Delicate Promises (Southern Bride 2)

“I bet your dad loves coming up here, with how much he loves fishing and all.”

My chin wobbled. “You remembered.”

He sat down on the sofa. I sat in the chair on the complete opposite side of the room.

“He always said he wanted a place on the lake. I’m glad to see he made that dream a reality.”

“Miles, can we not small talk, please.”

He swallowed, and I watched his throat bob. “Right. When I paid off the farm, I had Dalton Adams look into getting the title transferred into my name. He needed to find my father first to make that happen, unfortunately.”

I nodded, but I didn’t say anything, which prompted Miles to keep talking.

“I offered my father a fair market price for the farm.”

“But you paid it off. Why would you need to buy it from him?”

“He is technically still the owner. Mom’s name isn’t on the paperwork anywhere since the farm has always been on my father’s side. I needed a bill of sale in order to get the title put in my name. He was the missing link.”

I didn’t respond, so he kept talking. I used the brief pause to let my eyes take him in. He looked like shit, and I hadn’t really noticed since he walked in. His blue eyes were bloodshot, his face unshaven, and he looked like he’d been in the same clothes for the last few days.

“Anyway, Dalton didn’t have any luck finding my father. Once I knew I was getting close to getting out of the Marines, I hired a private investigator to find him. The sooner I got his name off the farm, the better. I knew if he found out it was paid for, he could try and sell it.”

“Sell it? You don’t think he would do that do you?”

“Kyns, he left his family high and dry, so yeah, I do. So does my mother. He left us without two pennies to rub together. He’d sell and not think twice. Anyway, he sought you out and purposely made you think I was using you. He overheard me and my mother talking about the promise, and how I had showed up trying to get you to fulfill it. He wanted you gone because he gave me fifteen days to get married, or he wasn’t accepting the offer.”

“What?” I gasped, not really sure I heard him right. “Why would he want you to get married?”

“Because he thinks I’m afraid of commitment, and at one time he would have been right. But not anymore.”

“If he didn’t think you would marry me, then why deceive me?”

He shrugged. “Insurance, maybe? Just in case I did marry you.”

“So you want me to marry you so the farm sale goes through and your dad’s name is off of the title?”

“No.”

“No?”

He took in a deep breath and blew it out. “Kynslee, I’d married you right now if you told me you wanted to get married. But I know you want to do this the right way. Take things slow. I told you I would do that. I won’t use my farm as a bargaining chip. This isn’t going to be about money between us ever again.”

“But the farm, Miles.”

“My father doesn’t want the farm, Kynslee. He wants to make my life a living hell because I’m not his son.”

I was positive my mouth dropped to the floor. “Come again?” I said. Had I heard that right?

“Peter is not my father. My parents were separated before I was born. My mother had actually filed for divorce because Peter had cheated on her. While she was living at home with her folks, she hooked up with an old high school flame and got pregnant. Then Peter showed up, begging her to take him back. He had been cheating on her the entire time they were together.”

“What!” My head was spinning with all this information.

“Mom felt guilty, like she had cheated on him, even though she had been separated. Anyway, looks like Peter has resented me all these years, and when he found out I was looking for him, his curiosity got the better of him. He’s been in town for some time. He’s been watching you and me together. He saw I was happy and decided he was going to fuck around with my life in some sick attempt at getting back at my mother and me.”

“You? How is any of this your fault! You were an innocent child. And he cheated on your mother!”

I shrugged. “I’m done trying to figure this all out. I told him last night he could have the farm, but that I would sue him in court for repayment and that he better be ready because I could afford a very good lawyer. I also told him I had no intention of getting married yet, that when I dropped down on my knee to ask you to marry me, it wasn’t going to be because of a promise or a bribe. You mean too much to me, Kynslee. I love you more than life itself, and the only thing I care about in this world is making sure you know how much I love you.”