Susan Sleeman - High-Stakes Inheritance

Her eyes opened wider letting a wave of misery wash out. “Thanks for coming to get me, but I’m not ready to leave,” she said between sobs. “The nurse still has to do the paperwork.”

He’d witnessed hundreds of fights with her dad after she’d rebelled against his wishes, but the pain reflected in her eyes topped all of them. He couldn’t stand by without offering comfort.

He crossed the room and sat next her. Careful not to tangle the IV and oxygen tubes, he drew her into his arms. She didn’t resist but snuggled close, and her crying intensified.

“Shh.” He rocked her and breathed in her scent, a combination of tart hospital soap and caustic smoke with a slight hint of her sweet perfume. Her body shook from her sobs and she clutched the back of his shirt as his shoulder grew damp from her tears.

If he could get a hold of her father right now, the man would pay. Something Ryan always wanted to do in high school, but was too young to act on. Her father had broken her heart so many times and Ryan picked up the pieces, restored her confidence and tried to prove she was loveable, but he’d never gotten the satisfaction of seeing her father suffer for hurting her.

And if Ryan lived the faith he professed, he’d forgive the man for the way he treated his daughter, and should also be thinking about how to help repair the rift between them.

She trembled and snuffled, winding down in her crying.

He hated that she was hurting, but he had to admit holding her again felt right. He would be happy to stay like this. Minus her crying, of course.

No. Not a good idea. He’d never make that kind of commitment to a woman again. Especially one who might be stepping into danger without any regard for her life.

He gently released her, located tissues on the table by the bed and offered them. “What did he say this time?”

“My father? You saw him?” Watery eyes fixed on his as she ripped out a tissue. Ryan nodded.

“I told him about the letter and that I believed he was behind the fire.” She hiccupped and dabbed at her red-rimmed eyes. “He didn’t deny it.”

Not as bad as Ryan had imagined from her over-the-top reaction. “He didn’t admit to doing anything. That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“No! Even if he didn’t do it,” she sniffed, “he clearly wants nothing to do with me.”

So this is what set her off. Not her father’s guilt, but his rejection. This wasn’t a topic they could resolve in a short conversation, and Ryan didn’t think he could offer anything new after all these years. He could sidestep the rejection and focus on the fire. Then maybe she’d be open to telling Russ about the letter and look for other suspects.

Ryan shifted on the edge of the bed. “Sounds to me like you really don’t believe your father’s behind all of this.”

She blew her nose and set the tissue on her lap. “I don’t know what to think anymore. I can’t imagine he’d hire an arsonist, but he’s the most logical candidate.”

She was right. There was no other obvious suspect, but Ryan had to plant doubt in her mind to get her moving forward. “Think about it, Mia. Would your father really commit a criminal act and risk going to jail just to get you to leave town?”

She pulled out another tissue. “I know it doesn’t make sense, but who else would’ve done it? David is the only one who would benefit if I left.”

“In my opinion he’s a less likely suspect than your father. He’s as close to a model citizen as they come. Plus he seems to be doing well financially.”

“I agree and that’s why the more I think about him the more I rule him out.” She sighed and twisted the tissue in her fingers. “It has to be my father.”

Her agonizing expression left Ryan feeling helpless. He had no idea how to figure out the identity of the arsonist but he could offer his support.

He clasped her hand. “No matter who did this, I’m here to help you through it.”

Her eyes lingered on his face. “You’ve been nothing but kind to me since I’ve gotten here.” She released a shuddering breath. “I’m thankful for everything you’ve done. Saving me at the barn and all. Really, I am. Not that you could tell. All I’ve done is repay you with harsh words.”

“I hurt you. I deserve your anger.”

She worked her lower lip and went silent for so long he thought she might have changed her mind about engaging in this conversation. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Now?”

She nodded. “I can’t leave until the nurse discharges me. We might as well make good use of the time.”

This was what he wanted, but now that it was time to talk, he didn’t have a clue how to start. He’d always hoped she’d forgive him, but she might not. What if she didn’t? What happened then?

“Ryan?” she said softly, and offered a nod of encouragement.

“Right, high school.” He shifted on the bed. “So if we hadn’t broken up that night what do you think would’ve happened between us?”

Her eyes widened.

He’d caught her by surprise. “This isn’t a test or anything to see how you felt. Just a question.”

“Well, you’d already started college. My grades weren’t good enough to get into Reed, so I would have gone to a community college or gotten a job so we could live close to each other.”

He’d thought along the same lines. “And then…when I graduated, we’d get married and live happily ever after here in Logan Lake, right?”

“Something like that.”

“And that’s why I arranged for you to find me kissing Sheila and made you think I had something going on with her.” He clamped his hand on the back of his neck and looked down to hide his embarrassment over the dumb decision he was about to explain. “You were so unhappy under your father’s control. It was getting worse by the day. You wanted out of here more than anything except being with me.” He looked up to gauge her reaction.

She met his gaze with clear green eyes that encouraged him to continue.

“I couldn’t let you stay here and live under your father’s thumb. You had to go out in the world and find out who you were without your father harping at you for everything. If you knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, you would have settled here.” He sighed heavily. “But if I made you think I didn’t want to be with you anymore you’d run to Wally in Atlanta, which is exactly what you did.”

He prayed for understanding. “And look at you. My gosh, just look at you. You’re not working in some dead-end job with three kids and a loathing for your husband because he kept you here. You came back here strong and independent. Able to stand up to your father. A professional counselor respected by your peers.”

She sat unmoving, her eyes fixed on his face. Tears began to slide down her cheeks. He didn’t know how to respond. Were these tears of forgiveness or tears of loss? He reached out a thumb and swiped them away.

When she didn’t pull away, a nervous laugh escaped his throat. “And now this is the part where you forgive me for hurting you because you realize I did what I did because I loved you.”

She sniffed and ever so slightly nodded. “You had a good reason, and for that I can forgive you. But that doesn’t erase the hurt. It’ll take time for me to forget how it felt.”

He reached out to take her in his arms but let his hands fall. He wanted to hold her until her tears stopped again, but he couldn’t.

He wouldn’t risk reconnecting as they had in high school. Couldn’t risk caring for her again. She’d nearly died and this nightmare wasn’t over. She was still in danger. If the man who set fire to the barn wanted to hurt her, Ryan wasn’t sure he could stop him. Loss of Cara had proven his limitations.