Skin Deep (15 page)

“Honey,” he said, taking a step toward her. “Listen to me…”

She stalked through the suite, toward the outer door. He couldn’t say anything that would explain this away. She knew what she heard, and now she knew what kind of man she was dealing with: a liar, a cheat, and the worst kind of predator. Gripping the doorknob, she slowly opened the door. “I want you to go before I call security.”

He blew out an exasperated breath. “If you would just give me a minute to explain…”

“I’m not interested in anything you have to say.” She was dying inside, but he had already seen her at her most vulnerable and he abused that trust. “I want you to be on the next plane out of here.”

He reached for the t-shirt she’d practically torn off of him last night. “Your brother is counting on me.”

She felt the crack in her shield when she said, “I was counting on you, too. I guess we’re both going to be disappointed, aren’t we?”

He took a step toward her, but she backed up into the wall. “You can get out of here now, or I’ll scream bloody murder.”

Dropping his head, he cursed. “Fine, but this isn’t over.”

“Yes, it is. If you ever try and contact me again, I’ll take out a restraining order against you. How would it look for a prominent Beverly Hills doctor to have something like that on his record?” she asked, wishing she could say something that would hurt him as much as he’d hurt her.

“Sweetheart, I love you. I did this…”

“I hate you,” she whispered, blinking back the tears. “I hate you so much. I can’t even stand the sight of you.” Gripping the door knob until her knuckles turned white and her hand trembled under the pressure, she said, “The day you walked into my dealership was the worst day of my life, bar none.”

He paused, searching her face as though he prayed to see a glimmer of hope. “I’m sorry you feel that way,” he whispered.    

Chapter Twelve

Alana was surprised when her father claimed the seat next to her on their return flight. Smiling, she asked, “Had enough of Mom?”

Instead of the smile she expected, her father looked saddened by her offhand comment about his wife. “Sweetheart, your mother and I both want what’s best for you. You know that, don’t you?”

She wasn’t sure where he was going with this, but after being gutted by Ryan, she didn’t think she could handle any more emotional upheaval right now. “The wedding was nice, wasn’t it?” She prayed he would take the hint that she wasn’t in the mood to discuss anything heavy today.

Sighing, he leaned his head against the headrest and closed his eyes.

She looked at him for a long time, trying to find the man she once knew beneath the pale, wrinkled mask he now wore. He looked tired, defeated, as though every day was a journey without a destination. Taking his hand, she asked, “Have you been feeling okay, Dad?” She was so busy trying to keep the dealership afloat that she didn’t check in on him as often as she should. Yet another reason to feel guilty.

“I’m okay,” he said, failing to open his eyes. “Just tired. I’m still so damn tired. I keep hoping that one day I’ll wake up and be the man I used to be…” He opened one eye, tilting his head to look at her. “But we both know that’s not likely to happen, don’t we?”

“Don’t say that,” she said, her heart breaking for him. She and her father didn’t always share the same views, but she knew his concern for her came from a place of genuine affection, whereas with her mother, she wasn’t always so sure. “Look at how far you’ve come in such a short time. This time next year…”

He patted her hand, the ghost of a smile on his thin lips. “You can’t slow down the aging process, honey. I’d be dealing with that even if I hadn’t had the stroke.”

“What do the doctors and physical therapists say?”

“That I’m damn lucky to be alive and I should quit complaining.”

She smiled. That was her father, never satisfied with the status quo. “They’re right, you know. Every day is a gift, Dad. We need to learn to treat it as such.”

He chuckled. “Is that what you’ve been doing? Holed up in that damned office every day from sun-up ‘til sun-down, shutting yourself off from the rest of the world?”

She felt the sharp blade of his recrimination pierce her heart. She was doing this to save his business and help her family. She was sacrificing her life, her dreams, for him. How dare he scold her! “It’s not like I have a choice.”

“Everyone has a choice, angel,” he said, quietly. “And I’ve decided to exercise my right to choose.”

“What the hell does that mean?” she asked, withdrawing her hand from his to fold her arms over her chest. She suddenly felt the need to protect herself. She knew her father well enough to know when the proverbial shit was getting ready to hit the fan. “What have you decided?”

“Ryan came to see your mother and me before he left.”

The mere mention of his name made her gut clench. She had thought about him endlessly since she kicked him off the island and out of her life, berating herself for being taken in by yet another con artist. “I know Justin wasn’t happy that I asked Ryan to leave. Even after I told him what he’d done, he didn’t want to believe it. He thought there must be some explanation…”

Her father touched her arm, effectively silencing her. “Your brother was right, Alana.”

“Don’t tell me he managed to convince you that he’s sincere? Dad, I heard him on the phone. He was talking to his wife, or ex-wife, who’s apparently a lawyer...”

“It was his sister.”

“His sister?” She let that piece of information sink in. So he hadn’t been cheating, just lying. “What about the kids?”

“His niece and nephew.”

“How do you know all of this?”

“I spoke to his sister myself. She explained how you had misunderstood and wanted me to convey the message to you, when you were ready to listen.”

“I don’t understand,” she said, wringing her hands as a deep feeling of dread began to wash over her. “Why didn’t Ryan tell me the woman he was talking to was his sister?”

“He said he tried, but you wouldn’t give him a chance to explain.”

He was right, of course. She hadn’t even considered giving him the benefit of the doubt. She felt like she was transported back in time, to that day when she’d walked in on Todd with other women. Grimacing, she asked, “What about his plan to buy the dealership?”

He heaved a gusty sigh. “He was trying to help us out of a bind. He knew if we didn’t get a buyer soon, we would lose everything.” His expression was pained as he said, “Everything I’d worked my whole life for…”

“Dad,” she said, gripping his knee, “that’s not going to happen. I won’t let it happen.”

“You’re right; it’s not going to happen. I’ve sold Ryan the dealership, honey.”

“What are you talking about? Why would you do that without talking to me first?”

“It was my business, my decision.”

Knowing that her contribution meant so little to him after all she’d sacrificed to try and help him hurt. “If that’s the way you feel, I guess there’s nothing left to talk about, is there?”

He took her hand, bringing it to his lips, and her heart ached when she saw his weathered hand trembling. “I’m so grateful for everything you’ve done. We all are.”

She glanced across the aisle to see her mother watching them. Her eyes were soft, filled with un-shed tears.

She cleared her throat, trying to find her voice. “I hope he made you a fair offer?”

“More than fair. In fact, more than the dealership is worth right now.”

“Really? Why would he do that?”

For the first time since he sat down, her father smiled. “Isn’t it obvious? He did it for you, because he loves you.”

She looked out the window, considering his words. Was it possible she misjudged him, jumped to all of the wrong conclusions because of her own past? What other reason was there? A doctor of Ryan’s stature wouldn’t suddenly wake up one morning and decide to buy a car dealership unless he had a strong motive, like love. Covering her face with her hands, she wished she could turn back time and re-live their last meeting. “I wouldn’t blame him if he never wanted to see me again,” she whispered. 

“He wants you to be happy, free to pursue your dream of building your own business.”

Looking at him, she asked, “He talked to you about that?”

“He let us have it was more like it.”

She sat staring at her father, stunned. Even in his present condition, her father was still a force to be reckoned with, and her mother hadn’t earned the title among her friends as a “prima bitch” without just cause. “Are you serious?”

“Quite serious.” Chuckling, he said, “He told us we were blind not to recognize your incredible talent. He said we should be ashamed of ourselves for trying to quash your spirit.” Looking her in the eye, he said, “We are ashamed.”

Tipping her head back, she closed her eyes. In spite of how she treated him, he still took it upon himself to champion her cause and put her parents in their place. No one, aside from her Cici, had ever cared enough to defend her choices. “I can’t believe he did that,” she whispered.

“He’s a remarkable young man.”

“Probably too good for me,” she muttered.

“Don’t say that,” he said, pointing a finger at her. “You’re beautiful, smart, talented, and so very brave.” He coughed as though he were trying to clear a lump in his throat. “I love you, honey, and I’m so proud of you.”

She looked across the aisle to see her mother leaning forward, tears sliding down her cheeks, marring her perfect make-up. “Ditto,” she mouthed, smiling.

Her parents had never said those three little words aloud before, and she suddenly realized she’d waited her whole life to hear them. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she whispered, “I love you too, Daddy.”

“Oh God, that feels so good,” Ryan moaned. “Yeah, that’s it, Jen, right there. Fuck, that’s amazing.”

Jen slipped her hand under his towel and giggled. “Right about there, boss man?”

Since she was one of his best friends’ wives, he knew she was just trying to get a rise out of him to amuse herself. She and her husband, Steve, owned a wellness clinic and had leased space in one of his medical buildings for years.

“Remind me again why I don’t look for another massage therapist?” he said, struggling to sit up while gripping the towel at his waist.

With a saucy grin, she planted a hand on her hip. “Because we both know I’m the best. Besides, I’m the only one stupid enough to enter the lion’s den these days.”

Grimacing, he swung his legs over the side of the portable massage table. Unfortunately, Jen was right. He was miserable with everyone who dared to cross him, and his temperament had only worsened since Alana told him she was through with him. He hoped her father had talked to her by now, but he hadn’t heard a word from her, not a phone call, not even a lousy text message, in the weeks since she returned from Aruba.

“You want to talk about it?” Jen asked, wiping her hands on a towel. “Steve said you were in to see him for an adjustment a couple of days ago and he’d never seen you so unhappy.” She placed a hand on his leg. “We’re your friends; we love you. If we can do anything to help, just say the word.”

Hanging his head, he said, “Can you believe I’m this messed up over a woman?”

Stroking his shoulder, she said, “I had a feeling that may be it. Who is she?”

“Justin’s sister. Her name’s Alana; I met her at a Christmas party last year. She was dating Bruce at the time and I was still seeing Kelly, so nothing came of it, but…”

Jen threw the towel over her shoulder. “But what? You two ran into each other again?”

“Not exactly,” he said, embarrassed to admit the lengths he’d gone to just to meet her. “You know that Porsche I bought a while back?”

Jen laughed. “Yeah, you mean the one identical to the car you already owned?”

“That one was a couple years old already,” he said, feeling like a self-indulgent fool.

“Right, and you’d had it out of the garage, what, four times?”

He shrugged. “I prefer to take the Land Rover to work and I like to ride my Harley on weekends.” Sighing when she rolled her eyes, he said, “Okay, the fact is, I bought the car because I wanted to hook up with Alana.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Her family owns a dealership. I went in there to introduce myself and…”

“Wow,” Jen said, whistling under her breath. “That’s got to be the most expensive date on record.”

If only she knew that he bought the whole damn dealership just to prove how much he loved her. Too bad that grand gesture blew up in his face. “Anyways, long story short, we were in Aruba together, at Justin’s wedding, and let’s just say she ended it.”

“Oh, hon,” she said, gripping his knee. “Can’t you do anything to make her change her mind?”

As far as he was concerned, he’d done everything he knew how to do to prove himself to this woman. She had to make the next move, and if she chose not to, he just had to find a way to ease this dull ache in his chest that made it damn near impossible to breathe at times.