Page 29 of Holiday Intercepted
In the picture of him and Olivia at the altar, I noticed Scott… standing beside mydad.
Whatever warmth I felt frosted over. Scott stood beside him on his wedding day? How closewerethey?
“Olivia insisted that we include the pictures of your mother.” Dad’s voice behind me was startling, and yet I didn’t flinch. “I loved her, you know. Even though I messed up alot.”
I snorted at that.Messed up. Understatement of theyear.
Dad sighed beside me. “Look, I’m not going to pretend I have any excuses for what I did. Cheating on your mom. Betraying you—but I never stopped loving either one of you. Sometimes we hurt people we love when our own heads aren’t onstraight.”
“That’s your excuse for sleeping with my girlfriend? That your head wasn’t onstraight?”
Another sigh. “It’s not an excuse. Believe me. After you left town, I did a lot of soul searching. I went to therapy. My reasons aren’t good reasons… but they’remine. And I own them. That being said, I’m sorry, son. I’m so sorry for everything. And if your mom were still here, I’d apologize to her every day, too, with every breath Ihad.”
White hot tears burned in my eyes and I closed them against the stinging pinpricks of moisture. “I know, Dad,” I said quietly. “I know you’re sorry. I’m sorry, too. For shutting you out as long as I did.” I risked a glance at him, and saw the shocked expression staring back at me. “I had no idea how much you changed. I mean, when you’d call, you’d tell me you did. You told me you were sorry. But now? I seeit.”
“Olivia helped with that. She was my oncologist when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. That’s how we met. She turned my whole lifearound.”
I let out a humorless chuckle. “So… you could say that she literally saved yourlife?”
He was quiet for a moment before answering. “That’s exactly what I say,actually.”
Silence filled the gap between us like an unwelcome guest. Hell,Iwas the unwelcome guest here tonight. Everyone else was an established part of the family… except me. And I only had myself to blame. Even Paige was less of a stranger in my own father’s home than I was. “I didn’t realize you and Scott became so close,” I saidfinally.
“I had a lot to make up for with Scott. He went for years not having a father. And when I learned he was mine, he was already a teenager—and the affair was so long ago, I made the selfish choice to keep the paternity a secret. I tried giving him and his mom money, but they wouldn’t take it. It wasn’t until the diagnosis that I truly began making all these amends. Forgingchange.”
“Paige is great, isn’t she?” Dad said, somewhat out of theblue.
Just the mention of her name made me smile. “Yeah, she is.” My gaze shifted to another framed image of the entire family standing in front of a Christmas tree, grinning at the camera. Off to the side, Scott had his arm around Paige—there in the picture. Like she was just as much part of the family as hewas.
“That was taken a few years ago,” Dad said. “After their mom died, I couldn’t invite Scott for the holidays and leave her alone. It was natural that she came, too, even though she was uncomfortable in the beginning. A lot like you tonight. That was Paige a few years ago. Now look at her,” Dad’s smile widened, tears forming in his bright blue eyes. “She’s as much a part of this family as everyone else. She fits rightin.”
“I can see that. Then again,” I added with a shrug, “Paige gets along witheveryone.”
Dad turned to face me, his expression suddenly serious. His voice dropped low. “I only just got you back son. And while I couldn’t be happier that you’ve found someone like Paige, I’m nervous. What happens if things end badly? Will you leave again? Never return? Or if you stay, will Paige not be comfortable coming for holidays anymore? I know Scott—he won’t let her be alone at the holidays, which means we’ll lose both Scott andPaige.”
I gulped, but held his gaze steadfast. I hadn’t stopped to think about all of that. “Dad,” I said, choosing my words carefully. “Paige and I only began seeing each other last night. Scott and I only made up this morning. And this is the first conversation you and I have had inyears. And none of this would have happened without her. I would have come for Cam and Lydia’s engagement party and left this morning without a single look back if it wasn’t forher.”
Dad nodded, but even still his mouth stayed firmly in a frown. “Okay,” he said. “It’s yours and her choice to make. I just don’t want to see my family get ripped apart.Again.”
“It won’t,” I said. I wanted to mean that. I wanted to mean those words with everything Ihad.
I took a deep breath, looking at Paige smiling wide in the image oncemore.
But somewhere deep in my soul, I knew that my dad might beright.
