Page 66 of Silver Hills' Christmas Miracle

“A slap or two, but it’s fine,” I murmured, still haunted by the image of Paul’s pale face.

“But what did he mean?” Dad pressed. “Honey, it could be important. Are you working for him or something?”

Slowly, I lifted my gaze. “Sort of.”

Mom paused her attempted cleaning of my hands with her pocket handkerchief. “What?”

“The people he’s with… I mean, it was never supposed to go this far. I was just helping them to try and get you to listen, Dad. I wanted to save the town, and they were doing things thatactually had an impact, so I wanted to help because I thought it would change your mind.”

“You complete idiot!” Dad yelled. “You’re working with those people?”

“I was!” I yelled back. “Sure, I told them things. I wanted them to stop you because you weren’t listening to anyone. But I… I stopped. A few weeks ago was my last contact.”

“And those death threats, fake to persuade me, I suppose?” Dad growled.

“No. No, those were real. I was only in contact with a few, and it was a secret, so I… yeah, those were real.”

“Oh, it doesn’t matter,” Mom said hurriedly. “Not right now.”

“What else is there to worry about?” Dad snapped. “We’re locked in here, prisoners in our own home. Our security team failed because these monsters were let in by our own daughter who now sits there and tries to justify it?”

“Samuel!” Mom raised her voice so sharply that I flinched. “Now is not the time, do you hear me? So our daughter acted out. I can’t say I blame her. For months now, you have been so far from the man I married that I’m sure you no longer feel like a father to her! No wonder she ran into the arms of that man.”

Mom’s hands trembled around mine as she shook her head.

“Now, if he had been here? I’m sure this never would have happened, but you—we—both overreacted because we don’t want to look at the truth.”

Dad began pacing back and forth. “You’re talking nonsense.”

“Am I?” Mom stood abruptly. “Take a look around. There are no shareholders here. No leeches. It’s just us and some dangerous men who will do something terrible if you don’t do what you want them to! So tell me, why? What reason do we have to keep up with this charade?”

“Honey—”

“No!” Mom continued on. “Look at your daughter, Samuel. The lengths she has gone to in order to make you listen, and yes, while I don’t agree with all of Kitty’s choices, this one I can see as a huge cry for help! No deal is worth this, do you hear me?”

I was surprised Mom was even on my side after how she reacted to catching Rook and me, but maybe this had put things in perspective for her. I couldn’t be sure, but it was nice to hear her support me.

“She’s right, Dad,” I said quietly. “Look around. We love you, but right now, we don’t even like you. No one does. Not in town. Not here. What they did to Paul—” My throat closed and I winced. “They will do that to us, and for what? Is this stupid deal really worth all of this?”

“You don’t understand.” Dad turned away from us and stalked toward his desk. “I won’t be bullied into submission.”

“Bullied?” Mom shook her head and sank further down next to me with a deep sigh. “Honey. I love you, but you… you are so stupid sometimes. Stupid and–and blind. If you aren’t going to give them what they want, then what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know,” Dad said. “I’m working on it.”

Mom ground her teeth so hard that my spine recoiled at the sound. He really wasn’t budging. Was this it, the end for me and my family?

I clutched at my mom’s hands, suddenly feeling very small.

“Mom?”

“Yes, dear?” She looked at me with such warmth and fear that my heart broke.

“I’m pregnant,” I said softly. “And I want to be with Rook. I want to spend my life with him. If I get out of this alive, that’s what I’m going to do. Do you understand?”

Mom’s eyes flooded with tears, and even Dad’s steps faltered, but he didn’t turn around.

“You’re pregnant?” she gasped in a hushed voice as if it were a secret we had to keep.

---