Sara wasn’t nearly as amused. “What makes you say that?” She’d hoped to bypass her unresolved love issues during this visit.
“I’m not sure if it’s the dreamy look in your eyes when you talk about him, the fact that you used his name in almost every sentence, that my loner daughter is head over heels for his big family or all of the above.”
“Is it that obvious?” She ducked her head in embarrassment.
“I’m afraid so.” But he was still grinning like a hyena. “Why do you look like this is a bad thing?” he asked.
“Why do you look like it’s not?” His attitude left her truly perplexed. “I feel like I’ve lost my way. Aren’t you worried for me?”
Her father shook his head. “Unless this man’s an axe murderer disguised as a cop, I don’t see the problem.”
“This from the man who lived happily ever after alone?” Sara shook her head and laughed. “Come on, Dad, you can tell me what a huge mistake it is to even consider tying my life to one person, and another cop at that.”
His big brown eyes grew wide. “Is this what you think I want for you? A lonely life shared with someone only on occasion?” He swept his arm around, the gesture meant to encompass the small apartment she’d grown up in.
“Lonely?” she asked, stunned at his choice of that one word.
Her father leaned forward in his seat. “Did you think I celebrated when your mother left?”
They’d never discussed it before. Sara had only known what she’d seen growing up—a contented man with available, short-term women when the opportunity arose.
Sara swallowed hard. “I thought you were relieved the fighting had ended.”
He let out a low groan. “I suppose that’s true. And I really had no choice but to adapt. I was also pretty determined to never get hurt that way again.” He shook his head in obvious dismay. “But I never thought about how it looked to you. That’s where I fell down on the job as a parent, I guess.”
Sara smiled. “You weren’t much of a talker.”
“I’d hoped I made up for it as a listener. But I guess that left you reading between the lines.”
She nodded. “It did. Are you telling me I didn’t read correctly?”
“If you think falling in love or making a commitment to someone is a bad thing, then something definitely got lost in translation, and I blew it.”
Sara shook her head at his logic. “Dad, it wasn’t just you. We don’t have one family member who isn’t divorced.” She held up a hand before he could interrupt. “Except for Reni. Still, one out of however many others is hardly a reason to believe in marriage and relationships.”
He reached out and lifted her chin in his hand. “Didn’t I raise you to believe in hard work above all else?”
“Of course.”
“Well, marriage and commitment take work. I was willing to do the work. Your mother wasn’t. End of subject.” He dropped his hand and looked away. “Except that the same goes for any couple in the world today.”
Sara narrowed her gaze, surprised she’d misunderstood her father for so many years. “But wouldn’t you say being a cop makes it twice as hard to make a relationship work?”
“Yes. So what?”
“So, two cops would make it twice as impossible.” She stated what she’d always believed was obvious.
He placed his hand on her shoulder, and she met his caring gaze. “Nothing is impossible. Not if what you and this man share is worth the effort.”
Rising, her father walked over to a large cabinet and opened a drawer. He sifted through the contents and pulled something out.
“What’s that?” Sara asked.
He walked over and sat back down beside her. “It’s a picture. Look.”
She glanced down at the framed photograph she didn’t recall seeing before. The picture captured her family—her father, her mother and Sara as a toddler. All three of them smiling and happy.
A memory and recollection Sara didn’t have. “I’ve never seen this before!”
“Another mistake of mine. It hurt too much for me to look at it, so I buried it, just like I buried my feelings,” he admitted.
She swallowed over the painful lump that kept getting bigger in her throat. “Why are you showing me this now?”
His wise gaze leveled on hers. “Because I’m trying to tell you I wouldn’t have missed these years with you and your mother for anything in the world. And I’m just sorry you never knew that before now,” he said, his voice gruff.
Sara found her voice just enough to say, “I love you, Dad.” She pulled her only parent that mattered into a big hug.
“I hope you’ve learned a valuable lesson today.” He pulled back and cleared his throat.
She caught the telltale tear in his eyes before she stood and turned away to wipe one of her own from her cheek.
A FEW DAYS LATER, fresh from an orthopedist appointment for her knee, Sara walked into her apartment just as the telephone started ringing. She grabbed the receiver before it went to voice mail. “Hello?” she asked, out of breath.
“Sara? It’s Angel. Did I catch you at a bad time?”
“Not at all,” Sara lied. She cradled the portable between her head and her shoulder while she put her bag and keys down and locked her door.
Then she curled up on a club chair to take the call. “What’s going on?” Sara asked, happy to hear from the other woman.
“I had news I wanted to tell you myself,” Angel said. “I just felt like you understood so much, and we really connected…” Angel’s voice trailed off, as if she suddenly felt funny about the admission.
“I understand. I’ve been thinking about you, too.” About everyone from Hidden Falls, Sara thought.
Including Rafe.
Especially Rafe.
Sara drew a deep breath. “So, what’s your news?”
“Nick and I are giving our marriage a second chance,” Angel exclaimed.
Sara’s heart literally skipped a beat. “That’s wonderful! How? What changed?”
Had Nick finally given in and accepted his wife’s need for a career and a focus outside her marriage?
“We both did. Ever since Nick stayed here and saw how alive this place makes me feel, he’s tried to be more understanding. But most of all, he came over and forced me to face things I’d buried deep,” Angel admitted in a soft voice.