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I clear my throat to gain his attention in case he zoned out in horror. Finally, he sets his phone down and sighs. “I already knew about this.”
Hewhat?
“Dad,” I growl, anger vibrating through the word.
“I know,” he grumbles, waving off my reaction. “It’s serious.”
Damn right it’s serious.
“What was his response?”
“I didn’t ask him,” Dad admits. “I just realized this was terrible enough he’d be compliant and keep our family’s secrets.”
Unbelievable.
“You let this man talk to your children and grandchildren? Spencer, and especially Dempsey, are impressionable. Aren’t you worried?”
He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Tate has already proven himself to me.”
“Dad, you’re fucking blind.”
“Watch your tone, Jude.”
“I can’t,” I bark out in exasperation. “You’re willingly exposing our family to this bullshit!”
“I’m not firing him.”
We have a fierce stare-off to which neither of us backs down. The problem with us Parks is we’re all the same. Stubborn assholes.
“We’re confronting him then,” I tell him in a resolute tone. “I, for one, can’t trust someone with this sort of secret. I need to see his expression when he tells us what happened.”
Dad nods and stands from his chair. “We’ll confront him. I should have from the beginning. You’re right about that. But he’s already made such an impact. Everyone likes him. They talk to him.”
Idon’t like him.
Icertainly don’t talk to him.
“Speak for yourself,” I grunt. “Come on. Let’s get this shit over with.”
We end up waiting for a bit while Spencer finishes his session. Dad’s idea, not mine. Once Spencer is gone, we both enter Dad’s office. Tate smiles in greeting.
“Father and son session?” Tate asks, eyes glittering with hope.
“We need to talk,” Dad mutters. The disappointment in his words makes my gut clench and Tate’s whole body tense up. “Something’s come up.”
Tate clenches his eyes shut in resignation—as though he’s prepared for what we’re going to say. He already knows. Well, he’s going to have to hear it anyway.
“You have a kinky sex video that you harass your coworkers with that has gotten you fired in the past,” I blurt out, a tad bit gleefully. “Explain.”
Tate’s eyes pop open, disgust swimming in them. He bites down on his bottom lip and blinks furiously. It takes me a second to realize he’s fighting tears. Guilt niggles at me, but I quickly push it away.
“To be clear, I knew about the video,” Dad interjects. “One of my country club buddies mentioned it to me, which is why I sought you out.”
Tate shudders, mouth gaping. “You tricked me?”
“I saw an opportunity and jumped,” Dad explains. “Your reputation is a tool for me.”
There’s the vicious Park patriarch we all know and love…
