The Doctor's Secret Bride(85)
But when Precious bounced into his bed, shrieking with joy that he was home, Erik knew he had to go on for her, just as he had two years ago. When she began babbling about all the fun things she and Michelle did while he was away, hope rose in Erik’s heart once again. She was the happy, spirited child she’d been when her mother was alive. He wanted to keep her that way.
And seeing Michelle now, his beautiful wife, with love in her glittering black eyes, Erik knew keeping her around was just as vital to him as it was to Precious. He needed her to banish the pain, the anger, and the sadness from his heart, as only she could do.
“I need to talk with Michelle, Muffin. Mrs. Hayes just took a fresh batch of chocolate-chip cookies out of the oven. Tell her I say it’s okay if you have one with a glass of milk.”
Erik set his daughter on the ground then like a man on a mission, he closed the short distance between him and the sweet little woman he had grown to depend on so much—too much. She smelled lovely. He wanted to drag her into his arms, hold her close to his heart and kiss her senseless, but he couldn’t—not here. “Thanks for picking her up at the last minute,” he said, smiling down at her.
“It was no problem. She’s happy to see you.”
Her eyes looked vague, worried. “And you? Are you happy to see me, Michelle?”
She shrugged. “I guess.”
“You guess? You’re supposed to be happy to see me. I’m your husband of just two weeks, Mrs. Michelle Juliet LaCrosse.” He loved the sound of that name.
Her face took on a somber expression. “I’m happy to see you, Erik. The problem is I have to tell you something that could have a big impact on our relationship.”
“Are you pregnant?”
She shook her head. “No, it’s nothing like that.”
A knot formed in the pit of Erik’s stomach. He didn’t know if it was from relief or regret. “So what else can you possibly tell me that could change our relationship, Michelle? Did you accidentally tell someone that you and I are married?”
She folded her hands across her stomach and dropped her gaze. As he watched her chest rise and fall with the effort of her ragged breathing, Erik knew it was big. Fear came tumbling down on him. He’d been gone a week. What the heck could have happened to make her so distraught? His hands went to her shoulders. “What is it, Michelle?”
She lifted her head and stared at him through teary black eyes. “It’s about my father.”
“Is he back from the dead?”
“Oh, Erik.” She looked away from him.
Now he was confused. “What about your father?”
“He’s alive.”
Erik dropped his hands from her shoulders as a cold chill swept over him. “What do you mean he’s alive? You and your brother, and your best friend sat in my house just a week ago and swore your father was dead.”#p#分页标题#e#
Her lips trembled. “I’m sorry, Erik. He isn’t dead. I lied to you and I convinced them to corroborate my story.”
Not another lie from another woman he… Erik balled his hands into fists and closed his eyes. “Why?”
“He’s made my life so miserable. I told you how he used to hit me when I was a child.”
This better be good, he thought, as he pinned her with his eyes.
“A couple years ago, he stole my debit card, figured out my PIN, which was my mother’s birth date, and cleaned out my bank account—all in one night. I had a sizable amount of money saved—money I had plans for. I didn’t know what he’d done until I stopped to put gas in my car two days later and couldn’t find my card. When I called the bank and they told me I had seventy dollars and fifteen cents to my name, I almost died, Erik. Then shortly after, I lost my job, my car, and my apartment. I lost everything I’d worked so hard for—even my clothes were stolen from me. If it weren’t for Yasmine and my brother, I probably would have ended up on the streets.” The tears ran unrestrained down her face.
Erik’s anger switched gear. “That bastard. I’m going to break his neck for what he did to you. Where is he, Michelle? Where is he?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since that night. As far as I’m concerned, he’s dead. I never want to see him again. That’s why it was so easy to tell you he was dead when you asked me about him. I’m sorry for lying to you. I didn’t plan to lie. It just slipped out.”
All of a sudden, Erik didn’t care who was watching them. He pulled Michelle into his arms and buried her wet face in his chest. He threaded his fingers through her soft silky hair. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. He should be dead for hurting you. I can’t understand how a man could be so cruel to his own child. You’re his little girl, no matter how old you get. He’s supposed to protect you, not hurt you.”