put her on edge.
Straightening her spine, preparing for the worst, she swallowed. Then it hit her. Thinking back over the past eighteen months, she couldn’t imagine anything could be worse that being left for dead by the man you trusted your life to. “What’s this about Luke?”
“I spent a lot of time at the office...after Roger died.”
“My father is dead?” Kate gasped. Pain ached in her chest as she stared at Luke.
In the six years since she married Joel, she’d tried to convince herself she didn’t need her father’s approval. He’d rejected her as an infant, and again, when he gave Joel the partnership he’d said she’d earned. She’d had enough, was through trying to earn his love and respect.
But the first person she’d thought about when she regained her memory was her father. Not Joel, but the father whose love she’d tried so hard to earn. Would he be happy to learn she was alive?
Then, on the long flight home, she realized everything was different, now. She wanted a new life. That meant cutting emotional ties with Joel and her father. At the same time, she wondered if she had the strength.
Could she deny she needed her father’s love? Could she stand on her own two feet, make her own decisions, whether her father approved or not? She’d made her career choice, based on her father’s interests, and doubted she could be strong enough to turn away now. But she intended to try.
As soon as she alerted Joel to the fact that she was alive, she intended to see her father. Then...when she was talking to him face-to-face... she would test her resolve. Would try her wings at independence, and this time, his repeated rejections of her need for emotional attachment would help.
But now...he was dead...she would never have the chance. She would never see his stern face again. Death had robbed her of all hope of earning her father’s love.
Not true. She’d never had a chance.
Why didn’t she feel worse?
The sudden shock subsided, leaving her with questions, but not devastated. She didn’t feel destroyed, as she had when she learned Joel quickly listed her as dead and left the island.. Still...
“How did he die? What happened?”
“Heart attack.”
Kate made a gasping, choking sound that could pass for a sob or a laugh.
Luke cursed his timing. He should have waited. Insisted she eat something after her long journey and the shock of Joel’s wedding. Commitment ceremony. Whatever.
“Kate, I—”
“That can’t be right.” Kate swiped a hand across her eyes. “My father didn’t have a heart.”
Giving her a searching glance, Luke eased back in his chair. “Apparently he was under a lot of stress—”
“From what? Is the firm in trouble? Was Joel acting up? Did he lose a big case for a client?” Kate named all the things that had mattered to her father as she stared at Luke.
What to tell her? All of the above?
Luke watched her hands twist in the side seams of that awful dress. He certainly wasn’t going to tell her how much her father stressed over her disappearance. Why add guilt to the other burdens she faced?
“Roger didn’t share personal details.” Luke shrugged. “Maybe he had high cholesterol.”
“When...did he—”
“Three months after your...accident.” Luke met her stare. “Joel and I have tried to keep the firm going.”
Kate watched emotions flit over Luke’s face and filled in some of the blanks. She knew what working in the same firm with Joel was like. Knew the way Joel twisted a situation to suit his satisfaction.
Had her father learned the truth about his son-in-law’s character? That would be enough to cause a man with his pride to have a heart attack. Hadn’t her father picked Joel for her husband? And chosen Joel for a partner over her?
Yes, learning Joel was rotten to the core would have destroyed her father. Still ...
What Luke hadn’t said was that her absence added to his work load. But she knew. She and Luke had taken on most of
Straightening her spine, preparing for the worst, she swallowed. Then it hit her. Thinking back over the past eighteen months, she couldn’t imagine anything could be worse that being left for dead by the man you trusted your life to. “What’s this about Luke?”
“I spent a lot of time at the office...after Roger died.”
“My father is dead?” Kate gasped. Pain ached in her chest as she stared at Luke.
In the six years since she married Joel, she’d tried to convince herself she didn’t need her father’s approval. He’d rejected her as an infant, and again, when he gave Joel the partnership he’d said she’d earned. She’d had enough, was through trying to earn his love and respect.
But the first person she’d thought about when she regained her memory was her father. Not Joel, but the father whose love she’d tried so hard to earn. Would he be happy to learn she was alive?
Then, on the long flight home, she realized everything was different, now. She wanted a new life. That meant cutting emotional ties with Joel and her father. At the same time, she wondered if she had the strength.
Could she deny she needed her father’s love? Could she stand on her own two feet, make her own decisions, whether her father approved or not? She’d made her career choice, based on her father’s interests, and doubted she could be strong enough to turn away now. But she intended to try.
As soon as she alerted Joel to the fact that she was alive, she intended to see her father. Then...when she was talking to him face-to-face... she would test her resolve. Would try her wings at independence, and this time, his repeated rejections of her need for emotional attachment would help.
But now...he was dead...she would never have the chance. She would never see his stern face again. Death had robbed her of all hope of earning her father’s love.
Not true. She’d never had a chance.
Why didn’t she feel worse?
The sudden shock subsided, leaving her with questions, but not devastated. She didn’t feel destroyed, as she had when she learned Joel quickly listed her as dead and left the island.. Still...
“How did he die? What happened?”
“Heart attack.”
Kate made a gasping, choking sound that could pass for a sob or a laugh.
Luke cursed his timing. He should have waited. Insisted she eat something after her long journey and the shock of Joel’s wedding. Commitment ceremony. Whatever.
“Kate, I—”
“That can’t be right.” Kate swiped a hand across her eyes. “My father didn’t have a heart.”
Giving her a searching glance, Luke eased back in his chair. “Apparently he was under a lot of stress—”
“From what? Is the firm in trouble? Was Joel acting up? Did he lose a big case for a client?” Kate named all the things that had mattered to her father as she stared at Luke.
What to tell her? All of the above?
Luke watched her hands twist in the side seams of that awful dress. He certainly wasn’t going to tell her how much her father stressed over her disappearance. Why add guilt to the other burdens she faced?
“Roger didn’t share personal details.” Luke shrugged. “Maybe he had high cholesterol.”
“When...did he—”
“Three months after your...accident.” Luke met her stare. “Joel and I have tried to keep the firm going.”
Kate watched emotions flit over Luke’s face and filled in some of the blanks. She knew what working in the same firm with Joel was like. Knew the way Joel twisted a situation to suit his satisfaction.
Had her father learned the truth about his son-in-law’s character? That would be enough to cause a man with his pride to have a heart attack. Hadn’t her father picked Joel for her husband? And chosen Joel for a partner over her?
Yes, learning Joel was rotten to the core would have destroyed her father. Still ...
What Luke hadn’t said was that her absence added to his work load. But she knew. She and Luke had taken on most of
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