Although neither of them had announced their love for one another aside from that one time, things had certainly progressed. The routine they’d fallen into had grown comfortable, but still spontaneous enough to keep Kennedy on her toes. If she didn’t know better, she would think they were a real couple.
“Oh, hey,” Sawyer said, moving up against her. “One more thing.”
Kennedy fully expected him to kiss her, something he did quite frequently, but he didn’t. He merely met her gaze. “What’s that?” she asked, feeling a little breathless.
“I want you to come to dinner at my parents’ house tomorrow night.”
She noticed it wasn’t a question, but then Sawyer’s requests generally weren’t. He did make an effort to put them in a way that made her think she had a choice, but she could see in his eyes that if she said no, she’d be disappointing him. And that was the last thing she wanted to do.
“Sure. Okay,” she replied.
And then he kissed her.
Lord have mercy, the man could kiss.
“I’ll see you tonight,” he whispered against her lips. “I hope you’re ready for me.”
“Always,” she assured him.
They were still alternating between staying at each other’s places; however, after the Tim debacle, they’d spent every night together for the past week and Kennedy found herself looking forward to it. So much so, she wasn’t sure what she would do if she had to sleep alone at this point. Somewhere along the way, Kennedy had begun storing a toothbrush and bathroom stuff at Sawyer’s, while he’d done the same at her place.
Granted, Kennedy still hadn’t shared with Sawyer that she knew Greyson wasn’t the one who had leaked information about what was going on at the resort. Sawyer hadn’t even mentioned it again, which surprised her more than anything. She thought for sure he would’ve grilled her about what happened with Tim. Then again, her father hadn’t asked either, but Kennedy knew she was going to have to tell them sooner or later.
Part of her reason for holding on to the details was probably guilt. She felt sorry for Tim. He really wasn’t a bad guy, although he’d done something really stupid. Well, he’d actually done a few really stupid things, now that she thought about it. But a few poor decisions didn’t make him a bad person.
Then again, maybe it was a little more selfish than that. Maybe somewhere down deep she was still having trust issues, still confused as to whether or not this was a sure thing. And because of that, if Sawyer continued to believe Greyson was the leak, the wedge between Sawyer and Greyson was still there.
Oh, God. Surely that wasn’t why she did it. She’d never been a vindictive person, never intentionally hurt someone else.
“Hey, you okay?” Jessie’s voice pulled Kennedy from her thoughts and she realized she was standing there staring out into the parking lot, Sawyer’s headlights no longer lighting up the interior of the building.
“Yeah,” she said, turning abruptly. “Sorry.”
“Lost in your own thoughts, are ya?”
“Somethin’ like that,” Kennedy admitted. Remembering the topic that they’d pretty much dismissed with Sawyer’s departure, Kennedy smiled at Jessie. “So, you wanna stay here?”
“If you’ll have me,” Jessie admitted, getting to her feet after pulling her purse from her desk drawer. “I need to talk to Kylie, but yeah, I think this is a much better fit for me than sittin’ in an empty office waitin’ for the phone to ring. Not that I didn’t like working with my sister, but seriously, I think she offered me the job just so I would have something to do.”
“Well, I’d be thrilled if you’d stay on here. But if you need to go back to your previous job, I understand that, too.”
“I’ll talk to her and get back to you, but I think it’s safe to say I’m here for the long haul. If I had to guess, Kylie’ll probably sell that office building and move her business back home. That way she can still manage a few projects and not have to leave Kate.”
“Probably a good idea,” Kennedy told her.
“Well, then, it looks like I’ll see you tomorrow night at dinner.”
Kennedy nodded, smiling. She had no idea what to expect as a guest at Lorrie and Curtis’s house, but honestly, she was looking forward to it. It was another step for her and Sawyer, which Kennedy found herself desperately wanting to take. Falling into step with Jessie, Kennedy walked her to the front door after offering her own good-byes. Before she had a chance to lock the door, a pair of headlights pulled into the parking lot and she stood there momentarily as she tried to make out the car.
Her father.
Kennedy stood at the door, waiting until he made his way to the front entrance after talking to Jessie briefly. When he joined her inside, she gave him a quick hug, keeping her eyes on him. “Somethin’ wrong?”
“Actually . . .” Jeff looked around before he continued, “Are we alone?”
“Yeah,” she told him. “No more patients and everyone else has gone home. What’s goin’ on, Dad?” The way he was looking at her, Kennedy wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the news.
“We should go to your office,” her father told her, turning to make sure the door was locked.
Kennedy offered him a confused look, but did as he requested and turned to lead him through the building, down the narrow hall to her office. When they stepped inside, she didn’t bother taking a seat. It wasn’t going to help, she could feel it now. “Okay, fine. We’re in my office, the door is locked, and no one is here. Dad, what the hell is goin’ on?”
Jeff walked over to the couch and sat down, his head falling into his hands. Kennedy didn’t move, choosing to stand near her desk and stare down at him.
“Dad?”
“It’s Mack,” Jeff said, not bothering to look up at her.
“What’s wrong? Is he okay?” Her thoughts immediately drifted to the stories she’d heard about Ethan and the hatred that had caused some serious problems a while back. It wasn’t the first time since the rumors started that she had worried about him.
“His son came to visit.”
Kennedy’s mouth fell open. “Wait. What?” Mack had a son? How in the world had she not known that?
“Yeah.”
“Okay, Dad. I’m gonna need some serious details here. I didn’t even know Mack had a son.”
“He’s grown. A few years younger than you. He and Mack are close. Well, they were close.”
Kennedy propped herself on the edge of her desk. She could pretty well tell where this conversation was going.
“Was Mack married?” she asked, wanting to go back to the beginning.
“Yeah,” Jeff informed her. “He married a girl back when he was in his early twenties. They were together for about five years, had a son together. When he finally wrapped his head around the fact that he was gay, they split up. She hated him for the longest time, but Mack always insisted on being a part of his son’s life. For whatever reason, she kept his secret all these years.”
“Until recently? Is that what you’re sayin’?”
“No,” Jeff said on a long exhale. “She didn’t out him. Like I said, Daniel came to visit. The rumors . . . they haven’t stopped. If anything, they’ve gotten worse.”
“So he heard the rumors?”
“Yeah. Then he asked his mother, and she confirmed it.”
“What? Did she talk to Mack about it? Or did Daniel?”
“She didn’t talk to Mack, no. He told me that if and when they ever did talk, which was rare since Daniel turned eighteen, it was generally hostile. Like I said, she hates him.”
“So she told his son that he’s gay?” Kennedy asked, no animosity in her tone. She wasn’t sure how she felt about the woman keeping his secret for so long only to tell their son without talking to Mack first, but there were plenty of things that humans did to one another that Kennedy would never understand.
“Yeah,” Jeff said, lifting his head and meeting her gaze head-on. “Daniel confronted Mack. According to hi
m, it wasn’t pretty.”
Kennedy waited patiently for her father to continue. She could think of a million things he might say, but what came next wasn’t one of them.
“Kennedy,” Jeff began, his eyes intently focused on hers, “does it bother you that I’m . . .”
When he didn’t continue, Kennedy filled in the blank. “Gay? Why in the world would it bother me?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you feel like I’m some sort of abomination.”
“Oh, my God, Dad!” she exclaimed, making her way to the couch and dropping down beside him. “Let’s see . . .” she said, waiting until he looked over at her. “You adopted me when I was just shy of a year old, giving me an incredible life because the sixteen-year-old girl who gave birth to me couldn’t. For thirty-three years, you’ve put me first, making sure I had food, clothing, shelter, but most importantly, making sure that I knew how much you loved me. You sent me off to school to ensure I had a first-rate education, because you spent your life drilling into me how important it was.
“So, when you look at all that, Dad, I’m not sure how I could be bothered by your preferences. But, if you want me to be completely honest, there is one thing I’m bothered by.”
Her father’s eyebrows lifted, interest mixed with what looked like fear lighting up his gray eyes. “What’s that?” he asked, his deep voice gruff with uncertainty.
Taking his hand in both of hers, Kennedy faced him. “I’m only bothered by the fact that you’ve had to hide who you are from the world. It’s not fair, if you ask me. I don’t understand how people could look at you any different than they look at someone else. What gives them the right to judge you? That’s what bothers me. That you aren’t free to live the life you want to live, to find the happiness and love that you need just as much as the next person.” Kennedy swallowed past the lump in her throat, the emotions she saw warring on her father’s face making her heart ache. “I love you, Dad. You should never, ever doubt that.”
“I love you too, girl,” he whispered.
Her father wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. Kennedy fought the tears that formed in her eyes. She didn’t want to cry for him. She wanted to prove to her father that she was as strong as he was. And she wanted to help him understand that he couldn’t spend any more of his life running away from what he wanted.
When he pulled back, he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and Kennedy gave him a moment. She knew he wasn’t overly emotional, and she respected the fact that he didn’t want her to see him cry. After a few minutes, when he seemed to have pulled himself together, Kennedy asked him the question she’d had since he started talking about Mack.
“Did something happen between you and Mack?”
Jeff swallowed hard and got to his feet. “Mack’s decided that we shouldn’t see each other anymore,” he said bluntly. Although his tone said he didn’t care that Mack had broken things off, Kennedy could see it was tearing him up inside.
“Because Mack’s son doesn’t like the fact that his father is gay?”
“Mack doesn’t want to ruin his relationship with Daniel. And I respect that.”
Kennedy shot to her feet. “That’s bullshit, Dad. You and I both know that,” she told him, keeping her voice low, trying to hide the anger that surged inside her. “Daniel doesn’t have the right to tell his father what is and isn’t appropriate.”
“No, he doesn’t,” Jeff agreed. “But that’s not enough to change Mack’s mind.”
Kennedy’s hands flew out to her sides and then smacked against her thighs as she turned away from her father. This was bullshit.
When she’d calmed herself enough to speak, she turned back to her father. “How long have you been seein’ Mack?”
Jeff didn’t answer right away, his throat working as he swallowed.
God, it was so hard to look at the stoic man who’d spent his entire life being strong for her having such a hard time dealing with his emotions.
“Three years,” Jeff said.
Kennedy’s mouth fell open. “You’ve been seeing him for three years? And you kept it from me until a couple of months ago?”
Her father’s spine straightened and he stared at her, his mouth a hard line. “I didn’t keep it from you on purpose, Kennedy. I just figured what you didn’t know wouldn’t hurt you.”
“Do you love him?” she asked, ignoring his statement because she didn’t agree with that way of thinking.
Long seconds passed before her father spoke again, this time, when he said, “Yeah,” he didn’t meet her gaze.
“And you don’t feel the need to fight for him?” she questioned.
She could sense that her father was getting angry. Probably not with her, but certainly with the conversation. Not that she cared. This was important. This was his life, his happiness, and she damn sure wasn’t going to sit back and watch him suffer because he was worried about what other people thought.
Oh, damn.
That thought was like a slap to the face.
Hypocrite much?
She was suddenly very aware of the fact that she’d dodged Sawyer so long for the exact same reasons. She didn’t want to endure the skeptical looks, or other people laughing at her expense. But that was exactly what she’d done, what she’d been worried about in recent weeks even. All the while she’d tried to convince herself that it was because of how he’d treated her in high school.
Although her relationship with Sawyer was progressing, she still had her doubts. Still battled fears that she knew were irrational based on how good things were between them.
Her father finally spoke, pulling her out of her introspection. “Kennedy, I didn’t tell you this so you’d judge Mack. I just thought you needed to know.”
“Trust me, I’m not judgin’ him,” she lied. She had judged him and now she was angry at him for turning his back on her father, although she got the impression that their relationship wasn’t just some one-day-at-a-time sort of thing. They had been happy together, even if they hadn’t made it public that they had something between them.
“You are,” Jeff argued. “I just needed . . .”
“What, Dad? What did you need?” Kennedy asked, her anger dissipating when she saw her father’s face fall. “Someone to talk to? Well, I’m listenin’. Not that I agree with everything, because I honestly believe you need to fight for what you want. Fight for the person you want to be with.”
Her father’s eyes softened slightly.
Swallowing hard, Kennedy continued, “Dad, that’s how I feel about Sawyer. I know you don’t believe me when I tell you he isn’t the leak. He would’ve never started those rumors. He wasn’t exactly the nicest kid in the world, and he did some stupid things. And yes, he hurt me a time or two. But he’s not that same guy anymore.”
Kennedy wasn’t sure how the conversation had veered off, but she felt better telling her father how she felt. She felt better saying the words aloud. She did care about Sawyer and she did believe in him.
“I actually know who the real leak was,” she told him.
Jeff’s eyebrows lifted. “Who?”
“Tim.”
“My deputy?” he questioned, his disbelief apparent.
“Yes. He told me the day he . . . Well, he told me. Said he was upset that I was dating Sawyer. That’s why your name wasn’t mentioned. He wasn’t trying to hurt you so he didn’t bring you into it.”
“Son of a bitch,” her father growled. “Why didn’t you tell me until now?”
Kennedy shrugged. She couldn’t answer him because she really didn’t know the reason why. “Sawyer wouldn’t do that. I hope you believe me.”
“Oh, girl,” Jeff huffed, thrusting his hand through his hair. “I believe you. Looks like I owe him an apology.”
“Yeah, you do,” she confirmed. “He deserves at least that much.”
Jeff nodded. “I get it. You care about him.”
“I love him, Dad. I’ve spent most of my life holding a grud
ge against him for the things he did. But he’s proven to me that he’s not that guy. I want to be with him. And I want you to give him a chance. What I’m saying is that I’m willing to fight for him.”
Her father smiled. “In that case . . . I guess I have no choice but to give him a chance.”
Kennedy smiled at him, loving that her father supported her decisions no matter what they were. She knew he was always looking out for her and she respected that. Just like she was always looking out for him. Which led to her next question . . . “So, are you gonna fight for Mack?”
“Oh, girl. I didn’t come here so you could solve all my problems. I just needed someone to talk to. That’s all. So, just ignore what I said and please, whatever you do, don’t butt in.”
“Me?” she asked, feigning innocence. “When have I ever stuck my nose in your business?”
Her father laughed. “Oh, let’s see . . . Back when I was runnin’ for sheriff, I recall a certain young woman going toe to toe with my opponent because he’d lied.”
“Well, he shouldn’t have said those things,” Kennedy responded, maybe a little too defensively.
“That’s politics, honey.”
“It’s bullshit is what it is. I didn’t see you out smearing his name just to get elected. I didn’t agree with his slanderous campaign.”
Her father laughed again, this time humor dancing in his eyes. Yeah, she’d probably gone a little overboard when she had made flyers and gone about putting them on every single front door in Coyote Ridge calling her father’s opponent a liar and a cheat. But she wasn’t sorry she’d done it. Then again, there had never been any doubt in her mind that her father would be elected. He was the best one for the job and he’d proven himself for years now.
“Can I take you to dinner?” her father asked, still smiling.
Kennedy glanced at the clock on her desk, realizing it was a little after seven. No wonder her stomach was rumbling. “Yeah,” she told him, moving over to her desk to retrieve her purse from the bottom drawer. “I’d like that.”
As she followed her father out the front door of her vet office, Kennedy realized that although the conversation hadn’t gone the way she would’ve wanted, she found herself feeling a little lighter now that her father had opened up to her.
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