Summer's End (Wildflowers #5) - Jill Sanders Page 0,65

me if I’d lost my favorite patient?”

Her father chuckled then leaned back and closed his eyes. “I’m tired.” He turned to the doctor. “Any word on Bridgett?”

“She hasn’t been here,” he answered. “Aubrey has.” He nodded to her. “Now, I’m going to go see about getting the latest blood test results to see if you’re clean and clear.” He turned towards the door, but glanced back. “I’ll order you some breakfast.”

He disappeared and she turned back to her father.

Chapter 20

When Aiden came back with coffee from the little shop in the lobby of the hospital, he didn’t know what else he could do except stand by Aubrey. She was desperately trying to convince her father that she wasn’t the monster Bridgett had made her out to be.

Every time her father wanted something, he would glance his way as if he was only around to wait on him. He kept his temper in check for the most part, but when he walked in after getting the man some dinner and overheard him berating Aubrey about how she and her friends had stolen all of Bridgett’s ex-husband’s money, he had to step in.

“You’ve got to be kidding.” He set the tray of food down with a slight slam. “I’m done playing these games.”

“Aiden,” Aubrey jumped in.

“No.” He shook his head. “I’ve sat in here all day and listened to you take the word of a woman that you’ve known for less than a year over the word of your daughter.”

Aubrey touched his arm lightly. “Aiden, you don’t have to—”

“Aubrey, you’ve done nothing but give into him your entire life. You dropped everything, your life, your job, to rush up here when you feared he was dead due to a silly game he wanted to play.” He turned back to her father. “Something tells me that was Bridgett’s idea.” The look on her father’s face confirmed his suspicions. “That woman has played this game before. I’ve heard what Zoey and Scarlett and their mother, Kimberly, had to go through all thanks to her.” He took a deep breath when he noticed a spark in the older man’s eyes. He could’ve sworn it was pride, but he was too fired up to stop now. “Aubrey and her friends made a successful business out of River Camps long before Jean Rowlett died. They didn’t need his money.”

“I know,” her father surprised him by saying. “I’ve known everything that’s gone on at that little camp of yours since the moment you stepped foot in that place,” he told Aubrey. “That doesn’t negate the things you’ve done to get there.”

“What are you talking about?” Aubrey asked.

“Bridgett told me everything.” He leaned back and closed his eyes.

“Like?” he asked the man. He could tell Harold was tired but knew that Aubrey wanted to get answers.

“How the five of you tricked the camp’s owner, Joe Saunders, into giving up the place. How you’d plotted long ago how you were going to take over the camp.” He closed his eyes.

“What?” Aubrey laughed. “Oh, that’s a great story.” She moved over and shook her father lightly. “Don’t you fall asleep until you hear the real truth. Elle Saunders, one of my best friends, is Joe’s granddaughter. Joe was the only man in my entire life whom I looked up to like a father.” Aubrey glared down at her father. “Including present company. We all loved Joe. When he died, we all mourned. By fate, he left the camp to the five of us, and Elle had the idea of turning it into what it is today. We all forked over every dime we’d saved up until then and worked our butts off to turn it into what it is now.”

“It’s true,” Aiden stepped forward. “I own the company that’s been in charge of all the remodeling. For the first year, I didn’t even take a salary. Hell, I’ve put more money, blood, and sweat into the camp than most. I know everything that’s gone on there since day one.” He glanced over at Aubrey. “And I’m Elle Saunders’s cousin. Joe was my great-uncle. He’d always intended to leave the camp to the Wildflowers.”

“I’m tired. Go away.” Harold waved them away.

“No, not until you see the truth,” Aubrey insisted.

“Aub.” He touched her arm. “Let’s let him rest.”

Aubrey glanced up at him and shook her head as tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Why?” she said and turned around. “Why do you hate me so much?”

He laughed. “I don’t hate you. You’re my daughter. My