Page 85 of Scorched

“Then anything else is just icing on the cake. You’re worried she’ll come to resent you, right?”

He nodded.

“She won’t. Maggie was raised to value God and people over everything else. If loving you keeps her from becoming an elected official, she’ll take it as a sign that wasn’t her path after all.”

“That’s pretty much what she said.”

Jenny tapped his arm. “There you go. You have nothing to be worried about. Enjoy having my daughter’s love.”

He didn’t want to tell her how much he already had.

She giggled as she took in his expression. “I’m not even going to ask.”

“Thank you.”

“So what exactly about your past has you so worried? The bogus murder charge?”

Thankful for the reprieve—he did not want to discuss his sex life with his girlfriend’s mother—he pounced on the change in topic. “That and my parents. My mom, who spent her life as a junkie and an alcoholic, turns up murdered in an arson fire. And my dad has been in and out of prison my entire life and has a secret family.”

“Maggie mentioned that. It sounds like you’ve embraced the role of big brother, though. Well, I guess you already were with Macy, but you know what I mean.”

“Yeah. Hannah and Jessie seem great. I can’t wait to spend some more time with them. I’m sure I’ll like Michael, too, once I meet him.”

Jenny shook her head. “For all your father’s faults, he produced some great kids.”

Her praise made him smile. He valued her opinion of him more than just about anyone. “How well did you know my dad? He wasn’t around much.”

“Well enough, I suppose. Lee hired him one summer. He would have kept him on—he was a good worker when he was sober—but we had some cattle go missing. Lee and a couple hands staked out the pastures and caught Cole rustling.”

Declan’s eyes widened. “I didn’t know that.”

“I’m not surprised. You were pretty young still. That was the first time your dad went to prison. Cole pleaded with Lee to let him go, but he’d stolen nearly ten thousand dollars’ worth of cattle.

“God. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“No, but I still feel like I should apologize. He’s my family.”

“Cole Briggs barely qualifies as your parent, Declan. He wasn’t around enough to truly be your family. Haven’t you learned family is what you make it?”

He frowned. She had a point. He felt more at home with Lee and Jenny than he ever had with his parents. A sudden thought hit him, and he laughed. “So, does that mean I’m dating my sister?”

She laughed. “Thank goodness there’s no blood relation.”

“For sure.”

The swish of chiffon drew his attention, and he turned his head to see Maggie and Tara walking through the grass. They both looked stunning, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Maggie. He’d stared at her throughout the ceremony too. She was beautiful in her cranberry bridesmaid’s dress. It sat just off her shoulders, dipping low in front, and hugged her body all the way past her knees. She had her hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail, with strands of wildflowers running through it. Silver three-inch heels finished her outfit, making sure his eyes kept straying to her long legs. He kept envisioning her in those heels and nothing else.

She looked his way and caught him watching her. A pretty smile lit her face, and she excused herself from Tara to walk toward him.

“Excuse me,” he said, rising.

“Declan.”

Jenny’s hand on his made him pause. He looked down.

“You are a good man. Maggie knows that, and you need to remember it.”

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