legally final,” she’d said, her voice all ice and clipped syllables. “Once Lissy sees you’ve signed it, she’ll quit being ridiculous and sign it herself. The money—”
“You mean the bribe?”
“—will remain our secret.”
Anger and disbelief had tied Will’s tongue, but only for a moment. “I don’t know how a woman as warm and loving as Lissy came from you, but for her sake I’m going to keep this conversation to myself. It would crush her to know you’ve gone behind her back like this.”
“I will not have my daughter lose her fortune to trailer trash! You don’t even know who your father was!” The ugly sharpness of her words rang between them like shattering glass.
Will fought back profanity, chose his words carefully. “I know he was a wealthy married man, like your husband, and that the young waitress he took advantage of paid the rest of her life for his irresponsibility, raising a child alone on tip money. She had more courage in her heart than he had dollars in the bank. Lissy is like her—kind, courageous, caring.”
“Don’t presume to tell me about my daughter!”
“Good-bye, Mrs. Charteris.” He’d slammed the phone down, then retrieved the hateful document and fed it through the shredder.
Will got home just before nine to find Lissy curled up on the sofa with a pile of fashion magazines and a glass of iced tea, Seal playing over the stereo. At the sight of her, he felt his anger drain away. God, he needed her tonight.
She was wearing a skin-hugging black tank top—without a bra—and a pair of very short denim shorts. Her auburn hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail that hung halfway down her back. She stood when he neared the sofa, raised herself onto her toes and kissed him—on the cheek. “I missed you.”
He pulled her close and kissed her long and slow—on the lips. “I missed you, too.”
She stepped away, started toward the kitchen. “Your dinner’s in the fridge—Chinese.”
“There’s nothin’ like my Lissy’s home cookin’.” He followed her, watching the feminine sway of her hips and the sexy curves of her ass, willing himself to forget the conversation he’d had with her mother.
“I saw you on TV today.” She opened the refrigerator and bent over to reach inside, her shorts rising an inch to reveal the soft, rounded undersides of her ass cheeks.
His mouth watered, but not for Chinese food. “I’m always on TV, sugar.”
She turned around, two take-out containers in her hands. “The receivers coach was throwing passes, and you—”
“What? Are you telling me they aired that?” Mortification followed astonishment.
She poured the containers out onto a plate and popped the plate into the microwave. “You looked really good. And, hey, you caught it every time.”
Cringing on the inside, he shook his head. “Christ, that’s embarrassing! I didn’t even know Merrill was taping. I think he was trying to get back at that dickhead Don, but I sure wish he’d asked me first.”
She took a pair of lacquered chopsticks out of the silverware drawer. “Why would that be embarrassing? Most men would give anything to be on the six o’clock news tossing the ball around with a Broncos coach.”
“Most men don’t have to see how much they’ve gone downhill or worry that everyone will think they’re trying to show off.” He hated the self-pity he heard in his own voice.
She looked over at him, her green eyes going soft. Then she set the chopsticks aside, walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m sorry, Will. I’d give anything to be able to change things, to see you live the life you want to live.”
He stroked and kissed her hair. “ You are the life I want to live, Lissy. You’re not someone I got stuck with because the rest of it didn’t work out.”
He felt her body relax, an almost imperceptible shift. “It’s still hard, isn’t it? Every day it’s hard for you.”
He pulled her closer. “Not every
“You mean the bribe?”
“—will remain our secret.”
Anger and disbelief had tied Will’s tongue, but only for a moment. “I don’t know how a woman as warm and loving as Lissy came from you, but for her sake I’m going to keep this conversation to myself. It would crush her to know you’ve gone behind her back like this.”
“I will not have my daughter lose her fortune to trailer trash! You don’t even know who your father was!” The ugly sharpness of her words rang between them like shattering glass.
Will fought back profanity, chose his words carefully. “I know he was a wealthy married man, like your husband, and that the young waitress he took advantage of paid the rest of her life for his irresponsibility, raising a child alone on tip money. She had more courage in her heart than he had dollars in the bank. Lissy is like her—kind, courageous, caring.”
“Don’t presume to tell me about my daughter!”
“Good-bye, Mrs. Charteris.” He’d slammed the phone down, then retrieved the hateful document and fed it through the shredder.
Will got home just before nine to find Lissy curled up on the sofa with a pile of fashion magazines and a glass of iced tea, Seal playing over the stereo. At the sight of her, he felt his anger drain away. God, he needed her tonight.
She was wearing a skin-hugging black tank top—without a bra—and a pair of very short denim shorts. Her auburn hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail that hung halfway down her back. She stood when he neared the sofa, raised herself onto her toes and kissed him—on the cheek. “I missed you.”
He pulled her close and kissed her long and slow—on the lips. “I missed you, too.”
She stepped away, started toward the kitchen. “Your dinner’s in the fridge—Chinese.”
“There’s nothin’ like my Lissy’s home cookin’.” He followed her, watching the feminine sway of her hips and the sexy curves of her ass, willing himself to forget the conversation he’d had with her mother.
“I saw you on TV today.” She opened the refrigerator and bent over to reach inside, her shorts rising an inch to reveal the soft, rounded undersides of her ass cheeks.
His mouth watered, but not for Chinese food. “I’m always on TV, sugar.”
She turned around, two take-out containers in her hands. “The receivers coach was throwing passes, and you—”
“What? Are you telling me they aired that?” Mortification followed astonishment.
She poured the containers out onto a plate and popped the plate into the microwave. “You looked really good. And, hey, you caught it every time.”
Cringing on the inside, he shook his head. “Christ, that’s embarrassing! I didn’t even know Merrill was taping. I think he was trying to get back at that dickhead Don, but I sure wish he’d asked me first.”
She took a pair of lacquered chopsticks out of the silverware drawer. “Why would that be embarrassing? Most men would give anything to be on the six o’clock news tossing the ball around with a Broncos coach.”
“Most men don’t have to see how much they’ve gone downhill or worry that everyone will think they’re trying to show off.” He hated the self-pity he heard in his own voice.
She looked over at him, her green eyes going soft. Then she set the chopsticks aside, walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m sorry, Will. I’d give anything to be able to change things, to see you live the life you want to live.”
He stroked and kissed her hair. “ You are the life I want to live, Lissy. You’re not someone I got stuck with because the rest of it didn’t work out.”
He felt her body relax, an almost imperceptible shift. “It’s still hard, isn’t it? Every day it’s hard for you.”
He pulled her closer. “Not every
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