Page 78 of Hidden Vows
Abbey’s entire body goes stiff against mine, but I notice she doesn’t try to pull away. If anything, she presses in closer.
“That’s the first thing you have to say on a day like today?” I answer just as quietly, turning slowly to face him.
Edward seethes before us, and I’m afraid he might hit hisbreaking point and snap.
I’d prefer not to do this today, but I won’t cause a scene out here on Abbey’s opening day. “Let’s go to the kitchen.”
Releasing my hold on Abbey’s waist, I take her hand in mine and lead the way. I don’t look to see if Edward is following us, I have no doubt he will.
“Dad, I’ve been trying to get a hold of you all week,” Abbey says as soon as the door swings closed behind Edward.
“I’ve been busy.”
“That’s all you have to say? George hasn’t received the final payment. What’s taking so long?” Abbey crosses her arms, her posture straight as she faces her father head on.
“I’ve decided to withdraw my investment. I’m not sure I can trust you to run a business seeing how you run your personal life.” His tone is flat, his gaze never moving from mine.
“What?” Abbey’s arms fall, and I hear her voice waiver, but only for a moment. “You can’t do that. We have a contract.”
“There’s always a way out of a contract. I thought I taught you better.” Now his eyes shift to Abbey, and I swear it’s disgust I see in the curve of his lips. “The morality clause would suffice in this situation.”
Abbey takes a step away from him, her back hitting my front. I lift a hand to her hip and squeeze, making sure she knows I’m here. I want so desperately to come to her aid, but I know she needs to do this on her own.
“How?” she whispers.
“Take your pick. Cohabitating with a man you’re not married to. Public indecency.”
“Excuse me?” Abbey shouts. “Public indecency?”
“Are you telling me you two haven’t been together in this bookstore?”
“There’s no way you can know that,” she coughs out.
“Your reaction is proof enough.”
The words are barely out of his mouth before the door swings open, Ava, Quinn, and Emily stepping through the door.
“All right. That’s enough,” I snap, stepping in front of Abbey. “You can hate me and threaten me all you want, but you will not talk to my wife like that.” The gasps that sound around the room aren’t only from the three women who just walked in. “I don’t want to make Abbey choose between us.”
“Jude,” Abbey interrupts, placing a calming hand to my back. I take a deep breath, stepping back to Abbey’s side to let her talk. This is her fight, and I’ll support her however I can. “He won’t have to ask me to choose. If you can’t respect me, I don’t want you in my life.”
I can’t tell if the words hit Edward the way they should, nothing about his expression changes. “Is that how you really feel?” he asks, his tone flat.
“Yes.” Abbey’s voice is strong, not an ounce of hesitation in her response. “But let me make something very clear.” She steps forward, her tone softening with her next words. “You’ve hurt me more than anyone else ever has and I think more than anyone else ever will, but even knowing that, I still want you in my life. You’re my dad.” Her voice cracks and it takes her a second to continue. “I love you, and I know you love me, so please, figure your shit out so we can have a relationship.”
Edward doesn’t move, but his eyes bounce between Abbey’s, and maybe it’s wishful thinking, but I swear I see pain and guilt in them.
“And one more thing, something I need you to really hear.” She glances at me over her shoulder for only a moment. We haven’t talked about telling anyone, but I know the words that areabout to come out of her mouth before she even starts. “I’m pregnant.” This time there are only two little gasps to accompany that announcement. “If you don’t want to figure this out for me, then do it for your future grandchild. Because I can promise, you won’t be a part of my child’s life if you continue down this path.”
Edward may not verbally respond to the news, and if I hadn’t been paying attention I would’ve missed the slight widening of his eyes. But as quickly as it happened his expression clears.
“Sir.” I step up to Abbey’s side, taking her hand in mine. “I don’t know if you heard, but my father woke up from his coma last week.” His eyes shifting to mine is the only indication he’s listening to me. “I finally asked him if he knew why you hated our family so much, and the story he told was honestly heartbreaking.”
It wasn’t the first thing I talked to him about on my visits with him, but it was probably one of the most important things we talked about. And the second he finished telling me that story, I wished I’d asked him sooner.
Grace and my dad were the very best of friends. They shared everything, just like Abbey and I did. But where their relationship differed from ours? They never loved each other the way Abbey and I do. People like to say men and women can’t be friends, but that was truly all Grace and Dad were.
When Grace went away to college she fell madly in love with Edward. Dad said Grace called it a once in a lifetime love, the kind that made it impossible to ever fall in love again. Over time, as Edward watched Grace’s relationship with my father, jealousy morphed and grew into obsession and possession. Dad tried to convince Grace to leave, but she loved him too much, and then she found out she was pregnant with Abbey.
