Judy Duarte - The Daddy Secret

She ought to feel a bit justified at the anger she’d carried for years, yet a surge of sympathy shot through her instead, urging her to rise up from her chair, and sit next to him, under his outstretched arm... To lean her head against his shoulder, to caress his knee, to offer words of compassion....

What was wrong with her?

Ten years had passed since she’d last seen him, and yet she still found herself struggling with those same old urges, those same yearnings, those same... What? Feelings?

No, not those. Not anymore. She was no longer a foolish and gullible teenager blinded by his charm.

“So you dropped out of school, and that’s my fault?”

Rick’s brow furrowed, and his eye twitched. “Yeah, well, back then, I blamed you.”

“You don’t now?”

“Not for me dropping out of school. That was my own choice, but I rectified it.” Rick placed his hand on the sofa’s armrest, then stood. “I’m going to go before we both say things that would be better left unsaid. But just so you know, I’m going to respect your wishes and keep my true identity under wraps for the time being.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

“But don’t take too long figuring out a comfortable way to set him straight.”

“I’ll do my best.” She got to her feet, too. “Thank you for understanding.”

They merely stood there for a moment. Then Rick moved a couple paces forward, reached for her hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze with a firm grip, sending a bevy of goose bumps fluttering up her arms. “You’ve got a week, Mallory.”

Then he released her hand, leaving her in the middle of the living room as he headed for the door.

A week? She wasn’t sure she was following him. “You mean...?”

As he opened the front door, he turned and glanced over his shoulder. His gaze locked onto hers. “You have one week—seven days—to resurrect me.”

“Or what?”

“Or I’ll tell Lucas myself.”

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