Ruthless Read online

  Luc felt some of his old insecurities resurface when Shana described the kind of father her husband was to Nikki. He prayed he would live up to his daughter’s expectations. “He sounds like quite a guy.”

  Shana smiled, openly displaying her respect for her husband. “He’s the best man I’ve ever known, Luc.”

  He reached over to brush a kiss across her cheek. “I’m glad you found what you were looking for. You deserve to be happy.”

  “So do you. You and Marisa looked pretty cozy today; any chance you’ll be able to work things out?”

  He would give anything to answer that question with conviction, but their future was still uncertain. “Honestly, I don’t know what’s gonna happen with Marisa. I love her. I want to make things work, but I don’t know where her head is right now.”

  “One thing’s for sure, Luc. That woman loves you.”

  “How do you know that?”

  Shana tugged on his tie, looking wistful. “She looked at you the way I used to, like you’re the center of her world.”

  Luc closed his eyes. He made mistakes with Shana; he couldn’t live with himself if he made the same mistakes with Marisa. “I was an idiot back then...”

  She held up her hand to silence him. “No, I was the idiot, Luc. You were honest with me about where things were going. I thought I could change your mind; obviously I was wrong.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I led you to believe I got pregnant with Nikki by accident. I didn’t.” She lowered her head, staring at the ground.

  He took a step closer and lowered his voice. “Wait a minute, are you telling me you got pregnant on purpose? Were you trying to trap me into marrying you?”

  She lifted her chin and looked him in the eye. “No, I was just trying to make you love me. I thought if I was the mother of your child, that would make us a family. I was young and stupid...”

  He saw the fear and remorse in her eyes and pulled her into his arms. “It doesn’t matter anymore, Shana. We all make mistakes, and if you and Nikki can forgive me, I sure as hell can forgive you.”

  She smiled up at him. “Thanks, Luc. This was weighing on me for a long time. I think I want to tell Nikki the truth about how she was conceived.”

  Luc shook his head. “Don’t do that. I don’t want her to be angry with you. Besides, what purpose would it serve now? That’s ancient history.”

  She took a step back, looking surprised. “It might make it easier for you two to form a bond. Maybe she would understand...”

  “I don’t deserve a pass for walking out on you guys. I made a mistake, and I have to deal with the consequences. If Nikki and I build a relationship now, I want it to be because she genuinely likes me as a person, and she wants me to be a part of her life.”

  She reached up to stroke his cheek. “I think she’s definitely gonna like you. In fact, I think she’s gonna learn to love you in no time at all.”

  That was more than he could allow himself to hope for right now. Having her acknowledge him as her dad was more than he deserved. “We’ll see what happens. But about her music career...”

  “What about it?”

  “Florida doesn’t have many opportunities for country musicians.” He chuckled. “I don’t have to tell you that Nashville is still the hub of country music. If this thing is gonna happen for her, that may mean she has to relocate.” Luc could tell the possibility of losing her daughter worried Shana. “Of course, this is all speculation on my part. Like I said, we’ll have to see if she’s got what it takes.”

  She sighed. “Just wait ‘til you hear her sing.”

  Luc could barely keep his eyes open by the time he pulled into his driveway, but his fifteen year-old daughter appeared to be on a caffeine-induced high. She chattered non-stop about everything from her favorite musicians to school and her friends.

  Her mouth dropped open as he entered the code to open the iron gates at the end of his driveway.

  “Ohmigod, this is your house?”

  The outdoor lights cast a soft glow over the stately two story mansion and surrounding grounds.

  “This is it, home sweet home. What do you think?”

  She pulled her cell phone out of her purse and started snapping pictures. “Our house back home is nice, but I think my friends are gonna die when they see this!”

  He eased his car into one of the spaces in the attached four car garage and cut the engine. He turned to face her. “Sounds like you’re really happy in Florida?”

  She shrugged. “Sure, it’s been my home for a long time now.”

  “If you’re serious about your music career and I’m able to sign you, you’d probably have to spend a fair bit of time here in Nashville. How would you feel about that?”

  “You mean I’d be living here in this house, with you?”

  He couldn’t tell whether the idea appealed to her, so he chose to tread carefully. “How would you feel about that?”

  “Are you serious? It’d be awesome. Do you have servants and everything?”

  He laughed and hit a button to lower the garage door. “No servants, just a full-time cook, housekeeper, and groundskeeper. Other than that, I’m on my own.”

  She gripped her cell phone tightly in her hand. “So, what’s the deal with Marisa? You two seem pretty close.”

  He hadn’t considered how proposing to Marisa might affect his fragile relationship with his daughter. He’d never needed to consider anyone else’s opinion when making decisions before. This was clearly going to take some getting used to. “What do you think of Marisa?” He’d noticed the two of them chatting at the reception, and the conversation seem cordial from a distance.

  “She’s nice. I like her.”

  “Good, I’m glad to hear you say that because I’m going to ask her to marry me, Nikki. That is, if you’re okay with it? If you’d rather we take some time so you could get to know each other first...”

  Nikki shifted in her seat, looking uncomfortable. “Uh, Dad, it’s not me you have to worry about.”

  He sensed she was reluctant to say what was on her mind, perhaps because she was trying to spare his feelings. “What do you mean? Whatever it is, just tell me, honey.”

  She turned to face him. “Marisa said it’s over between the two of you. She didn’t wanna talk about it at first, but I kinda pressed the issue, and she finally came clean. I hope you don’t think I was sticking my nose into your business or anything?”

  He could tell she was anxious about over-stepping her boundaries and he wanted to put her mind at ease. He reached over to cover her hand with his. “I’m not mad, sweetheart. Just tell me exactly what she said.” He hated pumping his teenage daughter for information, but he was desperate to find out what Marisa had said about their future.

  She shrugged. “She just said you guys had been involved once, but she didn’t wanna go back there.”

  “Huh.” Luc tried to act nonchalant, as though her words weren’t destroying him. “Is that so?”

  She squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry, Dad. You really love her, don’t you?”

  He didn’t know how much to share with her; this was foreign territory for him. “Yeah, I do. I was kinda hopin’ she’d give me another chance.”

  “Granddad once told me that if I wanted something badly enough, I had to find a way to make it happen.” She grinned. “Maybe you should take his advice.”

  Luc kissed her hand. “Your grand-dad was a wise man, Nik. And speaking of making things happen, how ‘bout you show me what you’ve got?” He opened his car door, but she grabbed his arm.

  “Dad, if you’re too wrung out to do this now, or if you wanna call Marisa...”

  A warm bed with Marisa in it sounded like heaven to him, but his time with his daughter was limited, so she had to take priority tonight. He would track Marisa down tomorrow, and if he had to, he’d get down on his knees and beg for another chance with her. “No way, you’re not backin’ out on me now, girlie.” He winked at her. “I w
anna hear if you’re all talk, or you’ve really got a set of pipes to back it up.”

  She reached for the door handle. “Okay, game on.”

  He laughed as he ran up the stairs and deactivated the alarm with her hot on his heels. He flipped a switch that cast a warm glow of light down the hall toward his library. “Come on in, darlin’.”

  She stepped inside, looking up at the high ceilings and ornate crown molding. “You have fancy molding in your mud room? I can’t wait to see what the rest of the house looks like.”

  For the first time, he felt a little embarrassed about his opulent lifestyle. He didn’t want her to believe material things were all that mattered to him. “Do you want me to give the tour before we get started?”

  “Sure, that’d be great,” she said, following him down the wide hallway.

  He pointed to a paneled mahogany room with wall to wall bookcases. “That’s my library.”

  “Wow,” she whispered. “Impressive.”

  He pointed to a semi-closed door. “There’s the powder room.” He continued to walk down the hall. “Here’s the hub of the house, the kitchen.” He gave her a moment to take in the hand-carved, dark wood cabinets and sub-zero appliances before moving onto the eating area, which housed a gilded table large enough to seat twelve guests.

  “This eating area is bigger than my bedroom at home,” she said, looking up to appreciate the Tuscan inspired mural on the ceiling. “It’s amazing.”

  He felt guilty that she and her mother had to sacrifice before Liam came into their lives, while he lived in the lap of luxury. “Why don’t we finish the tour later? I’m anxious to hear you sing.”

  “Okay, sure.”

  He pointed down several steps to a baby grand piano in the great room. “Make yourself comfortable. There’s some sheet music in the bench, some of Trey’s stuff too, I think.”

  She shook her head. “I still can’t believe you get to hang out with guys like Trey Turner. That must be so cool.”

  Luc laughed. “At the risk of sounding immodest, guys like Trey were just regular guys until they met me.”

  She claimed a seat at the piano bench and looked up at him. “I read an article about you a while back. They called you the ‘Star-maker.’” She laughed. “I thought that was pretty awesome.”

  “I’m kinda surprised you wanted to learn anything about me, Nikki.”

  She shrugged. “Nana and Grand-dad talked about you a lot. They made you sound like a pretty cool guy, so I guess I was curious.”

  Luc was touched that his parents spoke highly of him, given their strained relationship. “Really? What did they say about me?”

  “Just that you were really driven and focused, that you excelled in school. They said you were always a high achiever and they knew you were destined to be successful in life, even as a kid.” She grinned. “It was pretty obvious that they were crazy proud of you.”

  Luc smiled. “That’s nice to hear. Thank you for sharing that with me.” Without Nikki’s insight, he may never have known how his parents really felt about him, especially now that his father was gone.

  “Sure.” She took a deep breath and set some sheet music on the stand in front of her. “Okay, you ready for this?”

  He grinned. “I can’t wait. Give it all you’ve got, kiddo.”

  She closed her eyes and began to stroke the keys, as though she were seeking to reach an invisible zone only she could see. She opened her mouth and began to sing a familiar song.

  Luc gripped the edge of the piano and listened intently, trying to be objective, trying to find fault with the key or pitch or melody, but she was perfect, absolutely perfect. “Oh my God,” he whispered, once she finished. “Nik, that was amazing.”

  She blushed and dipped her head. “You really think so? You’re not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?”

  He sat down beside her at the bench. “You just blew my mind, kid. I don’t even know what to say right now.”

  “Really?” The tears began to streak her cheeks and her bottom lip trembled. “I was so afraid you wouldn’t like me.”

  He put his arms around her. “Honey, I love you.” He pulled back to look her in the eye. “Oh, and I love your voice too.”

  She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. “Thanks, Dad.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Luc heard the sweet sound of his daughter’s voice drifting through the bathroom door as he climbed out of the shower the next morning. He was still in awe of her. She was beautiful, intelligent, talented, and compassionate. She gave him a second chance, whether he deserved it or not. He only hoped Marisa would be as magnanimous when he went to see her this morning.

  He’d given up trying to reach Marisa last night when she failed to respond to the dozen texts and voice mail messages he left. He finally surrendered to sleep with the phone pressed against his ear. He woke up at dawn to a loud buzzing sound, indicating the phone had been off the hook all night. He thought of calling again this morning, but he knew their issues couldn’t be resolved over the phone. He had to see her face-to-face to make her understand the depth of his regret.

  He dressed quickly and brushed his teeth, opting to shave later. His time with Nikki was running out and he wanted to make the most of the time they had left.

  She was sitting at a bar stool at the breakfast counter, nibbling on a fresh blueberry muffin as she scrolled the messages on her Blackberry.

  “Morning, beautiful, sleep well?” He poured a cup of coffee from the pot his housekeeper had left for him.

  She giggled. “I slept like a baby. That bed is way too comfortable.”

  “Didn’t keep you from hauling your butt outta bed at the crack of dawn though, did it?”

  A subtle pink glow suffused her cheeks. “I didn’t wake you, did I? I had an idea for a song, and I wanted to work it out. I’m sorry if I...”

  Luc took a fortifying sip of coffee and sighed, knowing he would need at least another cup or two before he faced Marisa’s wrath. “You write your own music?”

  She lowered her head and concentrated on eating her muffin. “It’s no big deal. I don’t know if I’m any good at it. I mean, my boyfriend thinks I am, but...”

  “Your boyfriend? You have a boyfriend?” Luc immediately went into over-protective father mode, remembering the sex-crazed teenage boy he’d once been.

  She smiled, oblivious to his concern. “Yeah, his name’s Evan. He’s a great guy, sweet, smart, funny.” She scanned the images on her phone until she found one of the two of them together. “Here he is.”

  Luc set his cup down and took the phone from her. He looked at the image and suppressed the impulse to tell her he was not only too old for her, but she was too young to have a boyfriend. “How old is Evan?”

  “He’s eighteen, a senior. How cool is that?”

  Luc clenched his teeth. “No offense, honey, but when I was in high school, eighteen year-old boys didn’t have time for fifteen year-old girls.”

  She snatched the phone back. “Yeah well, I guess times have changed.”

  He took a deep breath. “How does your mother feel about this?”

  “Mom’s cool with it. She’d rather I go out with Evan than some of the other losers who’ve been after me.”

  Luc didn’t even want to delve into the pool of dating rejects if a boy three years her senior was her best option. It just solidified his decision to ensure she spend more time in Nashville, working on her singing career. That would allow him to keep an eye on her. “How will Evan feel about you spending so much time here?”

  She shrugged. “He’ll be cool with it. He’s gonna be going off to college soon anyways.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s not that serious, Dad. I’m not gonna make decisions that could affect the rest of my life based on some guy.”

  Luc breathed a sigh of relief. He realized she was not only smart, but mature beyond her years. “I’m glad to hear you say that, sweetie. I don’t wanna come off as this over-protective
dad, but...”

  She reached across the counter to cover his hand with hers. “Dad, it’s cool. I like that you care so much.”

  He was taken aback by her reaction. He expected her to be angry, defiant, but she seemed genuinely touched by his show of emotion. “I’m glad you feel that way, Nik. I’m new to this whole parenting thing, and I sure as hell don’t wanna piss you off by overstepping, but I have this strong urge to protect you.” He smiled. “Crazy, right?”

  She grinned. “No, I’m cool with that. In fact, I think it’s kinda sweet.”

  “Really?” He threw his head back and chuckled. “You don’t know how glad I am to hear you say that.”

  “Dad, it’s okay. We’re both gonna make mistakes. I’m not gonna cut you outta my life just because you screw up, okay?”

  He stepped around the counter and stood in front of her. He braced his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye. “I love you, Nik. I know you probably think that sounds a little out there since we just met, but I’ve thought about you every single day since I left. I feel like I know you...”

  “I feel the same way,” she whispered. She stepped off the stool and slipped into his arms, laying her head on his chest. “I’m glad I finally got to meet you, and I’m really stoked that you’re gonna be a part of my life now.”

  Luc was too overwhelmed to say anything. He kissed the top of her head, hiding a smile.

  Marisa checked her call display and answered when she realized it wasn’t Luc calling for the umpteenth time. “Hey, Sierra, what’s up?”

  “Are you in Panama yet?”

  “Yeah, my plane just landed a little while ago. Thank God I have cell reception, I wasn’t sure I would.”

  “How are you?”

  Marisa paused, not sure how to answer. Physically, she was fine. Emotionally, she was a wreck. “I’m hangin’ in there. You didn’t tell Trey I was coming here, did you?”

  Sierra laughed. “No, I just told him you needed to get away for a couple of weeks. I think he’s hoping you’ll have cooled off by the time you get back.”