Page 79 of Wicked Truths

“Ten years ago, you put me in a no-win situation. You basically forced me to leave Brooklyn and?—”

“I had my reasons.”

“I know you think you did, but me leaving changed everything. Had I stayed in Brooklyn I certainly would’ve told Nick about Portia and who knows maybe we would’ve worked.” She tipped her head to the ceiling as she drew in a deep breath. “There’s also the chance we would’ve crashed and burned. One thing about the future it can’t be predicted.”

“Talking and thinking about the past has no use.”

That philosophy probably saved him a lot of sleepless nights.

“You’re right. And it’s the future I want to discuss.” She paused to collect her thoughts. “I know you’ll be heading back to New York once the jazz club is opened, but I’d like us to have an amicable relationship.”

From the first time Frank told her he was her father, mixed feelings plagued Cheryl. The little girl in her wanted a father no matter how damaged, but she was a grown woman with a child of her own. Clutching at the fantasy of having a father who cared about her proved silly and senseless, yet the heart had its own rules.

“Thing is, I’m not going back to New York.”

“What?”

“I’m going to stay out here and divide my time between Vegas and California. I’ve even asked Nick to partner in with me.”

“What did he say?”

“He was skeptical. I get it. He wants to talk it over with Samson.”

“Of course.” This news blew her away. So even if she went back to L.A. running into her father was a definite possibility.

“And you and Nick?”

“What about him?”

“You going to let him be a father to Portia?”

“Of course, but I’m surprised you’re concerned.”

“Right, cause I fucked up in the father department.”

“Something like that.”

“A lot of shit happened back in the day, and I wouldn’t have been much of a father, but like I said, blaming and wishing for better has no use.” Her father’s eyes softened. “My heart got ripped out a long fuckin’ time ago so being a good father wasn’t in the cards.”

“Ripped out by my mother?”

Frank huffed out a laugh. “Fuck, no, way before your mother. Truth—when I first met her we made a pretty good pair, but life got in the way. It always does.”

“I can relate to that.” She just didn’t know he could.

“Make sure it doesn’t happen to you.”

“You mean with Nick.”

“Life moves on real fuckin’ fast. I think you’re both starting to realize it.”

Cheryl cocked her head. “You’ve talked to Nick about this—about him and I?”

“I saw him the other day. We talked about bullshit.”

Cryptic even for Frank. Did she even want to know what he meant?

“Just don’t waste time on petty shit.”

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