needed help, knowing she didn’t want that, but then fighting for her to get everything she needs. You’re the type of man every father prays his daughter finds.”
With that, Jasper moved through the dining room, gigantic living room, and stopped at the base of the stairs thinking he paid his employees too damn much if they could afford this. Then he was glad he did, because he wanted Addy to have this. Not the big grand house, but the big home so she could fill it with his grandchildren.
Once he made it to the second floor, he followed the murmur of voices and paused in the doorway.
His wife sat in the middle of a huge bed with her girl next to her. Their backs to the headboard, Addy’s head resting on her mother’s shoulder, their hands clasped together.
A sight he’d seen hundreds of times. A sight that was no less beautiful than it was any of those times.
Emily Walker loved her children. A fierce lioness and a smart woman. She’d given their children the tools to overcome any obstacle.
This would be no different.
“Hey, Dad,” Addy sheepishly called, and the knife in Jasper’s gut twisted.
Hell no.
His girl was no sheep.
“I’m gonna go down and give you two a minute.” Emily patted Addy’s knee and slid off the bed. Addy followed, and that was when Jasper noticed she was in Durum’s tee.
He ground his teeth in an effort not to think about what that said.
Jasper was not dumb, his daughters were gorgeous, Delaney had a child and one on the way, Quinn lived with Brice, and Hadley lived with Brady. But that didn’t mean he wanted to admit to himself his daughters were anything but as pure as the white driven snow and his granddaughter wasn’t the consequence of immaculate conception.
“I’m sorry,” Addy blurted out and Jasper jerked back.
“Stop, Adalynn. You don’t have a damn thing to be sorry for. Please don’t ever apologize.”
“I was so scared. I know it was selfish not to ask for help. But I was scared.”
“I know you were and I understand why.”
“You do?”
Christ, Trey was right—his daughter was terrified of him, or more terrified for him. How had he allowed this to happen?
“I love you. I love your sisters and your brother. The five of you are my world. Add in your mother and my grandbabies and all of you are my everything. I cannot live without you all. I’m sorry you were scared to tell me because you were afraid of what I would do. That’s on me. But you need to know something—I’m so fucking proud of you I can’t express how much. You went through something that would rightfully cause a woman to crumble. Yet you stayed standing. You’re strong and resilient and you did it by yourself. I hope you know there’s nothing in this world that would make me think less of you. There’s nothing you can’t tell me.”
“That’s what Trey said.”
“Trey’s a smart man.”
Addy’s eyes narrowed, and gone was the timid woman his daughter had been when he entered the room. In her place was the fierce lioness her mother had taught her to be.
“Are you pulling my leg?”
“No.” Jasper chuckled.
“I think you are.”
“I’m not, swear.”
“Then why are you laughing?”
“Because you are so much like your mother it’s like looking back three decades and falling in love all over again. She gave you a great many things—her beauty, her kindness—but mostly she gave you her brand of loyalty and protection. And when it comes out, it is so beautiful it’s blinding.”
He’d barely gotten the last word out before his daughter was in his arms.
“I messed up,” she said, and wrapped her arms around her old man’s middle.
God, he missed that. Missed when his kids were little and used to hug him for no reason. So he took a moment to enjoy it before he asked, “What’d you mess up?”
“I said some really crappy things to Trey. I didn’t mean them but they were awful.”
“He understands.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Trust me. When I say he understands, I mean he understands.”
“They were bad.”
He thought about how much to tell his daughter, then he remembered how strong she was and didn’t hold back.
“I know why you didn’t want to tell. And I know what you said. Trey didn’t pull any punches when he laid it out, and part of that was he was willing to risk everything to get you help even after you told him you hated him and you’d never forgive him.