Page 45 of Secret Love

Tru starts gathering her things.

And I try to come up with reasons to make her stay.

“I can't get over this kitchen,” she says. “The cream cabinets with the little roofs on top. I’ve never seen anything like it. They are so pretty. And the woodwork in this house, it's so beautiful.”

“I’ve never been to Austria, but Bowie says this place is like stepping into his grandmother's house…only with major updates.” I laugh. “Would you like to see the rest of the house?”

“I’d love to,” she says.

Cassidy goes to find the girls and Earl, and I take Tru around the first floor of the house. She stops at each window, going on about the view of the lake. The sun is starting to set, so it's an exceptionally beautiful night. We step outside and she sighs when she sees the hot tub and pool.

“This the life,” she says, grinning. “Do you ever put this to use?”

“Oh yeah, we're in the pool all summer. And I'm in the hot tub after just about every game.”

“It's so great out here,” she says.

We go back inside and up the stairs. I take her around to the guest room that has a spiral staircase leading up to the attic room.

“Wow. The girls must love being here.”

“They do. Although they've got a pretty nice setup at their house as well.”

“How long have you lived in this house?”

“About three years.”

“Hmm.” She looks over at me shyly when we get to my bedroom, and we move in front of the window. “I’m veryimpressed, Mr. Ward. This doesn’t look like a bachelor pad at all.”

I chuckle and the longer we stare at each other, the more I want to kiss her. Electricity ripples between us, but I’m trying to gauge her mood. She seems comfortable and open, but I still feel some hesitation on her part…like she’s trying to be careful around me. I don’t want to scare her off, but I’d really love to get to know her better.

“You were incredible with Cassidy,” I say, leaning my back against the window and facing her.

“She’s the incredible one. I’m so impressed by her determination. The fact that she’s come as far as she has while struggling with this.”

“It’s going to take time for me to forgive myself,” I admit.

She frowns. “You can’t blame yourself. You’re an attentive father. Anyone can see that. And as someone who doesn’t have a father like that, I’m telling you…you’re doing a good job.”

“Thank you,” I say quietly. “What are your parents like? You said they’re in Australia?”

“If you met my dad today, you would be charmed and impressed. He's well-spoken and smart, funny and charismatic. At home, not so much. He just knows how to turn it on when he needs to and when he’s around me and my mom, he doesn’t feel that need…”

I frown. “But home is where he should be showing that amazing side of himself the most.”

“That's what a good dad thinks,” she says. “He shows his true self when he's home. The other is all show, all an act to get support behind whatever project he wants funding for at the time. It's nauseating, actually. Sorry, I don't want to just talk bad about my dad. I don’t know why I’m telling you all this. You’re just easy to talk to. My dad and I are not close at all, as you can tell. But I love my mom. She's wonderful. She's everything he'snot. And I wish she knew she was worth so much better than the way he treats her.”

“He’s not violent, is he?”

“Not physically. He is verbally abusive, though. And that does a number on her, even though she won’t admit it. She’s said it’s not like he hits her or anything, which makes me wonder whether she would leave if he did. Since he never has, she thinks it's not that bad to endure insults.”

God, I hate this. I’ve never understood men who need to reduce everyone around them to feel better about themselves.

I clear my throat and hold my tongue about the rage I’m feeling about her dad.

“That must be really hard to watch her go through that,” I say instead.

Her eyes soften when she looks at me. “It is. Not a day goes by that I don’t wish that she’d leave. I’d do whatever I could to help her start over.”

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