“But you’re not willing to give me another chance?”

  She still loved him, probably always would, but her wounds were still fresh. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. We have a way of hurting each other whether we intend to or not, and our baby needs stability in his or her life. I think they’re more likely to get that if we just agree we’re better off as friends.”

  He lowered his head. “That’s not what I want. I still love you.”

  She covered his hand with hers, his pain piercing her heart. “I still love you too, but we just don’t work as a couple.”

  “Damn it, that’s not true,” he said fiercely, squeezing her hand. “We were good together. Before you found out you were pregnant, things were great.”

  “No, they weren’t.” She carefully withdrew her hand. “We couldn’t communicate openly about the things that bothered us. You were afraid to express why it was so important to you that we get married and have a family, and I was afraid to tell you why I couldn’t see myself in that kind of life. You can’t expect to have a solid relationship if you can’t communicate with your partner.”

  “Yeah, but—”

  “When the chips were down, we ran instead of talking things out. It happened after the rape and again after I found out I was pregnant. We were too afraid to be honest with each other, and without trust, honesty, and communication, there’s no hope of a solid marriage.”

  He lowered his chin to his chest. “I wish I could argue with you, tell you that you’re dead wrong, but I can’t. That makes me so sad.”

  Sabrina moved around the bar and wrapped her arms around him. “I won’t forget that you were there for me when I needed you. You’ve always been a good friend, and I hope you always will be.”

  He buried his face in her neck. “I love you. I don’t know how to stop loving you.”

  “I feel the same way, but maybe we have to figure out how to love each other as friends again, for our baby’s sake.”

  “I don’t know if I can.”

  She pulled back, locking eyes with him before she placed his hand on her stomach. “We have to, D. This little person is counting on us to make this work.”

  ***

  Since the truth was out, Sabrina knew the time had come to face her parents. She was grateful when she pulled into the driveway of her parents’ house and didn’t see her mother’s car. She needed to face her father alone. He was watching TV in the family room when she walked in.

  “Hi,” she said.

  “Sabrina?” He turned off the TV. “This is a surprise.”

  “I was hoping we could talk.” She lounged in the doorway, waiting for him to invite her in. When he didn’t, she knew he was unhappy she’d gone to the police against his wishes. “But if you’d rather I leave—”

  “Of course I don’t want you to leave.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You think I’m happy about the wedge this has driven between us? I’m not. You’re my daughter. I love you and was just trying to protect you.”

  “Are you sure it was me you were trying to protect and not your business?”

  “How can you ask me that?” He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes before setting them on the end table next to him. “I know it may have seemed my business was the most important thing in the world to me, but it wasn’t. My family was. That’s why I retired.”

  Sabrina tilted her head. “I don’t understand.”

  He sighed. “Your mother didn’t want you and your brother to know this, but that extended vacation we took the year I retired wasn’t a vacation at all. She had breast cancer.”

  “Oh my God.” Sabrina’s knees felt weak, so she collapsed into the chair next to her father. “How—”

  “I took her to one of the best cancer facilities in the country. Thank God they caught it in time. The surgery and treatments were successful, and she’s been in remission ever since.”

  “I can’t believe she didn’t tell me.” Sabrina had always thought she and her mother were close, that they could tell each other anything. But apparently they both were keeping secrets.

  “She didn’t want to worry you. You were just graduating, starting your career, and there was nothing you could have done.”

  “I could have supported her.” Sabrina hated feeling helpless. Knowing she’d done nothing to help her mother during one of the most trying times of her life was frustrating.

  “She wanted it that way, and I had to respect her wishes.”

  Sabrina saw her father in a new light. “It couldn’t have been easy for you to go through that alone.”

  “I’d never been so scared in my whole life,” he admitted. “Your mother and I have been together most of our lives. I know it may not seem like the perfect marriage, but she’s my rock, my best friend.” He stared out the window. “I couldn’t imagine my life without her, so it became my mission to help her get and stay well.”

  “I always thought it was strange for someone like you, so vital and passionate about his profession, to retire so young,” Sabrina said.

  He raised a shoulder. “I realized enjoying life with your mother was more important than my work. There are no guarantees. We don’t know whether we’ll have one more day or twenty more years with the person we love. We have to make the most of whatever time we have.”

  Sabrina thought of Dylan and wondered whether they were wasting time being stubborn instead of figuring out how to make their relationship work. “I don’t even know what to say.”

  “I just want you to understand how important my family is to me, Sabrina.” He reached for her hand. “I’ve been on the inside. I’ve had clients who were accused of rape. Some I suspected were guilty, and others I knew were innocent, but either way, those accusations destroy lives. Once that claim is out there, there’s no taking it back.”

  “But it is out there,” she said, biting her lip. “I can’t take it back, and I wouldn’t even if I could. He needs to pay for what he did to me, Daddy. He can’t get away with it.”

  “I heard he was on the disabled list for a while.” Her father smirked as he sat back, crossing his legs. “You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

  “Between you and me, Dylan paid him a little visit.”

  He shook his head, unable to hide his smile. “Dylan always was a hothead. Hard to keep him in line sometimes.” His eyes were soft when he said, “But he did the right thing.”

  Sabrina was surprised to hear her father condone Dylan’s actions, but she didn’t question it. “He loves me. He was trying to protect me.”

  “So was I.” He bowed his head. “Obviously we have very different approaches.”

  “I guess so.” She tried to see things from her father’s perspective, and with her new insight, it wasn’t as difficult.

  “Is he the one who convinced you to go to the police?”

  “No.” She raised her chin and made eye contact with him to let him know she had no intention of backing down. “I decided for myself. It was the right thing to do.”

  “But Dylan supports your decision?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good.”

  She frowned. “Why do you say that?”

  “Because you’ll need him now more than ever.”

  Since she no longer had him, that was a moot point. “I don’t need Dylan. You raised me to be self-reliant. I don’t need anyone.”

  “Everyone needs someone, sugar. You can’t go through life alone.”

  “I’m surprised to hear you say that. You’re one of the most independent people I know.”

  He smiled. “It may seem that way, but appearances can be deceiving. Your mother really is my rock. She always has been.” With his elbows resting on his armrests, his hands formed a steeple under his chin as he stared straight ahead. “Sometimes I think we did you a disservice, raising you to be so damn headstrong and self-sufficient.”

  “Excuse me?” That was something most people admired about her, and she knew she’d never have survived in her business without those qualities.

  He sighed. “You act as though you don’t need anyone, and sometimes I question whether you do. Maybe you are stronger than I am. Maybe you really don’t need a life partner to see you through the rough times. You certainly proved you didn’t need me to see you through this mess with Bell.”

  It wasn’t until he said that that she realized how deeply she’d hurt him by refusing to speak to him. “I’ve been seeing a therapist, so I guess I did need some help getting through it.”

  “And Dylan? Did he help you?”

  “He did,” she said, nodding. “But we’re, uh, no longer together.”

  He shook his head. “I’m sorry to hear that. If anyone’s strong enough to handle you, it’s that boy.”

  Sabrina frowned at his choice of words. She didn’t need to be handled. “There’s something you need to know before I go public with it…” She didn’t know why it was so hard to share this news with her father, especially since she’d soon be sharing it with the press. “I’m pregnant.”

  His eyes flashed with anger. “Please tell me it’s not—”

  “It’s not Bell’s,” she said quickly. “It’s Dylan’s.”

  He flattened a hand against his chest. “At least there’s that.” He waited for Sabrina to say something. When she couldn’t, he said, “You said you and Dylan weren’t together anymore though. Am I to assume you haven’t told him about the baby?”

  “He knows.”

  His thick silver eyebrows furrowed. “That doesn’t make any sense. No way would Dylan walk away from a woman who’s pregnant with his child.”

  “It’s complicated. Let’s just say we both agreed it was better this way.” She had no intention of sharing all the gory details with her father.

  “Does your brother know about all this?”

  “Yeah, he called me after he read the newspaper article about what happened with Bell. Needless to say, I had to talk him down. He was going crazy.”

  “I’m sure he was.” He smirked. “In the hothead department, your brother gives your boyfriend a run for his money.”

  “Dylan isn’t my boyfriend anymore.”

  “Right, but you didn’t tell me why. Care to share?”

  “Let’s just say we didn’t have a solid foundation to build a permanent relationship on.”

  He chuckled. “Who the hell does?”

  “I’m serious,” she said, annoyed that he was laughing off her concerns. “We were having trouble communicating, and if we can’t be honest with each other about our feelings—”

  “Honey, your mama and I’ve been married for over forty years, and we’re still figuring things out.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean it’s not as cut-and-dried as you seem to think it is. Marriage is hard work. You have to talk and listen. You have to be willing to admit when you’re wrong and not rub it in when you’re right.” He grinned. “You’d probably have a hard time with that one.”

  Sabrina knew her father was just trying to help, but making light of her fears wasn’t helpful. “I’m already nervous about becoming a parent. Trying to juggle that and a relationship, not to mention my career…” She rubbed her temples. “I get a headache just thinking about it.”

  “Ah, but you’re only focusing on the bad. I wanted a family and a career, but I never would have been able to do it without someone like your mother. She was always there for you kids, and that enabled me to do what I loved to do. That may sound selfish, but I like to think I taught you and your brother some valuable lessons about setting and achieving goals.”

  “You did,” Sabrina said without hesitation. Watching her father’s passion for the business had planted that seed in her. “You showed us the value of hard work and led by example.” As she said it, she realized that maybe she could do the same for her child. Maybe her work ethic wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

  “I’m glad.” He leaned back, folding his hands over his stomach. “With two high-achieving parents like you and Dylan, I can only imagine what your child might achieve.”

  The more she thought about it, the more excited she got about the prospect of becoming a mom. “I don’t want to screw this up. I want to be a good parent.”

  He laughed. “Honey, you will screw up, I can promise you that. But that’s the nice thing about having a partner. They can tell you when you’re screwing up and pick up the slack.”

  Sabrina thought about what Jaxon had said about their partnership at High Rollers. Maybe marriage wasn’t so different. “Dylan wants to get married. I told him I didn’t think it was a good idea.”

  “Hmmm.”

  Her father obviously had an opinion but was trying to respect her right to make her own decisions.

  “Do you think I was wrong to tell him that?” she asked.

  “I think Dylan’s a fine young man. I know he’ll be a good father. I think, given the chance, he’d also be a good husband.”

  “Why do you think that?” She was interested in her father’s take on it since he knew Dylan so well.

  “He understands what it means to be part of a team. He played team sports his whole life, and now he’s a partner in a successful business.”

  Sabrina couldn’t hold back her laughter. “And you think the fact that he was a good football player means he’ll make a good husband?”

  “He wasn’t a good football player,” her father said, his eyes shining. “He was a great football player. I should know—I was the one who negotiated his eight-figure contracts for all those years. He understands that it’s not all about him—it’s about doing what’s best for the team. Sometimes you get to be the star, other times you’re riding the bench.”

  Sabrina frowned. “And that relates to us how?”

  “When you’re married to a person with a demanding career, sometimes you have to take a backseat for the greater good. Your mother understood that, and Dylan understands that. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have been a great player. He earned the respect of his teammates and coaches because he listened and put the team above his own ego.”

  “Huh.” Maybe her father was on to something. “You don’t think he’d resent my career for taking so much time away from him?”

  “I think he fell in love with you because you’re strong, successful, and independent. If he hasn’t resented your career so far in your relationship, I don’t see why that would change.”

  Sabrina was overwhelmed. She leaned forward to kiss her father’s cheek. “Thanks, Daddy. I really needed to hear that.”

  “Just doing my job, princess.” He gripped her chin and stared into her eyes. “I made a mistake. I’m sorry.”

  She knew he was talking about Bell. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she whispered, “I forgive you.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Dylan was sitting in the manager’s office at High Rollers, waiting to talk to him, when Brittany popped her head in the half-open door.

  “Hey, I was just stopping in to get a sandwich, and the bartender said you were in here. You got a minute?”

  He hadn’t seen or talked to her since he told her about Sabrina, and he didn’t feel like talking now, but he couldn’t be rude. “Sure, come on in.”

  “I, um, heard about what happened to your girlfriend. I’m sorry. That’s really awful.”

  “Yeah, it is,” he said, gritting his teeth. “But he’ll get what’s coming to him, I’m sure.”

  “I also wanted to congratulate you. I heard Sabrina’s pregnant.”

  Dylan’s jaw dropped. “Where did you hear that?”

  She laughed. “It’s common knowledge as of this morning. She didn’t say who the baby’s father was but wanted to make it clear it wasn’t Bell. I assume it’s yours?”

  “Yeah, of course the baby is mine.” He was irritated he was finding out about this from Brittany. Why hadn’t Sabrina told him she was going public, and why hadn’t she named him as the father? One thing was for sure, they did have to learn to communicate better.

  “You must be excited.” Brittany’s eyes were downcast, but when she looked up, she offered him a sad smile. “I remember you telling me how you wanted a family.”

  “I am excited.” He cleared his throat. He felt guilty for trying to use her to help him get over Sabrina, and he tried to decide how best to end their awkward exchange without offending her.

  “Do you know if it’s a boy or girl?”

  “Uh, no, not yet.”

  “I bet you’re hoping for a boy, huh? Someone to follow in your footsteps and play football?”

  “It doesn’t matter to me as long as the baby’s healthy and happy.” He’d always thought that was a cliché, but now that he was about to become a father, he realized how true it was.

  “Are you and Sabrina getting married?”

  “Um, Brit, I—” He was about to tell her he had work to do, but the sound of his cell phone saved him. Sabrina. “I’m sorry, I have to take this call. Will you excuse me?”

  “Sure.” She stood with one hand on the door, the other clutching her purse. “It was nice to see you again.”

  “Yeah, you too.” He hit the connect button, afraid Sabrina’s call would go to voice mail before he could answer.

  “I hope everything works out the way you hope it will, Dylan. If not, don’t hesitate to call me.”

  Not knowing what else to say, he muttered, “Thanks,” knowing full well Sabrina had probably heard the last part of their exchange. “Hey, Sabrina,” he said into the phone. “Sorry about that.”

  “Was that Brittany?” she asked, her voice tight.

  “Yeah, she just popped into High Rollers for some lunch. I’m here waiting on the manager, so she—”

  “Wanted to toss her hat back in the ring.”

  “What?”

  “She wanted to let you know she was still available.”

  There was no mistaking the jealousy in Sabrina’s voice. Dylan didn’t want to get his hopes up, but she wouldn’t be jealous if she didn’t care about him, would she? “It doesn’t matter. I’m not interested in her. She knows that.”

  “Hmmm.” Sabrina didn’t sound convinced, but she obviously had more pressing issues on her mind. “I was hoping you could stop by my place tonight? There are a few things I’d like to discuss with you, and I’d rather not get into it over the phone.”