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“I’m not sure you do. You left me broken. You twisted me up so much inside that I don’t know how to feel about love.” She pummeled his chest with her fists. “I’m angry at you for walking away from us and barely being in my life.” Her breathing became choppy. “Where were you when I needed you? On my sixteenth birthday? When I didn’t get into my number one college choice? When I was so confused about my worthiness that I ended a relationship with the man I loved?”
“Morgan, I’ve messed up as a dad for most of your life. My marriage to your mother ended because I was too immature and selfish to stick around and make things work. I left you in the lurch. I was too ashamed to try and pick up the pieces. So I stayed away. And the longer I stayed gone, the harder it became to come back into your life. But my life has turned around. I don’t want to hurt you by saying this, but I’m a better father the second time around.”
Pain seared through her chest. She felt as if she was choking. “No! Why would I want to hear that? How can you be so cruel and insensitive?”
“I have God in my life now. He’s taught me so much about life and responsibility and love. Please listen to the message and not the messenger. Maribela is only twelve years old. She’s your sister and she needs you.” There was a pleading tone in his voice that gutted her.
“Like I needed you?” she choked out the question.
His shoulders slumped. “I was a terrible father to you. I was weak and selfish. Lord knows you deserved way better.”
“Yes I did,” she said through clenched teeth. “But I never got it. And now you come back here under false pretenses to save the daughter you clearly must love very much.”
He let out an agonized groan. “I love you too. You must believe that.” He reached for her hand and she shook him off.
“I don’t have to believe anything. You see, you’ve missed your chance to shape my beliefs and my opinions. You skipped out on me. Simply put, you weren’t there. I’m very sorry about Maribela’s illness. It’s terrible and it’s tragic. But you had no right to trick me into thinking this was about us. And frankly, I don’t want to have anything to do with you.” She let out a shaky laugh. “Mama tried to warn me that you wanted something from me, but I refused to believe that. I chose to hope. Silly me.”
Morgan turned on her heel and headed toward the driver’s side of her car. Although she could hear her father calling out to her in a plaintive voice, she didn’t turn back toward him. He’d broken her heart tonight into a million little pieces. Like a fool, she’d chosen to believe in him. She had cast all of the past behind her, only to be burned in the process. In a matter of minutes her heart had been sliced into ribbons. She roared out of the lot and drove home on auto pilot, feeling more numb than she could ever remember.
As soon as she let herself into the cottage her cell phone began buzzing. Morgan looked down at the display. It was Luke. She didn’t have the heart to answer it. Her mind was still buzzing with her father’s betrayal. Luke had tried to warn her but she’d been suffering from a blindness of sorts. All common sense had flown out the window once her father had showed up and put on his Prince Charming act.
Salty tears stained Morgan’s pillow as she drifted off to a fitful sleep. A few times she heard her cell phone ping and she knew Luke was messaging her. The depth of her pain scared her. She had just begun to believe in achieving a happily ever after for herself and Luke. Now, in light of her father’s cruel pretense, she wasn’t exactly sure what to believe in.
**
Luke sat in his office at Duvall Investments, gazing out the window and wondering why Morgan hadn’t called him back yet. He’d called her several times last night, sent her a few text messages and practically sent up smoke signals. He’d almost been tempted to take a drive over to Savannah House, but he didn’t want to pester her while she was working.
Tonight Morgan was supposed to be coming over to his parents’ house for dinner. Although he’d told his parents that he was bringing a very special lady along, they had no idea it was Morgan. Luke hoped they’d be thrilled. Matter of fact, he was counting on it. Hopefully it would blunt the trauma of him announcing to his father that he wanted to cut his hours down to part-time at Duvall in order to pursue singing opportunities.
He’d asked Callie and Jax to join them. His sister always seemed to have a way of calming down their father.
He picked up his office phone and called Morgan’s cell phone. On the second ring
she picked up.
“Hey, stranger. I’ve been trying to track you down since last night.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t call you back. I have a lot on my mind. I-I don’t think I can make it tonight to dinner with your parents.”
“Why? Aren’t you feeling well? You sound a little funny. Like you’ve been crying.”
She let out a sob on the other end, confirming his suspicions. It sounded like she was trying to muffle it.
Panic shot through him. “Tell me what’s going on. I hear something in your voice that I don’t like. Tell me or I’m going to get in my car and drive like a maniac to get to you.”
“No, Luke. Please don’t. It’s a long story, but suffice it to say you were right about my father. He didn’t come back for me. He only wanted to use me.”
“Oh baby, I know that had to hurt something awful. I want to see you and make sure you’re okay. Let me come to you, all right?” He knew he’d break every speed limit known to man to get to her side.
“I don’t want to meet at Savannah House. There are too many prying eyes. Why don’t we meet up on the beach? By the lifeguard chair.”
“Done. Give me twenty-five minutes to get there, give or take a few.”
Before he could say goodbye, the line disconnected. Grabbing his keys and wallet from inside his desk, Luke reached the door of his office in a few short strides. He needed to get to Morgan and make sure she wasn’t falling apart at the seams. He clenched his fists, wishing he could track down Roderick Lucas and give him hell. Morgan being hurt brought out a protectiveness in him that made him want to exact vengeance, even though it wasn’t his way.
When he reached Savannah Beach he took off his socks and shoes before venturing out on the sand. The wind was in rare form today, whipping the sand around and giving him quite a lashing. In the distance he spotted Morgan. She was standing beside the lifeguard chair with her arms wrapped around her middle. She was staring off into the distance, her eyes locked on the churning ocean.
She turned toward him, a wistful smile on her face. Shadows rested under her eyes. “Thanks for coming.”
