Page 59 of Snowed In with My Best Friend's Dad

"I'm going to take these to Miranda. I'll be right back." He picked up a tray with a sandwich and a cup of soup on it. I was about to tell him that she was sleeping, but it was possible she said she wanted to rest just to make me leave.

I waited in the kitchen, looking out the window toward the backyard. Like the rest of the house, it was tired, needing a little bit of cleanup and maintenance. My initial instinct was to pour money into this place, sprucing it up, fixing all the needed repairs. But I knew it wouldn't matter to Miranda or Peter. Spending money on them wasn't going to earn the trust and respect that I wanted.

When Peter returned, he put the other two sandwiches on plates and poured the remaining soup into mugs. He picked up his plate and mug and headed to the small table in the eat-in area of the kitchen.

I picked up the others and joined him. Peter wasn't much older than me, but as I sat there, I felt like a teenage boy talking to the father of the girl he was interested in.

"I don't have to ask you about your intentions with my daughter. I understand that you used her and abused her."

My sandwich stuck in the back of my throat. Had she told him the things I had said to her?

"I'll be honest, I'm a little surprised by Miranda's behavior. She's smart, and she's focused on her future. And while she is a woman, the idea that she would be with someone like you, her friend’s father, is a little bit difficult to take. I want to blame you for that. But while Miranda might've been innocent, she's not so naïve. She gave you something, but I don't believe you respected it."

I was finally able to get the sandwich down and gave him a nod, letting him know that he was right.

"I'm not like you, Mr. McKinnon."

I wanted to ask him to call me Brett but understood that this was not a friendly conversation.

"I'm not aggressive or assertive. I'm a simple man, a weak man, really. I don't have your money or influence, but if you hurt my daughter, if you try to hurt that child of hers, I will go to my grave making you pay."

"I don't want to hurt Miranda. I know that doesn't mean much considering I already have. Your daughter is a special woman. And you're right, I took something I wanted without appreciating it. And in fact, I resented it."

His eyes shot up to mine. “What the hell does that mean?"

"When I'm around Miranda, she makes me feel things that I don’t understand and don't want to feel. I was powerless against them, powerless against her, and I took it out on her. The truth is, Mr. Hathaway, I'm the one who is weak. And I don't mean weak in not being able to avoid the temptation, the lure of your daughter."

He scowled, and I realized that the wordslureandtemptationweren't the best words to use at this moment.

"I was weak, and I couldn't face up to or admit what was going on with me, my feelings. I lashed out at her for that, and it was wrong." I realized these were the things I needed to say to Miranda, not to her father. I hoped I would have a chance.

"I don't... I don't really care about you. I care about my daughter and the baby she's carrying."

"As you should."

"Miranda doesn't want you in her life. She doesn't want anything from you."

I opened my mouth to let him know that wouldn't be a possibility, but he continued.

"You seem to be a terrible man in terms of how you treat the women you sleep with, but having met your daughter, I can see that you are a good father. It appears that you want to be a father to this child. That is your right. And of course, you have a responsibility. If Miranda had her way, she would release you of all of that, but I recognize that you can provide for my daughter and her child in a way that she and I can't. And as I've already told you, I'm not so proud that I'm going to turn away what you can offer."

I nodded. "Whatever they need, I will provide it."

"But what I said earlier still stands. I don't know what your intentions are now. Maybe you just want to be in the child's life and you're doing your duty by Miranda, but if you hurt her, I will do whatever I can, and likely fail at it, but I will still try to make you pay."

"If I hurt them again, I’ll deserve it." I thought for a moment whether I wanted to say more. I really should be talking to Miranda about all this, but who knew if she would ever listen? "I am not acting only out of duty or responsibility here." I wanted more. I realized that now. But I also understood that it was too late.

He studied me as if he was trying to see the truth of my words. I hoped to hell that I looked sincere. Finally, he said, "Just so long as we're clear."

"We're clear."

After eating with Peter, I didn't want to leave and at the same time knew that if I was ever going to earn Miranda's trust and respect, I was going to need to be patient. Peter would take good care of Miranda, and I knew that Lindsay would be stopping by after her classes. Although I wasn't happy that Miranda and the baby had a scare, the silver lining was that Lindsay was focused more on Miranda and less on Liam. I didn't like how Lindsay appeared to be giving up everything in her life for that young man.

When I left the Hathaway home, I drove to my office to check in on work. I also made arrangements to see Duncan later for drinks. Not wanting to go out into the bar scene now, I invited him over to my place.

When he arrived, he studied me as if he was trying to gauge my mood. "I understand from Lindsay that everything's okay with Miranda and the baby."

"It appears so. She’ll go back next week for a follow-up, but so far, no one seems overly concerned."

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