Page 110 of His Jersey

His expression is brutal and his nostrils flare, and he starts again, “Son, I don’t want to bother you with this today, but?—”

“Father, this is my wedding day to Ella. Nothing is?—”

He claps his hands on my shoulders. “And I wanted to let you know there’s been a change to the seating arrangements. I didn’t want to stress Ella out and couldn’t find her wedding planner.”

Irritation makes heat rush up my neck. “You’re telling me this right now? Don’t you have someone that does things like that for you?”

“Once upon a time, that person was your mother. Then she made me hire someone because she said I was too fickle. Turns out she was right.”

My eyebrow arches. “She was right about everything.”

“Wish I’d had a chance to tell her that,” my father says.

“I did for you.”

“You did?” His brow drops.

I shrug. “Yeah. Told her you’d figure it out one day.”

He chuckles and then looks at me with the kind of sadness I’ve never seen in his eyes, not even at her funeral.

I say, “Don’t tell me you’re getting sentimental because it’s my wedding day.”

His gaze sharpens as if remembering who he is.

“If you bring up the prenuptial agreement again, minutes before I’m about to walk out there?—”

He shakes his head slowly. “I’m glad that you’re only going to do this once.”

I tip my chin to the side. “Huh?”

“I can see how much you and Ella love each other. Never let anything, especially money, come between that. Not a lot and not a little.”

“No, Ella is my just right,” I say, thinking of finding her in the bed in the Ruby Room.

“I’m proud of you.”

I do a double-take. “What?”

“You turned things around.”

I guess it’s better late than never. “Thanks. The third period of the final was a nail-biter.”

“No, I mean in your life. Your mother would be proud, too. But maybe not of me.” He lets out a long sigh.

“She was your biggest fan, Dad.”

He forces down the emotion mounting inside and swipes his forehead. “I’m trying to tell you that things with Aston are over. That’s what I meant about the seating arrangements. I uninvited her.” He clears his throat. “From my life.”

I stagger back. Did not see that coming.

“In addition to the footage of Ella from the resort, some other recordings came to my attention involving Aston and one of the cabana boys.” He snorts.

“Wow. Um, how are you doing?”

Lips pressed together, he nods. “Better. I don’t know what came over me. I was transfixed by her … and she was solely interested in my bank account.”

“I’m sorry. Sort of. I mean, I could’ve told you that. In fact, I did, but we ended up arguing in your office.”

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