“Don’t you have some decent clothes?”
“I’m covered up, Dad.”
She was wearing one of my shirts, a pair of my boxers, and thick socks. I plucked a blanket from the linen closet and brought it to her, tucking it around her.
“There, perhaps your delicate sensibilities will be assuaged, Richard.”
“Mr. VanRyan.”
I scoffed. “I don’t think so. You’re in my home. I’ll address you as I see fit.”
“We aren’t staying. We’re taking Grace back to Port Albany.”
I stood in front of her. “Like hell you are. She’s my wife, and she’s staying here with me. I know what she needs.”
“I doubt that.” Richard ran a hand through his hair. “Jesus, you live on the twenty-third floor. If you knew my daughter at all, you would know she is terrified of elevators,” he spat. “I’m sure she’s hiding that from you—”
I interrupted him. “I know about what happened to her as a child. I know about the elevator. I know how to help her.”
“And how exactly do you do that?”
He opened the door—I simply chose to step through it.
“Usually, I kiss her senseless and make her forget. But holding her close does the trick too. As long as I’m close, she’s calm.”
He blinked. Looked at Katy, then back at me. “Do you have a death wish?”
“You asked.”
Grace spoke, her voice still rough. “Stop. Please just stop. Both of you.”
Katy huffed in annoyance. “Yes. Behave—both of you. May I remind you Grace is the reason we are here?”
We eyed each other warily and sat down.
I handed Gracie a cup of tea. “I added some honey and lemon to soothe your throat. Drink it, please.” I looked up at Katy. “Your tea is in the kitchen. I didn’t know how you took it.”
“Thank you.”
“None for me, thanks,” Richard grumbled.
“I thought you might prefer a scotch. God knows I need one.”
“Oh. Well… Fine.”
I got us each a glass, and for a moment, we were quiet. Richard leaned forward. “If you think we’re going to stand by and watch as you force Gracie to stay married to you, you have another thing coming.”
“I’m not forcing her.”
“She said she wants a divorce.”
I sat up straighter, wrapping my hand around Grace’s. “Once my wife and I have a discussion and decide our future, I am sure she’ll let you know the decision. Until then, kindly fuck off, Richard.”
“Listen, you—”
Katy shocked me when she set down her mug with a resounding slap. “Enough, both of you.” She pointed a finger at me. “Show some respect.” Then she turned to Richard. “And enough out of you. Grace is a grown adult. Who she marries or divorces is her own business. Her life is her business.”
“I don’t want her pressured.”
Katy laughed. “Will I remind you of our start, darling? The way you blackmailed me into marrying you? The horse’s ass you were when I worked for you?”
“Katy,” he hissed. “This is not the time to bring up the past.”
I looked at them, my eyebrow lifted. Grace had told me once her parents had an unusual start, but she never elaborated.
“I think this is the perfect time,” I said.
Richard glared and Katy sighed. “Long story short. I worked for Richard as his PA. He needed a wife, and he blackmailed me into marrying him. It was all on paper. No feelings.” Her voice softened. “Until we fell in love.”
For a moment, they smiled at each other, then Richard frowned. “This is totally different.”
“Yes, it is,” I said. “I didn’t blackmail Grace. I asked, and she said yes. We didn’t want to wait.”
Richard made an odd choking noise. Katy lifted her eyebrows in surprise. “Well, I suppose then we need to let them talk.”
“Katy,” he objected, but she held up her hand.
“Richard, I believe the expression is ‘let he who is without sin cast the first stone.’ I suggest you shut up.”
He drained his scotch. “She’s my daughter.”
“My wife.”
“I trump you.”
“In your dreams.”
He glared. “You’ll understand when you have kids.”
I smiled. “Looking forward to grandkids already? Hey—does this mean I get to call you Dad?”
“Not in this fucking lifetime,” he snorted.
I turned to Grace, shocked she was so quiet, only to find her asleep. She was so exhausted—despite her father’s and my bickering, she had fallen asleep, her hand held within mine. I felt a rush of tenderness as I looked at her. She looked vulnerable and young. I drew a finger down her cheek and turned back to her parents. Katy was watching me, and Richard was staring at Grace. We exchanged a glance, a moment of shared gratitude flowing between us. She was our link—our common denominator. She was here and she was safe. The rest was just noise.
I removed the mug of tea from her other hand and sat back, wrapping my arm around her. She hummed and nestled closer, burrowing into my chest. A feeling of ease stole through me, knowing how my touch soothed her even in sleep.