was the fact that was as clear as day.
Still, Marie would rather clean than face her own thoughts alone upstairs in the apartment she and Gabrielle used to share. She was going crazy with loneliness.
What she needed to do was talk to someone. Another voice to drown out the reverberating of her own mind.
And there was one person who owed her an abrupt awakening in the middle of the night. He owed her as many of them as she needed for as long as he lived.
He picked up on the first ring.
“Marie? Baby? You okay? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong, Daddy. Are you alone?”
“Yes, of course I’m alone. You know the only woman I’ve ever spent the night with is your mother.”
“It’s only a little past midnight. You don’t necessarily have to be down for the night.” She was being petty. She knew it. Hated it. And took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. And sorry for calling so late.”
“Don’t you ever apologize for calling me, baby. You know I’m here for you anytime you need me. Anytime.”
Hard part of it was that she did know that. Her father was a great dad. Had always been a great dad. Even when he’d been sleeping with his assistant while Marie and her mother thought him hard at work on whatever architectural plans his firm had been implementing. Or getting a little afternoon delight from a less reputable source before arriving right on time to coach Marie’s softball team to victory.
“I need to understand, Daddy. I need to know why. And how.”
“Sure. Of course. What are we talking about?”
“The women. All the women.”
Silence fell on the line. In all the years since her parents’ divorce, she’d never asked that particular question.
Because she’d been too afraid of the answer? Because she didn’t want to see her mother in a new and less favorable light?
“I don’t know that I can answer that.”
“Can’t or won’t?” Now that she’d asked, she couldn’t let it go. “It’s making me crazy, Daddy. I... Did you love her?”
“No!”
Okay, then. Though she was actually shocked by his vehemence. Frowning, she slid down to a seat in a shadowed corner of the deserted shop. The one thing she’d thought a given through her rocky years growing up had been her father’s love for her and her mother. Both of them.
She’d bet her life that her mother believed he’d loved her. Still did. Though he knew better than to ask for a third chance. For Barbara’s sake.
“Does Mom know that now? Maybe if she knew you’ve never really loved her you’d set her free.”
Because one thing was for sure. Barbara Bustamante was still helplessly in love with her cheating ex-husband.
“Wait. What? You were asking if I love your mom?” It sounded as though there was a bit of her shock running over into his voice.
“Yes. Of course.” If she’d been referring to anyone else, she’d have had to use the plural. And then some.
“Then, yes! Unequivocally. I thought you knew that. All my life I have only ever loved one woman. Your mother.”
Her heart sank. Liam loved Gabrielle that way, too.
“So why?”
Gabi said Liam and his editor had just had dinner once, to go over strategy for the series of articles he was writing on his father’s life and the ongoing investigation. They’d needed to speak out of the office, and Liam was careful not to bring any aspect of his father’s life to the historic Arapahoe—their apartment building—not only for Marie’s shop and their home, but also to preserve the homes of the elderly residents who’d been there most of their lives and who had been soon to be put out on the street.
But Marie’s father’s first affair had started out with just one working dinner with his assistant. And then another had been necessary. After which he’d taken her home because her car was in the shop.
Or at least that was the story she’d been told.
“Why, Daddy? If you loved Mom, why were you unfaithful to her?”
“I wish I could tell you that.”
She could feel her father’s sigh all the way from Arizona.
“I wish I had the answer for myself.”
“Try. This is important.”
“You in love, baby?” Was that a note of hope in his voice.
“No, Daddy, absolutely not. I’m just...” She was not going to tell her father about her fears where Gabi was concerned. Still couldn’t believe she’d actually told Elliott.
She knew they were unfounded. Knew that she had severe trust issues. Unfortunately that knowledge didn’t erase a lifetime of example. Or the worry that stemmed from having been hurt by that example.
And not just from her father.
He was just the only unfaithful male she had access to at the moment.
The thought did occur to her that she was obsessing over Liam’s ability to be faithful as way of avoiding an even harder truth.
Gabrielle was married, and Marie was alone. All alone. And didn’t see any hope for a remedy to the situation.
She was going to end up like Grace—able to change the insides of a toilet when she was eighty because she’d been alone for so long.
Worse than Grace. At least the older woman had known true love. He’d just died too young.
“Hurting your mother was the last thing I ever wanted to do...” Her father sounded old. Tired. And sadder than she was.
“Then why did you?” She’d been there. Still felt the pain. She knew who’d wronged them.
“I...guess I thought I could get away with it. I never thought she’d find out.”
The answer made her angry. And frightened her at the same time.
“What were you thinking when you were with them, Daddy? Did you ever even think about Mom and me waiting for you at home?”
“What I thought was that I was desperate to save my marriage.”
She scoffed. And then choked. Such a ludicrous remark didn’t deserve comment.
“Your mom and I had reached a state of comfortable, secure, forever love. I wanted that kind of love. Had always wanted it. But something inside me was missing. I was getting irritable with you. With your mom. Starting to feel trapped. While at the same time craving every minute I spent with you both and missing
