Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 113584 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 568(@200wpm)___ 454(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113584 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 568(@200wpm)___ 454(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
“Then what is it?” His eyebrows rise in interest.
This is it. No more skirting around it to save feelings. “Love, Dad. I love him.”
“I feared as much.”
I laugh at the irony. “I feared as much too.”
“You did?”
“Yes, because it was unexpected and, obviously, it crept up on me at the trickiest time.”
He hums, amused. “Nick.”
“Nick,” I confirm. “But more you, Dad. I don’t want to hurt Nick’s feelings, of course, but I’ve always been more concerned about you.”
“You have?”
“Yes, because I can’t dump you, can I?”
He chuckles, and it’s the sweetest sound. “No. No, you can’t.”
“And I wouldn’t want to.”
“Oh, my girl.” He hooks his arm over my neck and tugs me into him for a hug. I feel his lips on the back of my head. “You’ll never know how blessed I feel to have you.”
“I feel blessed too. Most of the time.” He nudges me, and I smile. “I have no plans to leave London.”
“You don’t?” he asks, sounding hopeful as he releases me.
“No, I don’t.”
“What about Harrison?”
“Will you please call him by his actual name?”
“Jude,” he grunts. “I’m sure he expects you to move here.”
“It’s new,” I say. “We’ve not talked about long-term, Dad. I’m just going with this.”
“But you love him?”
“Deeply,” I admit.
“So you might move to Oxfordshire?”
“I don’t know.” I laugh. “And you’re talking like it’s another country. I’d be across a couple of county borders.”
His shoulders drop. “It felt like miles getting here.”
“Is that why you came? To see how long it took to get to your daughter?”
He cocks me a sideways smile. “I know I’m a pain in your arse, Amelia. I know I drive you to distraction. But the thought of another man being more important to you than me doesn’t make me feel very good.”
God love him. “No man will be as important as you, because you’re my dad.”
“That’s sweet. And this . . . Jude. Does he support your career?”
“He does.”
“I see.” His nose wrinkles. “Nick stopped by earlier.” Looking at me, he squeezes my hand. “I get it now. I understand.”
“Understand what?”
“Well, he hardly lights up the world, does he?” He huffs to himself. “But he was predictable and reliable, and I know it’s awful for me to admit this, but he licked my arse so much, I knew he would never dare take you away.”
“That really is terrible.”
“I know.” He turns to me, smiling and cupping my cheek. “You’ll always be my little girl first.”
“I will.”
“Good.” He nods, assertive. “Then I suppose you ought to take me back into this outrageous mansion and I ought to show a bit of grace to the king in his castle.”
“Just one more thing.” I stop him from getting up. “Promise me you won’t mention Jude to Nick, okay? That has to come from me.”
“I promise,” he says, dropping a kiss on my cheek. “And promise me you’ll get that hand checked.”
“Promise.”
Settled, I smile wide as Dad helps me up and walks me back to Arlington Hall. I never for a moment considered there could be a deeper reason for his prehistoric stance towards my ambitions. Turns out, my old man is scared.
“Be nice, now, okay?” I order gently when we make it back to the Library Bar.
“Yes, yes.”
Mum and Jude are talking quietly, my man looking so insanely handsome as he smiles at whatever Mum is saying. When she spots us, she sits up, hopeful, and Jude cranes his neck a little to see, standing as we near.
Dad offers his hand, and Jude takes it, flicking his eyes to me. “You’ll look after her.” It’s definitely a demand.
“Without question.”
“Respect her.”
“Endlessly.”
Dad eyes me briefly. “Support her career.”
I laugh mildly and Jude smiles. “Always.”
“Love her.”
“Until I die, sir.”
“Oh, well, that’s a statement and a half.”
Mum looks like she might faint, her wide eyes jumping between Dad and Jude.
“I mean every word.” Jude looks at me. Not them. Just me. I tilt my head, and he tilts his.
“Then welcome to the family.” Dad drops Jude’s hand and opens his arms, and I nearly fall flat on my face in shock. I’m certain Mum would too if she weren’t sitting.
“Thanks.” Jude welcomes his olive branch, accepting the man hug. I’m speechless.
“And you can call me Dennis.”
Mum’s eyes are welling. My world just got a whole lot better.
“Well, since you’re here,” Jude says. “Would you like to eat?”
“Yes.” Mum’s up like a shot, answering for them both. “We’d love to, wouldn’t we, Dennis?”
“Sure. Why not.”
“We might have to settle for the Piano Bar.” Jude comes to me, slipping his arm around my shoulders. “The Orangery tends to get booked up in advance, and it would be cheeky of me to kick some guests off the reservations list.”
“You managed to get a table rather sharpish when you lured me here to seduce me,” I mumble under my breath, for only Jude to hear.