Divine Charity(Divine Creek Ranch 18)(80)

Well that’s just terrific!



* * * *



Presley Ann’s heart raced as she waited for her father’s reaction. He sat at his desk in his study, his eyes trained on the desk blotter. Of all the talks she’d ever had with her dad, this was not one she’d ever foreseen. She knew she’d disappointed him in the past, many times in fact. But she’d never doubted her place in his heart and in the family.

He’d been pushing her to grow up for a while. She knew that all along but now she saw herself through new eyes. Spoiled little rich girl. Daddy’s girl. Social climber. Gold digger. The last thought made her mentally cringe. Opportunist. She’d gone to work for her dad only to shut him up and not because she’d had any real desire to please him or show him she understood his concerns. She’d used him to subsidize her fantasy lifestyle until she could find a man willing to take her on.

Idiot.

He studied the blotter, sliding his mechanical pencil back and forth over the suede. The knot of tension in her gut tightened as he looked up at her with eyes that shone with tears.

He cleared his throat and said, “This is my fault.”

Shaking her head, Presley Ann said, “I’m so sorry, Dad.”

“The last few weeks I noticed you were more…”

Out of sorts. Sick-looking. Pathetic.

“Serious. More focused. Willing to help…without complaint.”

Ow. “I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

“Are you keeping it?”

She looked up at him, pain lancing in her heart. “Of course.”

“Of course. If you were going to get an abortion, you would’ve just done it. You wouldn’t have told me at all.” Behind the words, she heard what he left unsaid. That she wouldn’t have cared what he thought. That she would’ve done anything to protect her lifestyle. It hurt, but she knew there was a good reason he thought that of her. He didn’t understand that the baby had changed something in her. Flipped a switch that could never be unflipped.

Even worse than the judgment she’d feared from him was the realization that his opinion of her was so low. That was all on her. She couldn’t blame him. When she looked back on the last few years, she had a low opinion of herself as well. It hurt to face that.

He sat back in his chair and drew in a shaky breath as he looked at her. “Have you told your sister yet?”

Brushing stray strands of blonde hair from her face, she said, “No. She’s going through some pretty heavy stuff of her own. I’ve tried a couple of times to talk to her but I don’t think she really hears me.” Leah had responded in all the right places when Presley Ann had tried to start a conversation the day before, but when it was clear she wasn’t listening, Presley Ann had given up and let her go on about her routine. She’d waited up the night before but Leah hadn’t come home at all.

“Why? What happened? Something at the store?”

His department stores were his babies and always uppermost in his mind so she didn’t blame him for coming to that conclusion. “No. It’s something personal. A friend of hers was involved in a terrible accident. He’s not doing well.”

He frowned and said, “Oh. Well, that’s terrible. I hadn’t heard,” he said with a frown.

“Yeah. He’s in ICU. She’s been at the hospital a lot.”

“That explains why she hasn’t been answering my calls to her cell phone and why Evelyn has been telling me she’s unavailable when I call the store. I wish she’d called me and told me. I would’ve sent her some help.”

“I can help out if you need me to.”

He flicked his gaze back to her and she saw the doubt in his eyes. She deserved that, too. He gave a minute shake of his head. “I’ll send one of the assistants from the store in Morehead to help.”

“I’m sure I’ll see her at some point after I leave here. Would you like me to tell her?” She wanted very much to tell Leah something that might lighten her burden.

He shook his head. “That’s all right.”

“I don’t mind.”

He tilted his head and gave her the look. “I know you mean well but you have to admit, honey, your memory isn’t the best. It’s no help to her if you forget to tell her. You’ve been otherwise focused lately.”

She actually flinched even though there was no accusation in his voice. That was his nice way of saying she was a pampered self-absorbed dingbat.

Honey, if the shoe fits, lace the bitch up and wear it.

“I’ve let you down in the past more than I’ve given you reason to trust me. I know that,” she said as she moved forward on the edge of her seat. “When I see her, I’ll tell her, I promise.”