Brown Eyed Girl (35 page)

“
If you feel it’s necessary. I already know everything I need to know about you.”

Red shook his head and sat down at the man’s computer. He transferred the files and printed them out. Five minutes later, he handed him the stack of neatly printed sheets.

“
Now, that’s more like it,” Daniel told him. “Drake keeps telling me I need to learn how to work that damn thing but I’m too old to start learning anything new.”

“
You’re never too old to learn,” Red told him with a smile.

Daniel smiled and nodded. “Red, is there anything I can do for the wedding? It’s traditionally the bride’s parents who pay for everything, isn’t it?”

“
Don’t worry about that, sir, I’ve got it under control.”

“
How about the honeymoon? Have you two planned anything, yet?”

“
No sir, we haven’t had a chance to think about it yet.”

“
Why don’t you let me pay for it? It would mean a lot to me if you did. You two can go anywhere in the world. I’d pay first class for everything.”

“
We’ll see, sir. It might be a good idea if you called her first. I didn’t tell her I was coming here today, but regardless of her answer, I thank you for the offer.” He walked to the doorway. “I’ve got a club opening coming up, and I’ve been neglecting it.” He gripped the older man’s hand firmly. “It was nice meeting you, sir.”

Daniel’s face broke out in a wide grin. “You too, Red.”

<><><>

Tiffany came in around five fifteen that afternoon, dropped her bag at the door and walked straight into Red’s waiting arms.

“
Mm, it feels good to hold you,” Red groaned as they stood clinging to each other.

“
It feels good coming home to you,” she said, reaching up to kiss him.

“
Are you hungry?”

“
Starving…whatcha cooking?”

“
Chicken gumbo.”

“
Perfect weather for it, the temp is dropping fast out there,” she said.

“
I just got home around four. It won’t be done for another hour or so. Can you wait that long?”

She nibbled on his earlobe. “I can think of something to pass the time while we wait.”

He grinned at her and turned to lead her to the bedroom.

Forty-five satisfying minutes later, Tiffany lay curled up against her husband, one ankle wrapped possessively around his leg. “I tried calling you to meet me for lunch today, but you never answered. Was your phone turned off?”

“
Yeah, I was in the middle of a visit with your father,” he said, not expecting much of a comment from her. He got less than that in the form of an icy silence as she pulled away from him.

“
Babe?” he asked, baffled by her demeanor.

“
Why would you do that without talking to me about it first?” she asked, her posture stiff and unwelcoming.

“
Well, I wanted to get it out of the way without concerning you with it.”

“
Concerning me? You don’t think you talking to
my
father is my concern?” She climbed out of the bed, wrapping herself in her robe and looking for her slippers.

“
Doc, what’s the problem?” he asked.

“
I don’t like anyone sneaking around behind my back, Red. If I wanted that I could have stayed with Tanner.”

“
Babe, I told you I wanted to contact him.”

Tiffany pulled a set of clothes from the tall boy chest of drawers, clothes she’d just unpacked the night before. “And I told you I didn’t want him to be a part of my life anymore.” She swung around to face Red. “Why the hell would you do this now?”

Red sat swung his legs over the bed and sat up. “Don’t you want to know what he had to say?”

“
I don’t even want to hear what you have to say,” she said, her tone flat and hard.

The slam of the bathroom door echoed throughout the spacious room. Too dazed from what just happened, Red stared in shock at the closed door. At the start of the shower, he forced himself to rise from the bed, wondering how the hell to fix this situation he’d gotten himself into.

“
Son of a bitch,” he mumbled to his reflection in the mirror. “You were warned, but you didn’t listen.”

<>

Tension, thick and heavy, pressed down on Tiffany’s chest as she tried to eat her supper. Red sat across from her at the snack bar with a bowl of gumbo in front of him. He pushed the spoon around, looking like he had no more of an appetite than she did.
Married a little over twenty-four hours and already having our first argument…I expected this with Tanner but sure as hell not Red.
She pulled her gaze away quickly as Red looked up.

“
How’s the gumbo?” he asked.

“
Good.”

“
Need anything? More tea?”

“
No.”

“
Doc, I’m sorry.”

“
You should be.”

“
I thought I was help…”

“
I didn’t ask for your help,” she blurted, whipping around to face him. “I specifically told you I didn’t want anything to do with him…didn’t I?”

Red nodded. “You did…I’m an ass.”

“
You won’t get any arguments from me,” she said, with an adamant shake of her curls. Tiffany’s mobile phone rang and she cursed lowly while reading the caller I.D. “Great…just flipping great.” She pushed her stool back from the counter and put her phone to her ear, all the while glaring at Red. Taking a deep breath, she braced herself, both mentally and physically, before answering. “Hello father.”

“
Hello, Tiffany. How are you?”

“
I’m fine,” she said, not bothering to remove the iciness from her tone.

“
Do you have time to talk?”
he asked.

“
I’m in the middle of supper.”

“
Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll call back.”

“
No, we may as well get this over with. I seem to have lost my appetite, anyway.”

“
Aw…hell…”

“
Talk, Dad. I have things to do.” When she began to load the dishwasher, Red placed his hands on her shoulders and attempted to guide her gently toward the hallway, presumably to the master bedroom. She pulled away angrily and sat instead at the island, giving him a brusque shake of her head as he shrugged then took over cleaning the kitchen.

The ensuing phone silence grew heavier, as neither she nor her father knew what to say next.

Daniel LeBlanc took a deep breath and released it slowly.
“I’m sure that your husband told you he came to visit me today.”

“
Yes, he did…Not terribly long ago, actually.”

“
He’s a fine man. You’ve chosen well for yourself.”

“
He can be, when he listens.” She saw the obvious stiffening of Red’s shoulders at her comment.

“
Have I called at a bad time?”

“
Honestly, there will never be a good time, so shoot. Why the call?” Her father took yet another deep breath.
Funny, he almost sounds terrified.

“
Tiffany, I’m sorry for any part I’ve played in trying to get you to marry Tanner. That was wrong of us, I know that now. I spoke to your mother today and told her she’s not to interfere in your marriage, and you have my promise that I won’t either.”

“
Thank you.”
If there is a marriage after tonight.

“
I also spoke to her about a few other things, like her refusing to pay your college tuition. I swear to you, I had no idea. I was a fool for leaving the raising of you and Drake to her. I always assumed she was doing what was best for both of you. I never dreamed she would do such a thing.”

Tiffany froze at his confession, anger suffusing her mind and body. “Are you trying to make me believe you had nothing to do with that?”

“
I’m not making excuses, I know I dropped the ball and I know I have some heavy duty atoning to do. It’s my fault that you didn’t feel comfortable enough to come to me. Please believe me when I tell you that I am so terribly sorry.”

“
Wait…Are you telling me you didn’t know?”

“
That’s what I’m telling you. Whether or not you believe me is the issue.”

She remained silent long enough for him to ask if she was still on the line.

“
Yes, I’m still here.” She bit her lower lip as Red turned in an agonizingly slow movement to lean against the sink and cross his arms. “How could you not know that?” she whispered her gaze locked on Red’s, trying to hold back tears that threatened.

“
I had a law firm to run, Tiffany. I left the family finances to your mother, who probably paid some accountant to do them for her. Honestly, I assumed you chose LSU because you knew I’d gone there and it always made me a little proud. Now I see how stupid I was to assume that.”

“
I…I didn’t even know you went to LSU,” she said, biting back tears. Red walked up behind her and wrapped his arms loosely around her waist. She let them remain at her waist, hating the fact that she took strength from his presence. “I guess I have no choice but to believe you. It doesn’t matter anyway, it’s done.”

“
It matters plenty, Tiffany. Is there anything I can do now to make up for it?”

“
No.”

“
I’ve told Red that I’d like to pay for your honeymoon if that’s okay. Anywhere in the world the two of you would like to go—all expenses paid and first class everything.

Tiffany’s jaw clenched at her father’s offer. Her first instinct was to hang up on him, but she forced herself to be civil. “Red and I both make plenty of money. We don’t need you to pay for anything,” she said stonily.

“
I know that Tiff, I just wanted to do something. I’d really like to do this for you.”

She stood up suddenly, pulling out of Red’s embrace to pace the kitchen floor. She caught her husband’s eye, could tell by his grim expression that he was waiting for the explosion. She continued to pace silently, seething inside, until her father asked again if she was on the phone.

“
Yes, I’m still here. I’m just thinking about your offer.”

“
I hope you accept.”

She stopped pacing and her voice rose sharply. “Do you think that would make everything better?”

“
Well…no…but I was hop…”

“
Surely, dad,” she interrupted, “you can’t
possibly
think that after thirty-six years you can buy me off like I’m one of your business acquisitions.”

“
No honey…it’s not like tha..”

“
Don’t
call me honey!” Tiffany’s voice shook with anger. “You don’t
know
me well enough to call me by any pet names.”

“
I…I’m sorry Tiffany…You’re my daughter and I didn’t mean to insult you.”

“
But you did! You do insult me by thinking I would even consider taking a dime from you after all these years! You insult me by thinking you can waltz back into my life after not giving a damn all this time. You and that
woman
who were both supposed to be caring for me and Drake...You ignored us the entire time we lived in that house and
now
you want to suddenly make it right? It doesn’t work that way, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you off that easily!” She caught Red’s eye again, could see that he was near to bursting with pride for her. He had no idea how difficult it was for her to stand up for herself against her father. Her new husband was clueless to the fact that the only reason she could now was because of
his
strength and support, whether or not she liked that fact. She definitely did not.

“
Tiffany, I…I am so…so deeply sorry,”
Daniel sputtered
. “That was not my intention at all. I have no excuse. I’ve been a lousy father and I know it’s late to just be learning this dad thing, but I sure would be grateful to you if you’d let me have a shot at it. I want to change for you and Drake. I want to be a better man. Please, give me the chance to do that.”

Tiffany turned her back on Red, finding it more difficult to be angry with him beaming down at her like she’d just won best in show. “I don’t know, Dad. If you suck at it, it won’t be good. I don’t think I need that kind of aggravation in my life…believe me I have enough here at home.” She frowned at the sound of her father’s heavy sigh of frustration, thinking this was it. He’d give up and hang up, in that order and she’d never hear from him again.

“
I’m obviously not good at making myself understood over the phone. Would you mind if I paid you a visit? I could go over this weekend. Please, I sincerely want to change.”

Tiffany’s legs nearly buckled at his offer. She pivoted back and forth a few times, trying to comprehend what she was hearing from him, before stopping. “Look, I’m warning you now—unless you intend to keep up this new relationship you seem to want with me, don’t bother putting us through this. I don’t want to put forth an effort on someone who’s going to forget about us as soon he’s out of range. I want our children to know their grandparents, but if you neglect them like you did Drake and me, I’ll make sure you never see them. They’ll already have one set of wonderful grandparents in Gardiner, and they won’t miss you. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”