Page 82 of High Value Target

“I’m listening.”

“Happinessdoesfigure into it, Tinsley. It’s all I’ve ever wanted for you. I’m sorry if I made you feel you had to be perfect. I just saw so much potential in you, baby girl. I came from nothing, worked my way up. Did some things to get where I am that were wrong. Straight up wrong. I cheated, stole, lied, whatever I had to do and made excuses for every one of ‘em. I told myself I was doing it for my family.” He shook his head. “But that was only partially true. I think, in the end, I just wanted to prove to my ol’ man I was somebody, that I was worthy, that I could succeed. He’d always told me I was born worthless, and I’d die worthless.”

Her eyes filled.

He looked at her and squeezed her knee. “I guess that’s why I always told you that you were worth so much more and the reason I always pushed you so hard. Here I thought I was letting you know how much I believed in you, but instead, all I was doing was putting too much pressure on you.” He scoffed. “I guess too many expectations can be just as bad as none at all.”

She swallowed and tears formed in her eyes.

He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed the back. “I love you, baby girl. I need you to know that.”

“I do, Daddy.”

“Good.”

“I need you to tell me the truth about something, Daddy. I overheard you talking to Patrick Pace. He was blackmailing you, wasn’t he?”

Her father sighed. “He was pressuring me to put his son at the top of your suitor list, make sure he got a shot. Try to convince you to accept his proposal. I thought you two hit it off. But if he’s not the one for you, I wouldn’t have cared what Palmer’s father thought he held over me. You think I’d sacrifice my daughter’s happiness?”

“Well, it’s a moot point now, I guess. He’s dead and buried.”

“You believe me, don’t you?”

“Sure.” She nodded, tears filling her eyes. She wanted to believe him.

“Love’s a funny thing. You’ve got no control over it.” He looked at the horizon. “Your momma sure was something when she was your age. I wish you could have known her back then. Came from a good family, an important family. She took me on when I didn’t have two dimes to rub together. She could have had her pick of men more suited than me. But a man’s worth can’t be proven by a bank statement, honey. Guess she taught me that over the years.” He looked at her. “I just wanted better for you, Tinsley. You’re a smart girl, and you’ve got your momma’s good sense. You know what’s in your heart. Follow it.” He squeezed her hand again. “Judge a man by what’s in his, and you’ll do well.”

She nodded.

“Come on. Let’s go back inside.”

They stood, and he put his arm around her. Tinsley tried to keep the thought out of her head that maybe her father had arranged Patrick’s death somehow. It was a ridiculous thought. It was an awful thought. Surely, no matter how cut-throat he was in business, he wouldn’t kill a man, woman, and their sixteen-year-old son.

CHAPTER TWENTY

It had been four days since the Pace family funeral. The day after, Tinsley had attended Kiley’s grandmother’s funeral. Watching the emotion in her best friend, Mike, and their entire family cut such a stark contrast for her of how Palmer and Perry had acted at their parents’ and brother’s funeral.

They’d been stoic, she’d thought, but now, as she sat at her dinner table where the brothers had been invited, she knew it was something more. There was a coldness there she hadn’t seen before. She could understand sometimes the relationship between fathers and sons, and even between brothers was difficult, but my God, they’d lost their mother, their little brother, yet all they talked about was the division of the estate and the division of the workload and the responsibility the business added.

She picked at her food, wishing the meal was over and she could escape.

She hadn’t been able to find a moment to break things off with Palmer. No time ever seemed right. It was hard to find him alone, and she knew the moment she did, all hell would break loose. Did she rock the boat the day of Kiley’s grandmother’s funeral? The day the will was read? The day he spent trying to get a handle on the business? The day he finally saw all the financials and realized things weren’t going well? The day her mother tried to give them a nice dinner and family time?

Or was she just making excuses?

Why was it so hard?

She was dragging her feet.

She’d do it tonight. She had to stop thinking of everyone but herself. She had to just get it over with. After dessert, she’d ask to speak to him outside. She’d do it quickly. Short and sweet. Just say the words.I can’t marry you, Palmer. I don’t love you.

Dessert had just been set before each of them—Mother’s family recipe for peach cobbler—when Palmer’s phone went off.

“I’m sorry. I should have silenced it,” he apologized, while taking it out. “Sorry, this looks important. Excuse me for a moment.”

He tossed his napkin on the table and walked into the foyer where Grady stood, always on duty.

Tinsley nibbled on her dessert, not really hungry now that she’d decided the moment of truth had come.

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