She’d never seen his face get so red so fast. He balled his
hands and looked around the kitchen like he wanted to throw
something. He was never angry with her. He was always
patient and kind with her, no matter what he was like with
other people, so he calmed down fast. He ran a hand through
his graying hair. He never slumped or slouched or betrayed
any guilt, and that made Haley feel even sicker.
“She’s filled your head with nonsense,” her dad bit out.
Disgust slithered across his face.
“No, I’m pretty sure she told me the truth.”
“Her version, maybe.”
“What other version is there?” Haley begged. She stepped
toward the island, pleading silently with her eyes. “Tell me.”
It would be like her dad to have an excuse. No, not an
excuse, but a version of things that justified the means and the
end. He would think that what he’d done was right in some
way. Her dad’s face didn’t change. He stared down at the
quartz on the island.
“I did what I had to do. I know Claire saw it like a betrayal,
but she wouldn’t listen to me. I told her we needed to keep the
place safe from her husband.”
“No. No, she would have signed a pre-nup.” Haley wasn’t
letting him use that as an excuse. She couldn’t even remember
if Claire had gotten a divorce before or after the restaurant.
Why couldn’t she remember? She was so fixated on Claire’s
lips, of the feel of them against hers, of the way she lit her
body into an inferno, that she couldn’t keep facts straight. She
watched her dad carefully. “You did what you did because you
wanted it all for yourself. Not to keep it safe. You ruined her.
If you had wanted to keep it away from her husband, there