Page 48 of Their Tracked Obsession

“Oh, look, dear! A fortune teller!” Gloria took off toward her future reading. “Let’s go get a reading.”

“I’ll be right there.” Frank glanced between me and Saint. “Can I have a word?”

“Absolutely,” Saint said.

“I’ll go see”—Liv cleared her throat—“if Raven needs anything.”

Liv sensed the tension between us men, and her eyes pleaded with me to go easy on her father. I squeezed her hand and let her go. She retreated into the crowd.

Frank sighed. “Look. I know there’s strain between all of us—”

“An understatement,” I cut in.

“Fair enough.” Frank gave a curt nod. “There’ve been grave misgivings. Mistakes.”

“Okay.” Saint crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Go on.”

Frank added, “On your part.”

“Come again?” I raised an eyebrow.

“On all our parts,” Frank replied with a shake of his head. “Fellas, what I’m trying to say is, I don’t deserve a Father of the Year award. I never did. But I want to start.”

I’d let the blame Frank cast on us slide. The error of his ways was for him to fix, and he was trying to mend the situation. I let him go on even though I wanted to shake him like a goddamn rag doll.

“I want to be a better man for Liv.” Frank opened his arms. “So, I want to welcome you both to the family.”

Saint went right in for a hug. I didn’t. I stood there in shock, certain my fucking jaw was on the floor. The acceptance from Frank knocked me off balance, and I was honestly expecting more of a fight. Not a smile and laughter as if everything was right in the world. I expected to have to go to war for our relationship, which hung in the balance, until my last dying breath.

The Valencia family was tricky, and there had to be a catch.

“Wait. Let me get this straight.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “You hated us being with your daughter, but you’re willing to let the resentment go in order to be the father your child has always deserved?”

“Yes, goddamn it.” Frank smiled and waved a hand at me. “Come on, son, don’t make this any more awkward than it already is.”

I grabbed Frank by the shirt collar and pulled him in close.

“Sin,” Saint hissed and grabbed my arm. “Let him go, man.”

I didn’t. Leery of Frank’s intentions.

“You sure?” I questioned through clenched teeth with my breath against his face. “I don’t want Liv upset because of you again. Ever.”

“Trust me. Neither do I,” Frank admitted.

The glint of honesty swirled in his eyes.

“Sin?” Liv cut in. “Is everything okay?”

Suddenly, Liv was by my side. Her sweet-as-hell tender touch grazed my arm, and I loosened my hold on Frank’s shirt. I pretended to brush something off his clothes.

“Everything is peachy, sweetheart.” I smiled. “Your dad was welcoming us into the family.”

“Good.” Liv glanced with questioning eyes between us. “Daddy? Mom is waiting for you.”

Frank fixed his collar. “I’ll go find her.”

Frank walked away.