AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER TWENTY
HOURS LATER, looking ill at ease, Robert hovered at the periphery of the crowd of ecstatic relatives peering at Bobby’s newborn son through the hospital nursery window.
Jolie knew just how much of an emotional effort it had taken for her dad to walk in the door. But, after what she’d just found out, she was in no mood to sympathize.
This might not be the best time, but it wouldn’t be easy to catch him later. Beth had said Robert was feeling stronger and was now in his truck each day, driving all over his vast ranch, checking on every last detail of its operation.
“Dad, I need to talk to you.” Jolie forced a smile. “Please?”
After a moment of silence, he finally gave a grudging nod and followed her to a quiet sitting area down the hall. Even after she was seated, he remained standing, his arms folded firmly in front of his chest. “Well?”
“Something you said when you were in the hospital has been bothering me.” His gaze grew wary, and she knew she’d have to talk fast or he wouldn’t stay.
“I was sick at the time,” he barked. “The nurses had me drugged with who knows what.”
“On doctor’s orders. So, you were drowsy. But you still said that you had to live because we kids all made mistakes you had to fix.”
His chin lifted a notch, his mouth settling into a hard, stubborn line as his cold gaze met hers.
“Bobby told me about your background checks on the guys your daughters dated. Tell me, Dad. What did you do with the information? File it, or use it against those guys to drive them off? Did you have a certain criteria for making your decisions?”
A dull red flush crept up his neck. “There’ve been plenty of lowlifes who would have jumped at the chance for a piece of Walking Stones. They saw available daughters—an easy route to money. I couldn’t let that happen.”
Jolie gave a bitter laugh. “That’s all you saw—guys who lusted after your empire, who couldn’t possibly love yourgirls?”
He held his ground, as implacable as ever. “It’s my job to protect the interests of the ranch. Background checks were necessary.”
“As if these werejobinterviews?” Fury rose in her throat as she considered what he’d done in secret all these years.
She’d been too far away in L.A. for him to know about the men she’d occasionally dated there. Now she lived far too close. “Do you have any idea how many people you’ve hurt?”
“I did what I had to do.”
A staggering realization hit her.
Matt had received a phone call this morning, Mandy had said.From some building inspector guy named Phil. Matt kept telling him that something was unfair.
“Tell me about Phil, Dad.”
“Who?”
“The county building inspector, as you well know.” Jolie shot to her feet, her hands clenched at her sides. “He’s been giving Matt Dawson trouble over permits and inspections.”
Dad fell silent.
“Maybe you even called in a few favors at the courthouse,” she said flatly. “Did you figure you could destroy his business and run him out of town? Do you have any idea how illegal this is? You could go to prison.”
“I was sure he was just after your money. Blue-collar, two kids, no college degree. That man has carried a tremendous level of debt foryears.But—"
“His wife died of cancer, Dad, which must have built up incredible debt. Did your reports tell you that?” Jolie took a steadying breath. “Did they tell you that he’s a wonderful, caring father? That he works hard to support his family, and is as honest a man as you’d ever meet? Did those reports tell you that I’ve never met a man like him or that I’d be happy if I could spend the rest of my life with him?”
“Jolie, I—”
“No, Dad. I’m a grown woman. I have a good career. I love Walking Stones and almost more than anything, I want to be close to my family after all my years away. But I’m not going to let you run my life.”
“Jolie.Listen—”
“I want my name taken off every title and any will you’ve filed. You’ll have no reason to hurt anyone in my name ever again. And I want you to repair any damage you caused Matt Dawson.Immediately.”
