Rubbing the stubble on his chin, he gestured toward the chair in front of his desk. “Have a seat.”

“I’ll stand.”

Dr. Leon, as everyone called him, used to be her hero and the most important man in her life. But that had changed somewhere around the time he’d left her mother and moved hundreds of miles away. He’d disappointed her time and time again, almost made it impossible to meet his lofty expectations. Yet she still hated to let him down.

“Why did you do it?” he asked after a few tense moments of silence.

“It seemed like the right thing to do at the time,” she answered.

“Are you pregnant?”

“You already asked me that, and I told you no. I’m not sure why you’re having such a hard time accepting my choice to marry Drake?”

“I’ve racked my brain over this, and I can’t understand why you’d do this. Why would you throw your life away on a relationship that will never work?”

“You don’t know that.”

“Lovely, you’re my daughter. I know you. You’ve wanted the big white wedding since you were a little girl. Yet you settle for a quick Las Vegas ceremony?”

“I know you’re upset, but Drake is my husband. We’re together, and I want to give this a chance. For once, why can’t you support me?”

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“Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I expected any man that wanted to marry you to come to me first. You’re my only child, Love. I would have liked the honor of giving you away.”

“I’m sorry you weren’t there, Daddy. I know Mom wanted to be there, as well. But Drake didn’t force me to marry him. He didn’t do anything I didn’t want him to do. Please understand that.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand it. And despite what you may think, I only want the best for you.”

“If you can’t see that Drake is what’s best for me, I don’t know what to tell you.”

“Love, I just don’t agree.”

“Well, I’m glad it isn’t your decision to make.” She crossed her arms. “I mean, it’s not like you don’t know Drake, Daddy. He’s the same person you took under your wing all those years ago. You taught him how to ride a bike, for Christ’s sake. You were more like a father to him than his own.”

“You’re right. He is the same person I’ve known for years. Last I checked, Drake was looking for a career, not a wife. And that was just last month. He wants the high life, fly-in surgeries, penthouse view, guest lecturer. He wants fame and notoriety. You are fundamentally different people. This marriage will be over before it starts.”

Love swallowed rapidly as her father ticked off the many reasons a relationship with Drake wouldn’t work. She had to admit they were all reasons that ran through her mind daily. “You don’t understand him. He would never hurt me.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. I do understand. Mark my words, you’ll end up heartbroken when he wakes up one morning and realizes he wants more.”

It felt like a slap, and Love swayed on her feet. The words did more damage than she wanted to admit. The fact that her own father made it seem like she could never be enough for a man like Drake stung, but not more than the fact that she had wondered the same thing countless times over the past few weeks. Her father’s words served only to heighten her own fears about their fate, especially since she’d fallen for Drake as hard and fast as he’d made love to her last night.

Frowning, she observed her father. A question had niggled at her mind for years. She’d never understood why her parents had divorced, and listening to her father just then, it all made sense. Clearing her throat, she asked, “Is that what happened with you and Mom?”

“This isn’t about me and your mother.”

“Isn’t it? How else can you explain how mean you’ve been about this? I get it, though. You don’t want me hurt. But Drake won’t hurt me.”

“He will,” her father insisted. “You can’t say what he won’t do. Look, I like Drake. He’s a talented doctor with a long career ahead of him.”

“Then why are you punishing him at work?”

“I was angry, disappointed. I’ve remedied that as of today.”

Love closed her eyes and sent up a silent “thank you, Lord.”

“I respect him as a person,” her father continued. “He’s just not the man I want for my daughter.”

“And Derrick is?”

“Lovely, he’s a good man.”

“He cheated on me. I can’t believe you’re pushing him on me, even knowing the truth.”




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