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I couldn't spend a day in my office, away from her. I might not be able to take her pain away, but I can make myself available to her at the very least.
“Let's talk it through,” I suggest. She joins me at the side of the pool, both of us folding our arms on the concrete edge.
“I'm not sure what there is to talk about. I just need to figure out some way to live with the truth.” She kicks slowly, sighing as she rests her chin on her arms. “How do I do that?”
“Life is full of these moments. Trying to decide if it's better to let things go or to possibly hurt someone you love with the truth.”
“Like with Tatum,” she murmurs, her lips setting in a tight line.
“She's coming around.” She's trying, anyway. “We have had dinner together the past three nights, and she seems a little better than she's been lately, right?”
“That's true. She actually spoke to me and appeared happy when I asked her to be my maid of honor.”
“She did.” For a moment, it looked like everything was back to normal. My daughter's bubbly personality leaked through, and there was a sparkle in her eyes. It gave me hope that things are finally beginning to turn around.
“But if she hadn't walked in on us talking with Romero, I wouldn't have told her yet. Is that normal?”
Hitting me with the heavy questions today.“I know a little something about keeping things from the people I love most, because I know it's better for them in the end. That's a burden. It's one I wish you didn't have to carry.”
“Nobody ever said life would be easy all the time, right?”
But that's all I want. To make her life as easy as possible. She's a lot smarter than I am when it comes to this. More realistic. “You don't have to tell Charlie the specifics. He never has to know about Ken if you think it would be better for him not to.”
“I can't do that to him. I don't know if he could handle it.”
“Still, he can still know he was right. You can give him closure, or whatever you think he needs.”
“And you would be okay with that?”
“This doesn't have anything to do with me. I would like him to know I didn't have anything to do with your mother, but that's as far as it goes. Even then, I've lived long enough with him hating me so I'm sure I could continue on the same way.”
“If anything, it would make things better. He would be able to trust you more.”
“Well, I would hope so.” Nevertheless, I'm not going to hold my breath.
“I wish he could understand how normal our lives are.” Then she smirks, looking around, taking in the pool and patio. “Maybe not normal. More like a lot nicer than normal.”
“You mean, he probably imagines me sitting on a throne made from the skulls of my enemies?”
“Something like that,” she says with a sigh. “He still has too many crazy ideas.”
“Why don't you invite him over for dinner?” The words are hardly out of my mouth before I have to ask myself what the hell I'm thinking.Charlie?Sitting down at my table, in my house? If anyone's going to thaw the cold war between us, somebody has to make the first move. Besides, I wouldn't mind looking like the bigger man.
Her eyelids flutter for a second before she swallows hard. “Did I hear that right?”
“I think you did.” I grin.
“Do you honestly want Dad to come over here for dinner?”
“Yes. I do.” I don't, but I will do it for her sake.
“Is it going to be like aGodfathersort of situation? Are you going to shoot him halfway through his veal parm?”
“I think you've watched too many movies, babe.” I can only shake my head when she doesn't return my smile. “Do you honestly think I would do something like that? That's a straightforward question. Why would you marry me if you thought I was capable of shooting your father at the dinner table right in front of you?”
She arches an eyebrow. “I haven't married you yet.”
“You know what I mean.” I can't go another moment without reaching for her. Taking hold of her waist, I pull her close. Right away, all interest in any conversation flies out the window thanks to her enticing body and its curves which fit so well against me. “I love you. You do know that, right?”
