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Chapter Thirteen

David

Can I trust her?

Gazing into her clear, sky-blue eyes, imploring me to say yes, her question bounces around my head. My heart’s pounding like a herd of horses, and my pulse is racing.

But more than that is a feeling of certainty settling in my gut.

The truth is, I’ve trusted her from the moment I met her in third grade.

Maybe it’s crazy to do that now, after not having contact for decades, but that belief is still present.

Trusting my instincts is a sentiment I’ve followed my entire life, whenever I needed to make a decision, and today won’t be any different.

Every ounce of my body is humming with one answer.

“Yes,” I say without hesitation.

She blows out a breath, and I watch her shoulders fall from her ears. The smile she beams sends tiny shivers down my spine as her eyes light up with excitement.

The corner of my lip pulls up as she tells me about all the ideas floating in her head. She fills me in on her conversation with Finn, which, to my relief, did not include any talk of matchmaking. And lastly, she shares how she thinks Emmy can add to it all.

“Especially at Bark In The Park.” There’s a bounce in her step as she starts walking again, and my grin gets bigger, her enthusiasm contagious.

“Emmy is a show stealer, just like your daughter. Not to mention, we’ll be highlighting Mile High Mutts Rescue.

By letting Emmy take the majority of the spotlight, Scarlett will be kept mainly off camera. ”

“If Scarlett lets that happen.” My lip curls up. “You don’t know my daughter that well yet. Think about Emmy and then multiply by ten.”

A laugh floats out of her, making my stomach clench. “Oh boy, you do have your hands full!”

She has a glow about her as she talks, and I can’t drag my eyes away from her. I’m enchanted.

Her plan sounds perfect. The majority of the focus will be sports-related, while a small portion will highlight my family life. It will never be anything too personal, but just enough for people to get a small glimpse inside.

“I love it.” A smile rests across my face, and I toss my empty cup in the trash. “Are you done?” I nod toward her cup and reach a hand out.

Our fingers brush when she pushes the cup toward me, and a zing shoots through me. Surprised, the cup falls to the ground.

“Sorry,” Cat says, her voice slightly breathless.

“No worries,” I say, bending down to pick it up. A sharp pain and a dull thud echoes through my head as I hear a soft ‘ouch’ uttered from Cat. Standing up, my hand to my head, I chuckle. “Are you okay?”

She’s rubbing her head up and down, and her face is scrunched up in the most adorable expression. “You have a hard head.”

Without thinking, I reach my hand out and put it over hers, attempting to rub the sting out. “I’m so sorry.”

Her hand stops moving, and wide, stormy blue eyes stare up at me. My heart hammers against my chest, and I pull my hand away like I’ve been burned.

“Duncan doesn’t call me hard-headed for nothing,” I joke, laughing nervously. I reach for the cup I dropped and toss it in the trash.

When I turn back around, I find her watching me. Her head is slightly tilted, her eyes narrowed, and her lips are curved at the corners.

It’s an expression I remember well. My stomach knots. I wasn’t going to ask why she was crying the other day. It’s none of my business, but the regret of never asking why she had to move away tugs at me. “Can I ask you a question?”

Her eyes widen slightly before she shoves her hands in her pockets and offers a slight shrug. “Sure. I guess it’s fair after all the digging I just did into your past. Ask away.”

“Why were you crying yesterday?” I spit out before I lose my nerve. I hear her take a deep breath before watching her slowly blow it out, running a hand through her hair.

Cat’s quiet for what feels like forever; I begin to wonder if she’ll answer. My gut flips and I start to regret asking. Silence stretches like it did all those years ago when she left without an explanation. The sight of her walking up the stairs burned in my memory.

How many times did I replay that day?

I’m about to tell her I’m sorry for prying, and it’s okay if she doesn’t want to talk about it when her voice floats through the air.

“My Aunt Dottie passed away a little over a month ago. Remember the other day, that unknown caller?” I nod. “That was her probate attorney.”

Her words trail off, and I glance over to find her chewing her bottom lip, her eyes clouded. “He was going over the stipulations in her will, and he gave me some news that—”

Cat blows out a short huff, and her jaw tightens, a muscle jumping in her cheek. Her eyes reflect a heartbreak that I know intimately. It’s the look of someone who’s lost everything.

The one that stared back at me every time I looked in a mirror after losing Fiona, the one I hid from everyone, especially Scarlett.

She continues, her voice shaky. “The reason we moved back then is because my dad had a serious betting problem. But it wasn’t until he passed away that the phone calls started and the legal letters followed.”

Her breath catches, and my heart aches. My arms itch to pull her close and take away the heartbreak I see reflected in her eyes.

Cat huffs out a snort. “It wasn’t a tiny amount either, but millions. I mean, how does one dig out from that? How does someone who’s supposed to love you put you in an impossible situation?”

Her words are filled with bitterness, and my stomach tightens at the anger she must’ve felt.

It’s a feeling I had when we found out Fi was sick.

Anger I felt when she passed away. I know Fiona would never have chosen to leave me and Scarlett, but the feeling of being hurt was an emotion that I struggled with myself.

But intentionally being deceived by a parent? As a father, I’m struggling to understand how someone does that.

My hands tighten into fists.

“The pain I felt was…beyond words.” She focuses on the ground in front of her, and when she speaks next, her voice catches. “But it’s nothing compared to the stab in the back I was dealt yesterday from my aunt.”

Her shoulders start to shake, and without thinking, I pull her into my arms. There’s nothing I can say that will make this better, so I don’t even try. But I can lend her some of my strength.

“You see, when we moved, Aunt Dottie made life feel bright again. And when the full extent of my dad’s problem came to light, she was the one I leaned on. The one I could trust.”

She settles against me and I feel some of the tension ease from her body.

“I’ve lost everyone,” she says hoarsely.

“Aunt Dottie was the last connection to my family. I thought she cared about me, but a person who loves you would never do what she’s asking me to do.

They wouldn’t even consider doing that to someone they loved. Right?”

Tears well in her eyes as she looks up at me, and my gut twists. A shiver runs through her, and I wrap my arms tighter around her while slowly running my hands up and down her back.

“The letter she wrote said she was doing it for me. She was afraid I would shut out love after how both my dad and mom abandoned me. But why would she do it in such a cruel way?” Cat’s laugh is biting.

“I’m so sorry, Cat,” I whisper against the top of her head, her hair moving under my breath. Her arms tighten around me, and my heart hammers. “Do you want to tell me what she did? Maybe I can help.”

A harsh laugh comes out, and she pushes out of my arms. Wiping at the tears running down her face. “She left me thirty million dollars.”

My mouth drops open. I couldn’t have heard that right. Did she just tell me her aunt left her thirty million dollars?

I watch as she paces, raking her hand through her hair. Thoroughly confused by her reaction to what sounds like the perfect solution to paying off the debt her dad left.

“Doesn’t that actually solve your problem?” I ask, cautiously. “That should more than cover what—”

“It would. It definitely would.” She swipes tears from her face again and drops onto the bench by the trash can. Leaning back, she covers her face with her hands. “Except she placed a condition on me getting the inheritance.”

“That’s not uncommon, is it?” My brow furrows, and I walk over to stand in front of her.

She looks so lost, a tightness in my chest spreads at the need to fix what she’s going through.

But I can’t. Just like that day before she moved away.

But unlike then, I’m not a kid anymore. Sitting next to her, I place my hand on her shoulder. “What is it? Maybe I can help?”

She scoffs and turns bright, anger-filled eyes toward me. My gaze falls to her lips, an ironic smile lining them. She shoots off the bench and starts pacing.

“Do you know anyone who’s looking to get married in the immediate future? Because according to the will I need a husband.”

I snort, and her head whips at the sound, pain in her eyes as she looks down at me. I stand up and cup her face, Duncan’s words from earlier running through my head. “I’m sorry. None of this is funny,” I say softly. “But I may have an idea.”