wh-when she died.”
It was a detail he’d remember forever about the girl he’d
never meet. “Where’s Lucy?”
“We agreed you wouldn’t see her tonight, but here you are
asking for her. Thought you might.” Valerie edged a step closer to him and he
caught a faint whiff of coconuts. Coconuts in October. Intrigued, he found
himself shuffling forward as she asked, “Is this how it’s going to be? You
undermining me where my daughter is concerned?”
“ Our daughter.”
Valerie crossed her arms. Instead of the black blouse
he’d seen her in at the hospital, she wore a gray hooded V-neck sweater that
fell past her jean-clad hips. The form-fitting clothes outlined the subtle
lushness of her body. He’d missed out on years of watching her bony-limbed,
girlish form soften into one that was all woman.
His attention drawn to the supple swells of flesh
revealed by the V of her sweater, he recalled her scent and taste as if his
mouth was on her all over again. He tugged his gaze up to her face … her eyes.
She’d caught him.
But all she said was, “Why are you in Night Sky?”
“It was time to come home,” he answered frankly,
carefully, fully aware of how she’d deflected the conversation. “Is Lucy in her
room or …?”
“Not here, actually. She’s spending the night at a
friend’s house.”
Peyton noted the subtle way she sank her front teeth into
her plump bottom lip. Nervousness. “Well played, Valerie. But is this how it’s going to be? Game-playing?
You plan to send her away every time I want to visit her?”
“Okay, being an ass won’t make this easier. I’m
protecting Lucy. Seeing you at the hospital made her cry.”
“One of the things teenage girls do best is cry,” he
countered, not in the least swayed.
“Not Lucy. Trust me on that.” Valerie plopped onto the
oversized sofa and left him with a dainty wicker chair stacked high with
unshelved books that he had to set aside in order to sit. Her brows inched up
at the distressed moan the chair gave under his weight. “She has a test at
school tomorrow and doesn’t need a distraction.”
“I’m her father, Valerie, not a ‘distraction.’” The words
rang out louder and more forceful than he’d intended. His voice seemed to echo
throughout the quiet house.
Valerie abandoned the sofa and sat on the square ottoman
in front of him. “Answer this truthfully, okay?” Those sexy whiskey-colored
eyes found his, riveted him in the uncomfortable wicker chair. “Do you care
about her this much, or do you feel deprived of a possession?”
They were back to that again, her believing that
everything boiled down to dollars and cents— possessions— to
him.
“Sounds like you think you already know the answer to
that question. Why ask it?”
Something unreadable passed over her face. “I thought I
could count on you for anything and you changed.”
“Changed?”
“Yes! Right after your mother hit the road, right after
you and I were together, you snapped. A bet was made at the tavern about how
long it’d be before you turned into the lowlife thug you were destined to be.
If Chief Hyatt hadn’t saved your ass …”
He’d been fresh out of second chances with the law even
then, but he’d been crazy with single-minded determination to destroy himself.
Only a miracle, in the form of a retiring police chief who’d said he wouldn’t
let Peyton become a through-and-through thug, had protected him from himself.
“The Bishops are the law around here now, and Chief
would’ve loved to make an example of you,” Valerie continued. “Peyton, you
turned cruel, shut everyone out. For the first time you frightened me, damn it.
Then you disappeared.”
“Weren’t you relieved to have me gone, then? Aren’t you
glad I didn’t drag you down with me?”
“Not knowing where you were or what had happened to you
wasn’t anything to be relieved about.” She looked downward and he could see the
shadows of her dark lashes against her
It was a detail he’d remember forever about the girl he’d
never meet. “Where’s Lucy?”
“We agreed you wouldn’t see her tonight, but here you are
asking for her. Thought you might.” Valerie edged a step closer to him and he
caught a faint whiff of coconuts. Coconuts in October. Intrigued, he found
himself shuffling forward as she asked, “Is this how it’s going to be? You
undermining me where my daughter is concerned?”
“ Our daughter.”
Valerie crossed her arms. Instead of the black blouse
he’d seen her in at the hospital, she wore a gray hooded V-neck sweater that
fell past her jean-clad hips. The form-fitting clothes outlined the subtle
lushness of her body. He’d missed out on years of watching her bony-limbed,
girlish form soften into one that was all woman.
His attention drawn to the supple swells of flesh
revealed by the V of her sweater, he recalled her scent and taste as if his
mouth was on her all over again. He tugged his gaze up to her face … her eyes.
She’d caught him.
But all she said was, “Why are you in Night Sky?”
“It was time to come home,” he answered frankly,
carefully, fully aware of how she’d deflected the conversation. “Is Lucy in her
room or …?”
“Not here, actually. She’s spending the night at a
friend’s house.”
Peyton noted the subtle way she sank her front teeth into
her plump bottom lip. Nervousness. “Well played, Valerie. But is this how it’s going to be? Game-playing?
You plan to send her away every time I want to visit her?”
“Okay, being an ass won’t make this easier. I’m
protecting Lucy. Seeing you at the hospital made her cry.”
“One of the things teenage girls do best is cry,” he
countered, not in the least swayed.
“Not Lucy. Trust me on that.” Valerie plopped onto the
oversized sofa and left him with a dainty wicker chair stacked high with
unshelved books that he had to set aside in order to sit. Her brows inched up
at the distressed moan the chair gave under his weight. “She has a test at
school tomorrow and doesn’t need a distraction.”
“I’m her father, Valerie, not a ‘distraction.’” The words
rang out louder and more forceful than he’d intended. His voice seemed to echo
throughout the quiet house.
Valerie abandoned the sofa and sat on the square ottoman
in front of him. “Answer this truthfully, okay?” Those sexy whiskey-colored
eyes found his, riveted him in the uncomfortable wicker chair. “Do you care
about her this much, or do you feel deprived of a possession?”
They were back to that again, her believing that
everything boiled down to dollars and cents— possessions— to
him.
“Sounds like you think you already know the answer to
that question. Why ask it?”
Something unreadable passed over her face. “I thought I
could count on you for anything and you changed.”
“Changed?”
“Yes! Right after your mother hit the road, right after
you and I were together, you snapped. A bet was made at the tavern about how
long it’d be before you turned into the lowlife thug you were destined to be.
If Chief Hyatt hadn’t saved your ass …”
He’d been fresh out of second chances with the law even
then, but he’d been crazy with single-minded determination to destroy himself.
Only a miracle, in the form of a retiring police chief who’d said he wouldn’t
let Peyton become a through-and-through thug, had protected him from himself.
“The Bishops are the law around here now, and Chief
would’ve loved to make an example of you,” Valerie continued. “Peyton, you
turned cruel, shut everyone out. For the first time you frightened me, damn it.
Then you disappeared.”
“Weren’t you relieved to have me gone, then? Aren’t you
glad I didn’t drag you down with me?”
“Not knowing where you were or what had happened to you
wasn’t anything to be relieved about.” She looked downward and he could see the
shadows of her dark lashes against her
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