Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 77857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Good. Now we’re back on track.
I nod. “I’m with you there.”
“Me too.” From Donny.
“Give me a minute,” I say. “I need to talk to my dad.”
“Sure,” Donny says.
I press the mute button.
“You need to apologize to them,” I say to Dad. “To Rory and Callie.”
“I don’t need to apologize to anyone.”
“Callie’s going to be a member of this family, and Rory—”
Rory what? God, I fucking love her. Crazy as shit, but I do.
I clear my throat. “Rory is her sister. They were kids, Dad.”
“They were trying to get our reward.”
“Yeah. Everyone wanted that reward.”
He doesn’t reply.
“You can’t blame them for this. They were fucking kids. You know it, and I know it.”
“But Diana…”
“What Pat Lamone did to Diana is unforgivable. I agree with you. He’s not going to get a penny of Steel money, even if he is entitled to it. But Diana recovered. Diana recovered before Rory and Callie had the proof. And you have to understand, once Lamone took those pictures of them—”
“They still should’ve come to us.”
“Dad, are you listening to yourself? Two young women were violated. Violated. Along with Diana. They are victims of this just as she is. They were drugged, put in compromising positions, and photographed. They were violated.”
That finally gets him. His jaw softens…but not quite enough.
“But they were respon—”
I draw in a breath, force myself not to yell. “No, Dad. Go there, and I won’t forgive you. You will not say they put themselves in that position by Rory seducing Pat and getting the confession. You absolutely will not.”
He nods then.
He knows. That would be taking it too far.
“You’re right, son. I’m sorry.”
“Callie’s going to be a member of this family,” I say again.
“I know. The Pikes… They’re good people.”
“Yes. Don’t forget that. Don’t forget that Callie and Rory were children.”
He opens his mouth, but I stop him.
“Don’t tell me she was eighteen. Don’t tell me that. You know as well as I do that an eighteen-year-old and a seventeen-year-old aren’t all that different. It’s simply an arbitrary line, Dad, and it has to be drawn somewhere.”
“She wasn’t a child. Not in the eyes of the law.”
“No. And believe me, she knows that. She’s punishing herself so much for this.”
“You really care for her, don’t you?”
“I do. Very much.”
Dad sighs then, and he turns to look at me. I don’t know what he sees on my face, but the tension in his countenance visibly lessens.
“I’m ready. I’ll apologize.”
“Thank you.” I take the phone off mute. “Don? You still there?”
“Yeah. What the hell are you doing?”
“He was telling off his old man,” Dad says. “And I hate to say it, but rightfully so. Rory, Callie, I apologize. This isn’t your fault.”
No response from either of them.
“They’re both pretty upset, Uncle Joe,” Donny says.
“Again, rightfully so.” Dad rakes his fingers through his hair. “You girls don’t know me very well, but Brock and Donny do. I’ll do anything to protect this family, but this happened ten years ago, when you were kids. Before you say anything, Rory, you were a kid.”
I smile at Dad, thanking him silently.
“That’s kind of you to say, Mr. Steel,” Rory says, “but there’s a part of me that will never forgive myself.”
“I know where you’re coming from,” Dad says. “Believe me. There are things in my past I may never forgive myself for. But try to forgive yourself. Please. And call me Joe.”
CHAPTER THREE
RORY
“All right,” I say, my voice shaking. “I’ll try.”
“I mean it, Rory. You too, Callie. Call me Joe. You’re family now.”
I’m not technically family, but Callie will be soon.
I’m worn out. Exhausted. Washed, wrung, and hung out to dry.
I feel weakened yet also fortified.
Telling the story to the Steel family patriarch took everything in me, but it also gave me strength. His first inclination was to berate me, which is of course what I expected.
Diana Steel was the family jewel back then—the first daughter born to this generation of Steels. And she was perfection. The three Bs—beautiful, brainy, and built.
Why I’m still considered the most beautiful woman in Snow Creek is beyond me. Diana Steel eclipses me in everything.
Brock. I need Brock to hold me. I want to bury myself in his hard, strong body.
But he’s not here.
I have only myself from which to draw strength.
“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Brock’s voice comes through the line.
“I’m fine.”
It’s a lie, and both he and I know it. But he’s on his way to Wyoming with his father, presumably on business. I can’t allow him to worry about me.
Funny.
Just last night, I almost went to bed with Dragon, and just this morning, I almost accepted a date with Davey. I’m glad I didn’t do either of those now.
I want to see how it turns out with Brock.
Sure, he was drunk as a skunk last night. But who did he call? He called me.