Page 82 of Daddy Down Under

There was a pause, heavy with unspoken tension. “Yeah, I figured as much.”

“What happened, Garrett? We were fine…and then this morning, we were not.”

Another long pause and Ocean took my hand, squeezing it. “We learned some new information earlier this morning. About you.”

“From Preston Levine,” I said, my voice cool now.

“Yes. He said he knew you well.”

“That’s not how I would word it. We used to be friends a long time ago, but not anymore. He’s been trying to destroy me for years. Can I ask what he told you about me?”

Garrett let out a long sigh. “Your assistant, the one you brought to the meeting… He’s your lover, right?”

I frowned. This was about Ocean? “He is, but what’s the problem? He’s younger, but he’s a legal adult.”

“He wasn’t when you first started seeing him, according to Mr. Levine. He was only a teenager, and a young one at that. Mr. Levine said you groomed his son from when he was twelve years old, after his mother passed away.”

My breath caught in my throat, the implications hitting me like a sucker punch. Preston had accused me of being a pedophile. Of all the things he could’ve chosen to bring me down, he’d picked something so vile that he knew would turn people against me instantly. But how did I dispute this? How could I prove my innocence?

“That’s not…” I struggled to keep my voice steady. “I didn’t…”

But before I could continue, Ocean gently took the phone from my hand. His eyes met mine, a silent promise passing between us. As he began to speak, his voice strong and clear, I felt a surge of gratitude for this incredible man who’d chosen to stand by my side.

“Mr. Krause,” Ocean said, his voice steady and confident. “This is Palmer Levine. I believe we need to clear some things up.”

“Son, I don’t think?—

“With all due respect, Mr. Krause, I’m not your son. You know whose son I am? The man who told you the most despicable lies about Cash. Not one word of it is true, Mr. Krause. Yes, Cash and I are in a relationship. But I’m twenty-four years old, not some teenager he’s taking advantage of. Until two weeks ago, I hadn’t seen Cash since I was eight years old. In fact, I was in a boarding school for my entire teenage years, so Cash couldn’t even have had access to me. Also, my mom died when I was fourteen, not twelve, so Preston even got that timing wrong.”

I couldn’t help but marvel at Ocean’s assertiveness. This was a side of him I’d glimpsed before but never so fully on display. Right now, he was a force of nature, fierce and protective.

Garrett made a raspy sound. “But why would your father lie about that?”

Ocean sighed. “Mr. Krause, you’re a father, right?”

“I am. Three sons.”

“And you’re close with your kids?”

“I’d like to think so, yes.”

“So you love your kids and would do anything to protect them.”

“I would.”

“That would make it hard for you to understand this. Mr. Krause, my father doesn’t love me. At all. In fact, he doesn’t even like me. I hardly saw him before my mom passed away, and after that, I was sent to boarding school. During breaks, I was shipped off to summer camp, surf camp, or I stayed with friends. There’s not a single picture of me and my father from my teenage years, Mr. Krause. Not even one. When I was nineteen, he found out I’m gay…and he beat me with a baseball bat.”

Garrett’s gasp was so loud it hit me viscerally. “I don’t… I can’t believe he would… I’m not saying you’re lying, but how could a father do that?”

“You’d have to ask him. And if you want proof, I can send you the pictures of what I looked like after and the ER report, but I have to warn you they’re not pretty.”

“No. God, no. I don’t need to…” Garrett clearly needed some time to process. “I believe you. Of course I believe you.”

Ocean’s lips curved into a small, satisfied smile. “Thank you, Mr. Krause. I appreciate your willingness to listen.”

“Cash, are you still there?” Garrett asked.

I cleared my throat. “Yes.”

---