Almost Midnight (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3.5)(78)

But it looked as if she didn’t have a choice.

“Daddy?”





Chapter Fourteen


Miranda’s chest filled with pain. She had to swallow, twice, to keep the tears from climbing up her throat.

“What … are you doing here?” She looked up at him, seeing him differently for the first time. Seeing him as someone else’s dad. It hit then. Tabitha had gotten more from her father than she had. Her half-sister inherited his red hair. And his blue eyes. While Miranda was stuck with hazel eyes and blond hair with only red highlights.

“I thought you didn’t do competitions?” The words came out with sarcasm and a ton of hurt. He was her daddy. She didn’t want to share him, but she had been … sharing him. She just hadn’t known it.

He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. He always did that when he was nervous. But about what? Then she quickly became aware of his gaze shifting to her and then back to the wall.

He knew.

He knew she knew.

Had Tabitha told him?

“I know this is hard.” His words were tight, and filled with what sounded like regret. A little too late for that, wasn’t it?

She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them. What kind of explanation could he offer? She couldn’t think of one that made this acceptable. And yet he was here to try. Didn’t that mean something?

It might, but emotionally right now she couldn’t feel any reprieve. Lies. Everything she’d thought about her family had been a lie.

“Your mother called me,” he said. “Then Tabitha called.”

That achiness in her chest exploded and flowed into all her limbs. Tears filled her eyes.

“So it’s all true?” she asked.

His hand swiped down his face, almost as if buying a few seconds to think, seconds that he didn’t have to look at her.

Did he consider her a mistake?

“I don’t know what all you know, but…” He paused and seemed to notice the tears streaming down her face. “Don’t cry. It kills me to see you cry.”

“Is it true?” she demanded and when he didn’t immediately answer, she spelled out what she meant. “Is Tabitha my sister?”

“Yes.” He looked back at the wall.

She blinked and more hot tears rolled down her cheek. “Are you married to her mom, and not to my mom?”

He glanced back at her. His gaze, his posture, everything about him looked heavy as if the guilt weighed him down. But she wouldn’t let herself feel sorry for him.

“Yes,” he said. “But … it’s not like it sounds.”

She ignored his remark and tossed out another question. “Did my mom know? Did she know you were married when you met her?”

She didn’t know why she needed that answer, but she did. Perhaps, she needed to know how much to blame her mom for this. If she had known, then …

“Miranda, I know this sounds terrible, but—”

“Did you lie to my mom?” She spit the question out again.

He inhaled. “Yes, in the beginning I lied to her. But it’s not like you think.”

“What’s not like I think, Daddy? I don’t even know your real name. How could you do this to me? To us? Mom and me?”

He hung his head and didn’t move. Finally, he looked up. “Divorce was almost impossible to get in Ireland, Miranda. Mary Esther and I had separated. I was considering fighting to get the divorce, but … Her grandfather turned my uncle against me. My uncle was in charge of my trust fund.”

He shuffled his feet. “Back then, I was nothing more than a spoiled rich kid. I’d lived off my family’s money. If I had pursued a divorce, all of my inheritance would have been lost to me. In the beginning I was willing to sacrifice it, but then I learned Mary Ester was pregnant. While I might have been spoiled, I did not want to turn my back on my child. While I loved your mother with all my heart, I was actually planning on walking away from her, because I felt she deserved better. The day I was going to break up with her, your mother announced her own news. She was pregnant with you. Then I was nothing more than a stupid kid, with two children to support. I couldn’t reject what was my only source of income, which was my trust fund. I told your mom the truth. It took a while, but she forgave me for lying and accepted what I could offer.”

“So you just lived with both wives? How gross and sick is that? I seriously think I’m going to throw up.”

Shock widened his eyes. “I do not live with Mary Esther as her husband. Yes, I have a place next door to her. For the most part, I support her, and Tabitha. I am as big a part of Tabitha’s life as I am yours. And I know your mom hates that, but I can no more turn my back on Tabitha than I could you. Mary Esther was a mistake, but Tabitha is still my child.”

And what am I? The question sat on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t ask it. A bastard child?

“I love your mother, Miranda. I know this life has not been easy for her, and I regret that. While there is no legal paper calling her my wife, she is the love of my life. Together we made you. We are a family. I love you. We love you.”

“Then why the lies? Why not tell me? Why not give me your real name?”

“In the beginning it was to protect my trust fund, if my uncle had found out I wasn’t … living as Mary Esther’s husband, he would have happily cut me off. Then when he died four years ago, I actually wanted to come clean, to have you two girls meet and get to know each other. But your mother and Mary Esther had too many grudges. It became easier to live the lie than to come clean. I never meant to hurt you.”