A little taken back, I couldn’t help but smile. “I never figured you for an arts and crafts kind of guy.”
“I’ve stroked a canvas a few times.”
“Seriously?” I asked in full dumbfounded mode.
He tipped his head to the left. “I did that one last summer.”
Above the mantel hung a stunning seascape canvas oil painting done in many shades of blue and a sailboat that I now realized was Chad’s with gorgeous patterns of clouds. I gaped at the piece before whirling my head over my shoulder at him.
“I’m speechless. It’s so beautiful. I… you painted this?”
“It’s been a while since I don’t have a lot of free time, but there’s something about leaving a memory on the canvas to always take me back to where I want to be.”
“And here I’m talking about hot gluing pieces of glass that’s been rolling around in the sea for years onto a canvas.”
He laughed, “It’ll be my most prized collection because of the memory. It’ll always remind me of how much I wanted to be with the artist.”
Wanted.
Past tense.
Out of nowhere, an insistent banging on the door made me flinch, but the thundering voice made my eyes widen and my jaw drop.
What in the hell?
“Open the door, right now!” Through the glass, my father boomed. One fist clenched at his side while the other continuously beat on the door.
“Oh my God.” I whispered.
Chad sharply turned his full attention toward me, measuring my reaction before making a move. It took a second, but I finally nodded. He looked less than pleased with a tensed jaw and shoulders rigid and squared as he headed to the door.
Dad’s chest heaved and his skin appeared pale, and there was no way all the anger radiating from him was good for his condition.
“Hello, Harry.” Chad visibly struggled with being cordial.
Dad barged through the door, and bee-lined straight to me. He placed his hands on my upper arms and concern poured from the deepest depths of him.
“Leah.” His voice cracked. “I had to see for myself that you’re okay.”
“How… did you get here?’
“Come home, Leah.” He ignored my question.
“How did you get here, Dad? You’re not supposed to travel at all right now.”
“You think I wouldn’t move mountains to get to you? I don’t give a shit about anything other than making sure you’re all right!” He tipped his head toward Chad, “And being here with Mitchell is not okay with me.”
“Harry.” Warning filled Chad’s voice of steel and the glare he gave him could cut through Kevlar.
Dad deadpanned straight into Chad’s while pointing his finger at him. “Stay out of this, Chad! She’s not one of your conquests! She doesn’t belong here!”
“She’s exactly where she needs to be. Worrying about her is one thing, but you won’t come into my home and make her any more distraught than you already have. Look in the mirror, Harry. You did this. You’re the reason she’s here in the first place.”
“Stay away from her,” Dad bellowed and he sucked in a deep breath as if he couldn’t fill his lungs with air. Suddenly, he clutched the back of the sofa to balance himself but never stopped shooting daggers from his eyes.
“Dad. Calm down and stop this.” I intercepted and grabbed his shaky hands, leading him to sit on the couch. He didn’t resist and I sat next to him. “Please don’t get worked up. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Chad raked both of his hands through his hair and cupped the back of his neck. “I’m going outside, but I’ll be on the deck if you need me for anything. One wrong look from Leah and you’re out of here, Harry. You know me well enough to know I won’t give a shit if you walk back to Dallas.”
The door slammed so hard on his exit, I flinched squeezing dad’s large hand between mine.
“What on earth are you doing here?”
“I’m so sorry. I’m so damned sorry I let you down. Being a shitty father was one thing but keeping the identity of Anita from you is most likely the one thing you’ll never be able to forgive.”
“I…”
“Let me finish. I know I screwed up, and I’ll do everything in my power to make it all up to you. And that includes protecting you. Chad Mitchell is a womanizer and stops at nothing until he’s gotten what he wants. Then afterwards, the girl, becomes history—like trash. I wasn’t about to stay put while there was the slightest chance, he was taking advantage of you.”
“You and I talked about this on the phone. It’s not like that.”
“Then you tell me how you think it is.”
Anguish tormented his whole face and worry consumed me. “You’re in no condition for us to even be having this conversation.”
“I’m not leaving until we do.”
“Beautiful. If I had to describe us in one word, it would be beautiful. No one and I mean no one has ever dropped everything for me! I’ve been at rock bottom and without the slightest confidence, but since seeing him, I’m on top of the world. You wouldn’t have a clue about any of my past because you were not there.” I held up my finger for him to be quiet as soon as his mouth opened. “He’s never promised me anything other than today, but it’s okay and I’ll take that. He’s been completely honest with me!”
“He’s famous for using women. It’s what he does.” He searched my eyes.
“Maybe it’s me using him,” I whispered and grabbed both of his hands. My thumbs nervously caressed his clammy skin trying to be as honest as possible.
His face fell and there was a long run of silence as he tried to process my response. He shook his head as if trying to convince himself he hadn’t heard me straight.
“I’m happier than I’ve been in my whole life. You waited for Sharon for years and even though it was a mistake, it was yours to make. I need to make my own without you trying to save me. I don’t want to be saved.”
Tension crackled around us so thick I couldn’t stand it. Letting go of his hands, I threw my arms around him and hugged him as gently as I could without hurting his chest. His arms circled around me and his back shuddered. He stroked my hair and held me fiercely.
“You’re asking me to watch him hurt you,” he choked out.
“I believe you’ve seen him do all the things you say. But did you know not only did he drop everything to make sure I was okay, he’s left it all up to me when we return? I can’t even begin to fathom the financial impact or monies lost all because he’s not behind the desk at Mitchell Oil—not to mention the team. He whisked me away, out of the city, and we spent the night on his sailboat, like lovebirds nested up here in the beach cottage, but it was never about the bedroom… not that it wasn’t included, but it’s the last reason I’m here.”
“You can leave the bedroom out of this. I don’t want to know the details.” He wore a scowl.
I let out a soft laugh. “That makes two of us.”
“I love you, Leah. So very much. I couldn’t stay away. I had to make sure you’re okay.”
“I love you too, but I need time.” I exhaled a sigh of relief.
“Give it time in Dallas. Not here.”
It was impossible not to notice how pale his skin had become and beads of perspiration dotting his forehead. Worry flooded me and my pulse drummed in my ears.
“No. Dad, you need to lay down. Rest. For God’s sake, I can’t believe you traveled against doctors’ orders. Do you have any idea how stupid that was?” I squeezed his hand.
“There’s nothing that could have stopped me.”
I shook my head rolling my eyes trying to ignore his sad laden eyes holding onto mine. When a tear trickled its way down his cheek, my heart constricted, and my own cheeks became a wet mess.
Chad bolted through the door wearing a feral scowl. “Harry, this can’t be good for you and it sure as hell isn’t good for her. I told you to give
her time.”
“I’m okay. I think Dad needs to lay down… to rest.”
“Let me sit here on the couch a few minutes. I’ll be fine.” His words were choppy, and he breathed heavily.
“Are you supposed to be on oxygen?” I asked with an edge of panic. What if I’d pushed him too far? What if his heart wasn’t strong enough to handle my truths?
“Only as needed. Just give me a minute…”
“Please tell me you brought your as needed oxygen?” Chad asked.
Dad only shook his head.
“Harry, for fuck’s sake. What the hell, man?” Chad reached for his phone. “I’m calling an ambulance.”
“No. It’s no worse than when the therapist works me over. Give me a damn minute and I’ll get my breath.”
He did seem to be leveling out and his skin color wasn’t nearly as grey.
Chad raked his hands through his hair and then stormed into the kitchen. He poured two-fingers worth of Scotch in a lowball glass and threw it back, swallowing every drop. When the glass slammed against the granite counter, I flinched. His eyes softened when he took me in.
The room was silent, and I still wasn’t sure there wasn’t about to be a shit show between them. I grabbed one of the sofa pillows and hugged it against me.
“Harry, I’m going upstairs to shower, then call it a night. Since you’re a crazy son-of-a-bitch who broke all the rules of recovery, you can sleep in the guest room. In the morning, Hank will take you back to Dallas.” Chad let out a deep sigh and left us alone.
“He’s a good man, Dad.”
“There’s no doubt he’s a good man. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t have purchased fifteen hundred acres and built a camp for kids. Several times a month it’s only open to kids with seizures which stemmed from his niece having them. And he also gave a generous amount of money, even broke a record, at some auction benefiting kids so they will have food, backpacks filled with school supplies and shoes.”
It took all I had, not to laugh because if he’d known I’d been the star purchase, he would be pissed all over again. Instead I focused on the way my heart smiled a big fat fucking grin. These things may have made my dad respect Chad, but it was a few of the thousand reasons I fell in love with him.
“If he hurts you, I’ll make him sorry he ever met you.”
“If he hurts me, have at him.” I winked. “Soon… you, me, and Anita need to sit down together and talk.”
“She wants that.”
“In every sense, she’s been my mother. I used to wish she was. Funny, it turned out to be true. If I’d known, the only difference it would have made was I would have stopped missing someone I should have never been missing because she was there all along.”
“I wasted my life away missing Sharon. Twenty-one years later, I still do sometimes.”
“You’re better than that. You deserved so much better than her. Have you ever dated anyone else? I mean you lost yourself to a drug addict who didn’t want either of us. Then the both of us lost our way and we can’t change the roads we’ve already taken. We can only change the direction going forward.”
“I choose your direction. I choose to be the father I should have been for the rest of your life.”
Chapter 30
“So, you’ll call me every day?” Dad brushed the side of my face with his thumb as we stood beside the red helicopter.
Hank and Chad were catching up, laughing about something but his eyes glanced over at me several times. I offered a reassuring smile, letting him know everything was fine.
“Yes.” I nodded my head. “I’ll be home soon. Let Anita know the three of us should have dinner.”
Tears filled the brim of his eyes and he leaned forward to kiss my forehead. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“Soon.” I promised. “Now be a responsible adult and take care of yourself. Follow the doctor’s orders and get well so you can get back to what you love—the guys need you.”
His face fell at the mention of him coaching the team. “It’s not as important as it used to be. I want...”
“I want that for you.” I turned my lips to the palm of his hand still cupping the side of my face. “I know you love me. I know you love the game. You don’t have to choose. You can have us both.”
“I love you. I love you so much,” he whispered.
We fell into a sweet embrace. “I love you too.”
After a few minutes, he smiled and nodded his head toward Chad. They helped him climb into the seat and fastened the harness. Dad placed his hand on the glass and my eyes glazed over as they lifted into the air
“See you soon.” I mouthed and he gave a thumbs up.
We stood watching until they disappeared in the distance. “He’s one hard-headed man.”
“Yes, he is,” I whispered.
“Are you ready?”
“More than you know.” I hopped in the passenger seat of the Rubicon Jeep.
“I’m glad Harry came. You both needed it.”
“Me too. I still think we should have gone back with him. I know you have a zillion things to do and I can’t imagine how long it’s going to take you to catch up.”
“Out of the zillion things for me to do, there’s only one that’s important and she’s sitting next to me.”
“How can I make you understand, I’m okay now. I don’t want you to treat me like I might break, even if I am just a conquest.”
He parked underneath his house and his soft brown eyes met mine. “You’re not a fucking conquest. Harry has witnessed some of my past relationships, but I give you my word, I want to be with you. I want this time to learn all I can about you. I know the curve of your body, the only two freckles marking your skin. I’ve kissed them both, the one on the back of your left thigh and the other is at the base of your neck in your hairline. I love how your little toes on both feet curl slightly inward, almost hiding behind the toes next to them. I want to know more than the physical side, like what you love? Which chocolate is your favorite? Milk, white, dark? What’s your favorite movie? What do you like to watch on television? Can you speak different languages?”
“White. The Voice. I’ve had three years of Spanish and can barely understand more than a few words in a conversation. Your turn.”
“Milk but runs a close race with white. Beat Bobby Flay. I speak Spanish, French, and German.”
“Beat Bobby Flay?” I scrunched up my face then burst out laughing.
“What’s so damn funny about that? It’s great watching all the contenders trying to prepare a better dish.”
“If I’d tried to guess, never would I have chosen a cooking competition.”
He drew my hand up to his lips. “If I had tried to guess, never in a million years would I have imagined you here with me.”
“I’m glad I’m here.”
He tipped his head toward the neighboring house. “Stone and the girls went back into Houston. Looks like we have the neighborhood back to ourselves for the next few days.”
I smiled. “Good. I kinda like the idea of having you all to myself.”
“Regardless of where we are, who’s around, all you have to do is give a sign and I’m yours to kidnap so you can have me all to yourself.”
From the moment I’d met him, he’d stolen my breath. I never dreamed anything could feel so right in my life.
“You want to lounge around on the beach this afternoon?”
“With what I’m planning, I wouldn’t call it lounging.”
“You’re a sex maniac.”
“Only for you.”
The air crackled and sizzled between us and I couldn’t have hidden the smile curling my lips if I’d tried.
After gathering a couple of beach towels and sunscreen, I slipped into a two-piece that was a little skimpier than the one I’d worn the first time we went to the beach. The small triangles barely covered my breasts and no matter how hard I adjusted the halter stra
ps around my neck it didn’t make it any less revealing. I almost chose not to wear the lacy coverup, but I knew if I didn’t, we would never make it past the living room door.
Chad leaned against the Jeep with crossed ankles watching me make my way down the stairs. His dark hungry eyes were filled with want and I welcomed the clench deep in my sex.
God, he was so handsome.
From the moment he waltzed inside the cantina, my body heated on its own accord. I would never get my fill of the world of passion only he could give me. My heart raced because he held my gaze in predatory style, igniting my body on fire.
“You ready?”
I’m ready for you to fuck me.
“Yes.”
“I feel the same way.”
My heart hammered. He knew the effect he left. I raised my eyebrow trying to play collective.
“The same as what?”
“Don’t try and pretend. If I were to slip my fingers underneath your shorts and make my way into your bottoms I think we both know they would slip into your wetness.”
My heart raced and I boldly admitted, “I stay that way when I’m around you.”
“Fuck, Leah. You make me want you twenty-four seven. It’s like I can’t get enough.”
“Good. I like it that way.”
“If we don’t stop, we’ll never make it past the drive-way.”
“Then you better start the engine.”
“The only reason I’m not throwing you over my shoulder and taking you back inside is because I don’t want you to think this is only about sex.”
Is this more than sex? What are we... you and me?
Say. It. Say what we are.
It took all I had not to ask while Chad picked out a perfect spot and drove a large blue and white striped umbrella stake down into the sand. It was perfect size for both of our chaise loungers. He turned up the music from inside the jeep at a comfortable volume as waves left a frothy pattern at the foot of our chairs.
He tugged his shirt over his head treating me to his broad wide tanned lickable pecs. There wasn’t any way to define how sexy he was. I couldn’t stop my eyes from roaming over every angle, every defined muscle. A smile ghosted my lips as he eased down on the chair, stretched his legs out and placed both his hands behind his head.
Keeping Wicked (The Mitchell Brothers Book 3) Page 21
