.”
“That’s my name all right, but that don’t mean nothin’. Karen coulda put any old name on there.”
“She swears I’m yours. We can…do a DNA test if you want.”