Page 56 of Texas Scandal

“I do,” he said.

“He’d dropped my sister-in-law off at the airport along with their bags,” she said, staring out onto the lawn as, one by one, the emergency vehicles pulled away. “I’m guessing the only reason we caught him at home was because he had to go into the office like everything was normal. Janice was never in Dubai. She was headed to Brazil. Coop was probably waiting for word of my arrest after stealing a bracelet my mother gave me when I turned eighteen and planting it.”

“The bastard deserves the prison sentence he’ll get for orchestrating this,” Tiernan said. He would give an arm if it could take away a fraction of the sadness in her voice right now. This might not be the time to tell her how he felt about her. Not while she was still reeling from losing the last tether to her family. “I don’t know who used the ticket for the Longhorn game, but it couldn’t have been him.”

“Or the sheriff just planned to cover that up, too,” she said with disgust.

Prescott, who had been sitting in his vehicle and taking notes, exited and walked toward them. He held his cell out in front of him. “There’s someone on the line who would like to speak to you.”

Melody blinked a couple of times but didn’t respond or reach for the phone.

“It’s your father,” Prescott said. “Maybe hear him out.”

Melody took in a deep breath before Tiernan looped his arm around her waist. She leaned into him, causing all kinds of fireworks to go off inside his chest.

“DAD,” MELODYSAIDafter taking the offering.

“I’m sorry, Mellie,” her dad said, reminding her of the nickname he’d called her most of her life before she walked away from the family.

“It was Coop,” she clarified.

“I’m not talking about the ordeal you’ve just been through,” he said. “I’m sorry for that, too. I owe you an apology for so much.”

“Water under the bridge now,” she said, not sure where this was going. “We don’t have to rehash the past.”

“I let you down and swore I would never do it again,” he continued, unfazed. There was a kindness to his tone that she didn’t recall ever being there. “I’ve had a lot of time to think recently, and all I can say is that I should have been the father you deserved. I wanted to be the person you looked up to when you were a little girl, Mellie.”

Tears pricked the backs of her eyes at the admission.

“You stopped talking to us, to me, and I thought giving you space was for the best,” he said. “But that wasn’t fair to you, either. What I’m trying to say is that I’d like to become the person I saw in your eight-year-old eyes, and I’m just hoping I’m not too late.”

A few rogue tears fell. She tucked her chin to her chest to hide the emotions spilling out of her eyes.

“It’s hard, Dad,” she said. “I want to believe you’re different but I can tell you that I can’t go back. You’d have to be honest with your dealings with me and everyone else before I could even consider it.”

“I’ll make the commitment right now if you’ll promise to let me make this up to you,” her father said.

She’d wanted to hear those words for so long. Could she trust him?

Tiernan’s words came back to her. Without trust, she could never let anyone in, which sounded lonely. It was. It had been. And it was time for second chances.

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll try if you will.”

“You’ve made me a happy father, Mellie,” he said. She could hear the emotion welling up in his throat. “I have to go now. We’ll talk soon.”

“Sounds good, Dad,” she said, betting there were hundreds if not thousands of grown women out there wishing they could have one more conversation with their father. Melody wouldn’t waste this chance to let him make things right between them.

She ended the call and handed the cell phone back to Prescott.

“Your father asked me not to tell you this, but I refused because there’s something you should know,” Prescott said.

Melody cocked an eyebrow. “That is?”

“He’s covering for your brother’s actions. Coop was the one taking the money. Your father blindly signed off on the paperwork making him liable, and he refused to give his son up to the law. Said Coop was young and didn’t belong behind bars for the rest of his life,” Prescott said.

“Wait. What?” Melody couldn’t hide her shock.

“I’m in the process of talking him into changing his plea. Now that he knows what Coop was doing with his freedom, your father is more inclined to come clean,” Prescott informed. “Anyway, just thought you should know.” He excused himself and disappeared first into his vehicle and then down the road.

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