Page 43 of Overstaying His Welcome

“There’s nothing to discuss in private. Say whatever it is you need to say.”

His eyes turned hard. I was familiar with the look, though it didn’t have the same effect on me as it used to.

Nearly losing Tank had hardened me in a way. It made me take a look at the big picture, rather than focusing on the things I had before.

“If you want to have this talk in front of them, then fine.” He took a moment to give me a chance to argue. I didn’t, of course. “You cannot be seen here with this man or be associated with his business. It won’t be a good look for the campaign. We’re trying to win the vote of the people, to gain their confidence. It’s time to come home. There’s work to be done.”

Shaking my head, I stood my ground. “This is home.”

“This hospital is not your home,” he replied.

“Not the hospital, Dad. Here, with him.” I pointed to Tank. “He’s my home. There’s nothing you can do or say that will get me to leave him right now. He needs me, and I need him.”

I watched in real time as his demeanor shifted. Gone was the put together former Senator Sheppard. In his place was the hard man I sometimes saw when his temper turned short.

“You cannot possibly say such things. He’s not important. This… this thing you two have will wither. Don’t let something so inconsequential ruin your future.”

His words tore away the last of my hesitation. I couldn’t let him speak so far out of turn. Not when he was completely clueless.

“This man is not inconsequential to my life, Father,” I said, my spine straightening as I slowly approached him and a fearful Emmett.

My father, to his part, held his stance even as I closed in on them. He wouldn’t back down first. That wasn’t his style.

Which meant I had to shatter the illusion he had of me. The dream he thought he’d found in having an heir to live out his legacy would disappear the moment I told him the truth.

“What we have will never wither. Do you know why, Father?” I paused to give him a moment. He was going to need it. “It won’t wither because it hasn’t in nearly two decades. I love him. And he loves me. If it weren’t for this damn political rat race I jumped into, we’d have already been married long ago. It’s my fault he’s…”

“Chance,” Tank called out.

All eyes turned his way. He reached an arm out. I went to him. Of course I did.

There was no way I’d leave him hanging after telling my father off like that. I’d effectively thrown a bundle of C-4 on the life I’d had. There would be no recovery from the rubble left behind.

“Hey, baby. How are you feeling? I’m sorry if all this talking woke you up.”

His eyes shined with amusement. I wondered how much he’d actually heard.

“Seems we have some unexpected company.”

I moved to the side to reveal my father and Emmett, who was still cowering like he had no backbone. It was a wonder he would be anything in a political office with this type of reaction. We weren’t even yelling at one another. It was merely a disagreement.

“Mr. Sheppard,” Tank said by way of greeting. “Interesting to see you again.”

“You as well. It’s been a while. I thought we’d come to an understanding before.”

My eyes shifted between the two of them rapidly. There was history here. One I didn’t know about.

I could tell from how quiet everyone else was that they were curious to know too. How did my father and Tank know each another? Did it have to do with me?

They didn’t make me wait long for the answer. I’ll never know if the drugs made my boyfriend’s tongue loose or if my standing up for myself was the thing to finally break his restraint, but he let my father have it.

“I know you’re getting up there in age, sir, but we didn’t have any kind of understanding. You made bold threats to me, all of which could have caused quite a stir had I taken them public. Then when you told me I had to stop spending time with your son, I kept quiet as you left. The only reason I did so was out of respect for the man I love. Since he’s now decided to not give a fuck about your opinion, which I’m truly grateful for as it was long overdue, then I have to say in the nicest way possible — go fuck yourself. I never agreed to stop seeing Chance, nor will I ever. If he’ll have me, I intend to make an honest man out of him just as soon as I can stand up again without wanting to hurl.”

“That’s the worst marriage proposal ever, baby,” I said with a watery smile.

To hear him say those things made me irrationally happy. While it sucked to know my father had tried to get between us at some point, it warmed my heart to understand Tank never did as he asked. If anything, we found even more ways to sneak around with one another.

Emmett finally took the silence in the room as his opportunity to speak up. “If I may, sir, I’d like to suggest the polling numbers we recently took.”

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