Sweet Obsession

“No. I promised her that we were going and I’m not breaking my promise. Sorry dad, I know what you’re trying to do, and I appreciate it, but I’m never putting anyone else’s feelings above hers again. If they want to see her, they’ll have to wait for our return.”

Now he was nodding his head before I was through. “I understand. Well, you two have a wonderful holiday, and I’ll see you when you get back?”

“Are you going back home now?”

“No! I think I’ll go out on the water for a bit, maybe a week or two.”

“Alone?”

“Yeah, son alone. I already told you I let you down more than enough already. I’m not about to do it again.”

I feel bad for my dad; I really do, that he’s now learning who his wife really is. I’ve known for a while, and though I found her actions and ideas repulsive, had still hung in there because that’s what any good son should do right.

She put her hands on my woman. I’d never expected this in a million years, no matter how many lines she’d crossed in the past. Seeing that bruise on her face, that look of fear in her eyes, there’s no way I could let the person responsible get off. My only regret is that I’d let my anger get the better of me and didn’t hang around long enough to find out if Rene had anything to do with her visit.

That first night after dad came home with me, I’d gotten the rest of the story from Maddie. About the check that she hadn’t even looked at. At least mom wasn’t too cheap. I thought people only offered a few grand in the movies; mom had offered her a quarter of a million, which is a drop in the bucket to the Amery family, but still. I don’t see mom giving her that kind of money, so there was definitely a catch.

I’d told dad all I knew about what happened in the past and how mom had treated Maddie all this time because the truth is, my dad had always only ever loved mom, or so I’d thought. I see now, now that I have my own wife, that it’s just a husband’s duty to choose his wife over everyone else. But I honestly don’t think he knew the kind of person she was when he’s not around.

Now he looks like he was in pain with a slight frown instead of laugh lines on his face since he woke up this morning. “Well then, I guess I’ll get going since you’re dead set on leaving. Promise me you’ll call me when you get back.”

“I will, dad, don’t worry.”

He looked down at the key to his house that I’d given him back this morning once Maddie had gone back upstairs after breakfast. He’d been crushed, and I have to say that it was the first time I’d seen him show such emotion for someone other than mom.

He'd apologized so many times I’d lost count and was glad that he didn’t try to force a reconciliation with mom because that wasn’t about to happen. He left not long after, and I went upstairs to see what she was doing. I didn’t tell her about dad going to talk with her grandparents or that they might be interested in meeting her.

I plan to meet with them first to get the whole story. I’m willing to accept mom’s interference, but I can’t imagine giving up on my kid and grandkid because of a business deal. I’ll love to give her all the family she needs, starting with our children, but I’m not about to expose her to more heartache. That’s why I’ve decided to leave a day earlier than we’d planned.

“Hey, change of plans. Why don’t we leave this afternoon instead of tomorrow morning?”

“Awesome!” She was still putting away clothes that I’d ordered for her and had had sent to the house. “Is your dad gone?”

“Yeah, he’s gonna take the boat out for a while, cool his head.”

“I’m sorry.” Ah, here we are; she’s ready to talk again.

“What’re you sorry about?”

“That I’ve caused a rift in your family, that your dad is so sad.” I walked over and wrapped my arms around her.

“This is not your doing. She came here, to our home, your home, and assaulted you. Don’t you dare take the blame for what she’s done; it’ll only annoy me.”

MADELINE

Okay, something is going on; I just don’t know what. First, my first meeting with his dad did not go at all as I expected. I was still reeling from that when Garrick decided to go all secretive dark angel on me. He’s being even more protective than usual, and he’d been on the phone with, I don’t know how many people whispering and murmuring things I couldn’t hear.