Текст книги "Until You"

Автор книги: Jeannie Moon

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Текущая страница: 16 (всего у книги 22 страниц)

Chapter 22

‡

It was a beautiful Christmas morning, but Richard came in from the slopes in a foul mood. He’d expected to have some time with his daughter during the holiday, away from his work and away from the pull of her mother, but Marie’s screwup ruined his plans.

His fiancée was becoming more and more of a problem. She was making decisions about Laura’s education, her relationships, and her clothing. That was his job. He was the one who would make the decisions. If he wouldn’t let Laura’s natural mother be involved in her life, why would Marie think she would have any real role in the relationship? She was there for show.

He couldn’t stand the fact that he may have lost his daughter. Without warning, she’d decided to stay with her mother for the holidays. They’d obviously connected when Kate had her miscarriage. If only they’d have gotten out of there five minutes sooner. Kate would have missed them and perhaps would have been alone when she lost her kid, doing him the courtesy of bleeding out. Goddamn bitch. She couldn’t even die for him.

“Richard?” Marie called. “Darling? Are you waiting for me?”

He cringed. She wanted him to do her, again. It was all she thought about, especially now that she found out Kate had gotten pregnant when she hadn’t been able to.

Marie questioned him about Kate’s sterility, and he explained it away with some lie. Marie was so gullible, the lies didn’t even have to make sense and she believed them. She’d believe anything.

Richard never thought through the consequences of letting his marriage to Kate fail. Inititally, it seemed like Marie would be good for his career. She was a fellow academic, ran in literary circles, and was a published novelist. Granted, both women were writers, but that was where the similarity ended. Aside from her success as an author, Kate had an Ivy League education and breeding, which trumped Marie’s bohemian upbringing and academic resumé. He didn’t really notice the effect until the holiday season kicked into gear. Two people he considered friends were having their annual holiday parties, and he wasn’t invited to either. Finally, he understood the problem. Marie become more social with his friends over the summer and had behaved as she always did: she talked about herself. His friends and their wives, who always loved Kate, didn’t like Marie. Or, more sobering, they didn’t like him without Kate.

He sat on the edge of the bed and fell backwards when he heard Marie coming up the stairs. He had to think of a plan to get away from her. The more he thought about it, there was nothing remotely appealing about spending the rest of his life with her.

“Look at you! Waiting for me, my love?”

“Not really. I pulled my back on that last run.”

He looked up at her face and thought he saw a resemblance to a nasty nun he’d had in grade school. Sister Annunciata. That witch should be guarding the gates of hell by now. He took another look at Marie, with her pursed lips and her bony face, and he realized he was the one in hell.

As she crawled on the bed next to him, Richard’s mind flashed back to Kate. His beautiful ex-wife, who was now sleeping with someone else and had Laura at home with her. Richard thought he was so smart, but everything had backfired.

“If your back hurts, I guess I can take care of you this time, just lie still,” Marie said flatly. She started to work off his sweater and undo his pants. Richard draped his arm over his eyes and tried to forget about what he’d done to himself.

*

As Christmases went, it was one of the better ones. Kate had been through hell over the past year, but if she could have one gift, having Laura there with her parents and Trish’s family was worth all the heartache. After a crazy Christmas Eve that almost stranded the southern contingent in Atlanta, they stayed up late singing Christmas carols around the piano and baking cookies.

She and Laura still had a long way to go, and Kate was going suggest seeing a counselor to help them over the rough spots. Richard had done damage to both of them, and they needed to heal—together and separately. She wouldn’t try to take custody completely, he was her father, but she had to let Laura find her way on her own terms.

As Kate set the ham on the table for dinner, she thought this was as near perfect a moment as they come. Yes, things could be better, but they could also be much worse. For the first time since her husband left, Kate felt like she’d be okay. Her sister and her husband were there with their children. Her parents, still in love after fifty years of marriage, held hands, and Laura hovered protectively, making sure she didn’t do too much.

Making one last trip to the kitchen, Trish and Kate stopped and glanced back into the dining room where everyone they cared about was sitting around the table. Well, almost everyone.

Kate was missing David in the worst way. It had been two days since Chelsea dropped her bombshell. Two days since Kate found out about the bet.

And there had been two days of texts and voice mails from David begging her to forgive him.

“I like the table better without Richard. More elbow room,” Trish joked as she picked up the warm applesauce. But just like numerous distractions the day before, Kate had drifted off and her sister noticed. “Feeling okay?”

“Yeah, sorry.” Kate was taking the rolls off the baking tray and dropping them into a basket lined with a crisp linen napkin. “It’s been a tough go.”

“It’s going to get tougher. Getting over him isn’t going to be easy.” Trish popped a piece of ham from the cutting board into her mouth. “I can’t believe he made a bet about sleeping with you.”

“I know. I just wish I could shake the feeling that I’m not getting the whole story, you know?”

Trish pressed her hip into the counter. “What do you mean?”

“The bet thing. I don’t know what happened. This is the first I’ve heard of it. Nothing adds up. And he’s sorry. He must have apologized a hundred times by now.” She stopped and leveled her eyes at her sister. “He kept coming back for me, Trish. He won the bet, but he kept coming back for me anyway.”

Trish considered what she said. “True enough.”

“I’m taking everything this unstable, vicious girl said as gospel. Given how I feel about David, shouldn’t I listen to what he has to say?”

Taking the basket of rolls from Kate, Trish raised her eyebrows. “Welcome back.”

“What do you mean, welcome back?”

Shaking her head and smiling, Trish explained, “Let me make the corny analogy as best I can… giving David another chance is like the first time you attempted a triple in competition. There was a good chance you would land on your ass and crawl off the ice humiliated, but the possibility existed that you would stick the jump and win the whole damn thing. I think you said, ‘I won’t know unless I try.’”

Laura walked into the kitchen right as Kate was going to respond. “What’s holding you two up? Everyone is hungry.”

Kate bit her lip and looked at Trish, who raised an eyebrow. “I think you know you have to jump, Katie.”

Kate handed the pitcher of mulled cider to Laura, then made a beeline to her third floor office. “Start without me. I need to make a call.”

*

Standing in the kitchen on Christmas Day, David felt detached from the activity around him. The kids had pounced at six-thirty in the morning, dragged him downstairs, and now it was barely two o’clock and he felt like he’d been hit by a train. His sister was preparing the turkey for dinner, her husband was cleaning up the remains of some culinary adventure, and his nieces were playing with the new Barbie house he’d given them. Brandon was curled up next to the Christmas tree, asleep in a pile of wrapping paper, exhausted from all the activity. David should have been enjoying the time with his family, but he couldn’t think of anything but Kate and how she wouldn’t speak to him.

He let out a breath and his sister looked up, almost annoyed he was so distracted. He couldn’t blame her. This was supposed to be family time and his mind wasn’t in Toronto. When he felt a hand on his shoulder, David turned and saw his father, their coats in hand, motioning toward the front door.

“I need some air,” Thomas Burke said. “Come with me.”

David hesitated, but stood because he wasn’t one to deny his dad’s request. It was a gorgeous day—cold, but sunny and crisp. They walked down Rachel’s street in silence. His dad waved to neighbors coming back from church or family visits, and looked at the sky with the discerning eye of a man who’d learned to understand the weather. His father had spent years working as a fisherman in Vancouver before meeting David’s mother and settling in Alberta. Their footsteps on the sandy pavement were different, one a definite crunch-crunch, the other a slow steady shuffle. They turned into a public park and continued their walk around the man-made lake. When his father finally spoke, his words cut through the cold air like a knife.

“I think your mother would be happy I’m here with Rachel. Eh? What do you think, Dave?”

“I think she’d be relieved you were eating right for a change.”

The older man laughed. “That’s the truth. She always hounded me about that.”

“She wanted you to take care of yourself.”

“Too bad she didn’t do the same for herself, eh?”

David looked down. Remembering the progression of his mother’s cancer was difficult. It was only in the end they learned she’d known about the lump in her breast for over a year before seeking treatment. By then, it was too late. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, nothing helped.

“If I’d known, if she’d told me, I’d have taken her to someone. But she didn’t think about herself; she only thought about me and you and your sister. Hell, the damn dog got to the vet for a cut paw before your mother got to a hospital.”

“I know.” David remembered the dog and the time he cut his paw on a piece of broken glass. “Why are we talking about this?”

“Because women are never easy and they’re never predictable.” Thomas stopped and sat on a bench. “This girl of yours—what’s her name?”

“Kate. But she’s not mine.”

“But you want her to be yours? Is that why you seem like you’re a thousand miles from here?”

David sat straight against the back of the bench. “She’s been through hell, a lot of it because of me. Maybe she’s had enough and I should just leave her alone.” His father didn’t say anything, keeping his eyes focused on the lake in front of them. “I miss her, though…”

“You love her the same way I loved your mother.”

David’s head shot up. His father’s eyes, no longer focused on the lake, were warm and understanding, just like they’d been when he was a small boy. “I know we’ve had our problems, son, but I understand better than you think. It hurts way down deep, doesn’t it? Like your insides are on fire.”

David nodded. “I can’t shake it.”

“Don’t try. When you love a woman like that it never goes away, but it does sound to me that you have some work ahead.”

“I don’t know what to do.”

Thomas found an acorn on the bench that he tossed toward the lake. “If I remember, you did pretty well at that big university you went to. You’re a smart man, David. Too smart to give up on something this important.”

David hesitated, was going to speak, but stopped himself.

“Fight for her.”

“But she said—”

His father waved his hand and cut him off. “I don’t care what she said. You never do what a woman says, you do what she wants. The two aren’t necessarily the same.”

“How can you tell?” Now David was totally confused.

His father shrugged. “Beats me. Sometimes you get lucky. You’ve got a no brainer here. You love her, make her understand that. She wants you to walk through fire for her. Do it.”

David threw his head back and looked at the cover of leafless trees. “I’m scared I’m going to screw it up worse than it is.”

The older man laughed and slapped his shoulder. “Fear is part of it. If you aren’t scared shitless, what’s the point?”

His father stood.

Looking up, David felt small again. “Thanks, Dad.”

Nodding, his dad began the walk back toward Rachel’s house and David followed.

Walking through the front door was a treat for the senses. The kids were playing, Christmas music was on the stereo, and the house smelled like a mix of pine and good food. He felt better, and he’d never expected a walk with his dad to make him feel better. They’d been at odds for so long, it seemed to become habit. But David was older, and his father had mellowed. Things between them had changed.

He wanted this—the house, the kids, the chaos. The phone rang and blended in with all the noise. He heard his brother-in-law, Ian, speaking to someone. Just as David was about to sit on the floor to put together one of Brandon’s toys, Ian waved him over.

“Phone is for you.”

“Me?” He couldn’t imagine who would call his sister’s house directly.

Ian’s mouth turned up at the corner. “It’s Kate.”

*

She heard all the noise in the background and wished she’d just left a message on his voice mail. No, she had to break out the list he gave her and call his sister’s house. Brilliant, just brilliant.

She’d heard another phone and David’s voice on the line. “I’ve got it, Ian. Thanks.

There was a click and a second of silence. “Kate?”

“Hi,” she said. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas.”

Now what? What should she say? Her heart was pounding and blood was rushing through her head. Don’t mess up, Kate, don’t mess up now.

“I’m glad you called,” he said. “But I thought you didn’t want to talk to me.”

“I didn’t think I did. But, um…” She drew a huge breath. Here goes, big jump. “I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you the other night. What happened with Chelsea? It wasn’t your fault, and I shouldn’t have blamed you. And I should have answered your texts, but I had to think and… and… I miss you, David. I miss you.”

She thought she heard a sigh of relief creep through the phone. “You shouldn’t be apologizing for anything. This is all on me. All of it. I should have told you everything.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. But I’ll be home tomorrow, and we can sort it all out. God, Kate, I’m so sorry.”

“When is your flight? I can pick you up.”

“Flight comes in at five, but I have a car service coming.”

Disappointed, she nodded and squeezed her eyes shut. “Oh, okay.”

“I can be to your house by seven. Will that work?”

“That’s perfect,” she whispered. She couldn’t wait to see him, but it seemed only fair to warn him about the crowd. “My family’s here, including my parents.”

“I’d love to meet them.”

“Really?” Kate felt such relief, such happiness, that the worry and sadness of the last few days seemed very far away.

“Yeah. I’m so glad you called.”

Kate felt her eyes burn, as her feelings for him broke the surface. She’d promised herself she was never going to fall like this again, but she had, she was all in, and she didn’t care. Maybe it wouldn’t last, but Kate was tired of being afraid of everything. Fear had never been an option, and it wouldn’t be anymore.

“David, I…” There was so much to say, she didn’t know where to start. So she let the first thing that came into her head come out. “I don’t want to fight this anymore.”

“Thank God.”

Kate laughed softly. The words they’d exchanged had offered them a place to start and had given her a priceless gift.

“I left everyone at the dinner table,” Kate said. “I should go.”

“You won’t be sorry about this, I promise you that.”

“I know. Merry Christmas, David.”

“Merry Christmas, babe. I’ll be there soon.”

After hanging up the phone, Kate leaned back in her desk chair. She could see out the big window in her office to the pond at the edge of her yard. Her heart felt lighter, hopeful. In the chair that had been the location of so much of her crying over the past year, Kate spun herself around and smiled.

*

When she took her place at the dining room table, Trish’s husband, Greg, was serving ham. He stopped for a split second and over the top of his glasses, his eyes smiled. Kate was happy and he could see that. Trish, who was sitting to Kate’s left, leaned in.

“Well?” she asked.

“Stuck the landing.”

Trish grabbed her hand under the table and gave it a gentle squeeze before returning her attention to the dinner; Kate, however, found herself wishing the dining room chairs could spin.

Chapter 23

‡

Richard parked the Mercedes in the driveway behind Kate’s car and knew he was going to have company to deal with, specifically Kate’s family—the family that wanted his head on a platter. He didn’t consider he’d have to deal with them. He’d come to see Laura and try to finesse Kate a little, maybe mend some fences. He’d cut his ski vacation short and told Marie exactly where he was going.

She wasn’t happy and wanted to come with him, feeling she had as much right to see Laura as he did. That lasted about thirty seconds. Their plan to move Laura out completely backfired because of her screw-up, and he was going to limit their contact as much as possible.

He thought about going in the side door, like he always did when he lived there, but decided to honor the formality of their situation and made his way around the front of the house to the porch. He braced himself and rang the bell.

He heard very rapid footsteps that he guessed were Kate’s. She started speaking as she pulled on the door.

“You’re early! I’m so happy to see—”

She stopped talking as soon as she saw him standing there and her face which had been excited, dropped.

“Richard. What are you doing here?”

“Merry Christmas, Kate. I was hoping to visit Laura, and you, of course, especially since you’re happy to see me.” He smiled, hoping it would ease the tension in her stance, but she didn’t budge.

“Happy to see you? No. You’re supposed to be skiing in Vermont.”

“We came home early. I missed Laura, and I wanted to see how you were doing. You gave everyone a scare.”

“Is that so?” Kate leaned against the door jamb, and her expression was anything but welcoming. She looked gorgeous, though. She was wearing a soft pink sweater with a plunging neckline and her breasts swelled when she folded her arms. He told himself it was because of the cold, but she was also taking a defensive stance. The sexy cleavage was a nice side effect.

It was still civil until he heard Trish’s shrill voice come from the far side of the foyer. “I knew I smelled something.” Trish approached and stood next to her sister. They were a formidable pair, to say the least. “How are you, Richard?”

“Always a pleasure, Trish. Turn anyone to stone today?” He shifted his position and folded his hands in front of him.

Kate rolled her eyes as the two of them readied for another jab. “Richard, this isn’t a good time.”

“Ladies, I understand you may not care for me. However, I would like to see Laura. It’ll be a short visit.”

It was then that he noticed Kate’s eyes locked on the headlights coming up the driveway. The large SUV parked, and a soft smile teased her lips. Richard hadn’t seen the bloom that came into her cheeks since she was eighteen.

The temperature went up by degrees. Kate kept her wits about herself enough to look at Trish and ask her to get Laura from her room.

She barely acknowledged Richard as the occupant of the truck emerged. “Visit with her in the library,” was the last thing she said to him.

Richard watched his ex-wife walk past him, off the stoop, and down the walk. She stopped, wrapped her arms around her, this time to ward off the chill, and waited. The look on her face was pure adoration. It made Richard sick, because she’d never looked at him that way.

As the man moved toward her, Richard thought he looked familiar. He was big, dark-haired, and young. Approaching Kate, he placed a bag, which looked to be filled with gifts, on the walk. Then he reached for her and Kate walked into his arms.

It was enough. Richard didn’t need to see anymore.

*

This was home. Kate slipped her arms under his coat and held him tight, feeling his strong back and laying her face on his hard chest. At the same time, David’s arms came around her and his lips pressed gently into her temple.

The worry, the anxiety, the sadness all slipped away when he was with her. She was safe with David. All her doubts were gone, and all that was left was faith. Faith in him, faith in herself.

“I missed you,” she whispered.

“I missed you, too. I felt like the world collapsed when you wouldn’t talk to me.” David tilted her face toward his and dropped a kiss on her lips. “I am so sorry for everything.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Yes it does. We’ll fix it.” He kissed her again, and again. More kisses. “I love you. Only you.”

Kate held him tighter and reveled in the secure feeling of his arms. David loved her. This was right. Nothing had ever felt so right.

Coming back to reality, he led her into the house, out of the cold. She took his coat and watched his face grow serious when he saw Laura and her father in the library.

“Richard?” he asked. “Why is he here?”

“They came back early from their ski trip. He stopped over to see her.” She saw the disapproval on David’s face. “She’s still his daughter. I know he wasn’t expected, but I can’t say no.”

He nodded, and then took her hand and brought it to his lips. “It’s more than he deserves.”

“I know, but I won’t do to him what he did to me. Laura’s upset enough.”

“She doesn’t look happy,” he said.

“I know, but she’ll forgive him. Eventually.”

“You’re amazing.” David grinned. “So, time to meet the parents?”

“And the sister, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew.”

“Ouch. I didn’t bring body armor.”

“You’ll be okay.” Kate smoothed his sweater and picked a small thread off his shoulder. “My mother can be a little uptight sometimes.”

“Okay.”

“My dad should go easy on you since you both went to B-C.”

“I’ll take what I can get.” He smiled and leaned in for one last kiss. Then another, before catching her eyes with his.

“Thank you for doing this.” Her hand came up and stroked his face, leaving no doubt of how she felt. Whatever happened in the past, whatever she believed about him was gone now, replaced with the feeling coming from deep within him. She had his heart. It was hers, and at that moment, everything seemed possible. “They’re going to love you. Maybe not right away, but they will.”

He laughed. “Let’s do this.”

*

Richard was in the uncomfortable position of trying to have a conversation with his daughter. Laura was more guarded than ever before, and not the least bit interested anything he had to say. He tried to keep it light, asking her about the holidays, when he made the mistake of asking a question about Kate’s caveman.

“So what do you know about Mom’s guy?”

“Fishing for information, Daddy?” Laura folded her arms defensively.

“No, just curious. He looks familiar.”

“He plays for the Flyers.

Richard leaned forward, more jealous than ever. “Excuse me?”

“It’s David Burke.”

Richard slumped back in the wing back chair he’d been sitting in, stunned into silence. That changed things. He had many assets, but Richard, at nearly fifty years old, was not going to be able to compete with a pro athlete. “How in the world… that’s who got her pregnant?”

Laura looked away and bit her lower lip. She was shutting down, and cutting off his information pipeline. He’d deal with that, somehow, but it was her distance that most concerned him. At first she didn’t want to see him at all, telling Trish to send him away. But he had to give Kate’s sister credit. She got Laura to talk to him. His goal was to get her to agree to come and stay with him for a few days.

Their relationship had imploded, and he didn’t know if he was ever going to get her back completely. He wanted to think he would, but she was defensive and very protective of her mother. He’d made the mistake of underestimating not only his ex-wife, but his daughter.

Laura was his world. Regaining her trust was the most important thing, but he didn’t know how he was going to do it.

*

Kate’s family was gathered in the great room, watching a movie on TV. The tree sparkled in the corner and he remembered the night they’d decorated it. David held onto the memory to fend off the nerves balling in his stomach. He was as scared as he’d ever been. He knew how important these people were to her, and he wanted them to accept him.

All heads turned when he stepped in the room with her. Time seemed to stop; no one moved, no one seemed to breathe.

Finally, Kate’s father rose and approached him. He was a strong, solid man, maybe five-ten, and completely confident. A retired judge, he carried himself with the dignity of someone who didn’t need to worry about first impressions. “Katherine, please introduce me to your young man.”

Kate smiled like a sixteen-year-old girl, making David think she’d been through the ritual countless times. He straightened himself. These were her people, the ones who mattered to her, so David wanted to make a good impression. “Daddy, may I introduce David Burke; David, my father, Jonathan Adams.”

They shook hands as Kate’s father sized him up. David knew he had one chance to get in good with Dad, so he took everything Kate told him about her father and used it.

“Judge Adams, it’s a pleasure. You’re B-C class of ’56, correct?”

The smile that crossed her father’s face was exactly what he was going for. Common ground. Common ground broke down a lot of barriers. Pleasantries exchanged, David looked around at everyone else. It should be easier now. At least David thought so, until he looked at Kate’s mother.

She was sitting across the room in a large leather club chair. The woman was attractive, really just an older version of Kate. Her arms and legs were crossed and her foot was moving up and down frantically, but it was her face, a combination of disgust and concern that put David on alert. Nope, her mom didn’t like him at all. Great.

David looked at Kate, who’d noticed the same thing. She took a quick glance at her mother and then back at him. This wasn’t going to go well. Kate introduced him to her sister and brother-in-law, her niece and nephew. Fine, maybe a little suspect, but nothing like the chill coming off Mom. Kate walked him over to her mother and slipped her hand into his.

“David, my mother, Melinda Adams.”

“Mrs. Adams, it’s nice to meet you.” He offered his hand and she didn’t budge.

She kept her arms folded, looked at his outstretched hand, and drilled him with eyes so full of anger that David almost took a step back.

The final slap came when she rose and walked away without saying a word.

David exhaled audibly. “Wow.”

Kate turned to him. “I’m sorry about that. I don’t know what’s gotten into her.”

David shrugged, not able to respond, but Kate’s niece shed some light on the subject. “Grandma doesn’t think you’re good for Aunt Kate. She thinks you’re a player.”

Everyone turned in her direction and Trish cocked her head to one side, not quite believing what she heard. “Your grandmother called David a player?”

Alex ignored her mother’s question. “I Googled you,” she said to David. “You’re not exactly model boyfriend material.”

“Alexandra?” Trish began, “What did you tell your grandmother?”

“Nothing, she does know how to use the internet and she can read.” Alex rose, annoyed, and went to the stairs. “I’ll go talk to Grandma.”

The air was tense, and Kate decided to let her mother sit and stew for now.

Laying a hand on David’s arm, she smiled. “I’m going to make coffee.”

Trish followed. “I’ll help you.”

That left David with Kate’s father, the former judge, her brother-in-law, the congressman, and her nephew, the med school student. Were there no plumbers in this family? Jeez.

Jonathan snorted. “Coffee, great. The way Melinda’s going to go at me, I’m going to need something stronger than coffee.”

Greg Reed laughed and looked at David. “Melinda can be a bit overprotective,” he drawled. “I was going to pick up something to enhance our coffee, but I forgot. I’m regretting it.”

David laughed. “I brought a twenty-one-year-old Glenlivet with me. Will that help?”

Greg slapped him on the back as David made his way to the other end of the sofa, and Jonathan nodded approval.

“I knew I liked you.” Jonathan paused. “I hope you’ll forgive my wife.”

Greg continued for him. “Adores her girls, and who can blame her?”

“Not me,” David said. “But she looked at me like I was Jack the Ripper.”

Greg sat back and rubbed the five o’clock shadow on his chin. “Did Kate tell you about her marriage?”

“Some. Her ex sounds like a first class pri…” He censored himself. “First class jerk. Domineering, controlling.” David was painfully aware that Richard was two rooms away.

“Abusive,” Greg added. The word hit David like a stick to the head. “He’d hit her from time to time, enough to make her afraid, to get her to buckle under. Words were his preferred weapon.”

“I’d kick his ass if I could get him alone for five minutes,” David growled, feeling violence overtake his reason.

“Trish almost did. She caught him on one of his tirades. I swear she was looking for a sharp object. The things he said to Kate were horrible. She spent some time in therapy. I can tell you, when he left, the whole family cheered. Kate was terrified about losing Laura, but Richard leaving was the best thing that ever happened to her.”

“Why did she stay?” David couldn’t understand how Kate would put up with that kind of treatment.

“It’s hard to let go of all those years. She adored him once, but mostly she stayed because of Laura. One of Richard’s favorite threats was that he would take Laura so far away, Kate would never see her again.”

“I can only imagine how that affected her.”

Greg nodded. “Staying in Laura’s life was all that counted. As long as they were still in the same house, she had a chance. So Kate put up with him a lot longer than she should have.”

“Shit,” David muttered.

“Now he has Marie doing his dirty work on that front, playing Mommy,” Jonathan added.

“She doesn’t sound too stable,” David said. “I can’t believe the crap they’ve been trying to pull with Laura, but it seems things are improving there, too.” He looked at Kate’s father, who’d gone silent.

It obviously pained him that he couldn’t do anything to protect his daughter.