voice, but he pasted on a polite smile as he turned to him. “Yes, sir?” He closed the limo’s door. Stacey was happy. He wasn’t going to let her father ruin that.
“I need to head out.” His speech slurred only faintly, but one look at the man’s glossy eyes and Harrison knew he was drunk.
“Hey, let’s get you a cab, Mr. Parker.” Harrison signaled his brother Jake, who was already pulling out his cell to take care of it.
“I wanted to thank you again for marrying my daughter,” Stacey’s father said.
Harrison set his jaw. “I should thank her for marrying me .”
The man chuckled as if Harrison had just shared an outrageous joke. “We both know she’s no catch, but maybe you can get her to drop some of that weight. I’m sure there’s a pretty girl under there, but my efforts to unearth her were never successful.”
Harrison clenched his fist and reminded himself that punching this man wouldn’t change a thing. But it would feel good. “Your daughter is gorgeous.”
“Right! Sure!” The man slapped Harrison on the back and gave him a conspiratorial wink. He lowered his voice to a stage whisper. “Wait until after the wedding night to fix ’er up. Smart man. You got enough money.”
Bile burned his throat. “If you’ll excuse me,” he said, reaching for the door, “we have an early flight.”
“Right, right. But first I was wondering if you could spot your new dad some cash. I’ll pay you back, of course, but this wedding wrung me dry.”
Harrison didn’t bother to call the man on his lie. The Duvals had paid for the wedding. Every cent. Harrison pulled a fifty from his wallet.
“What good’s that supposed to do me? Look at all them envelopes your guests gave you. I’m sure you’re rolling in cash, yet all you can spare for the man who raised your wife is fifty measly dollars.”
His jaw was tight enough to snap as he pulled out two more fifties. The man wouldn’t pay him back and he sure as hell didn’t deserve it, but Harrison wouldn’t risk him making a scene.
After their honeymoon, Stacey could wash her hands of Mitchell Parker.
“You kids be safe.” Mr. Parker tucked the bills into his back pocket, eyes gleaming. “Use protection. That one pregnant, not a pretty sight.”
Chapter Two
Stacey’s cheeks burned with equal parts embarrassment and hatred as she waited for Harrison to join her in the limo. She couldn’t hear them, but she could only imagine the exchange.
Her father deserved none of her respect. But he was the only parent she had left.
When she and Harrison had announced their engagement, her father had laughed uproariously and asked why a man like Harrison would want to strap himself down to her.
She had her mama’s brains and her grandfather’s Norwegian build. Both intimidated her father, a small man in every sense of the word, and it had taken her years to construct a sense of self worth that his drunken insults couldn’t tear down. And still, her father’s disbelief that a man like Harrison would want a woman like Stacey hurt all the worse under the knowledge that their marriage was a sham.
Harrison climbed in and slid next to her until his body heat warmed her.
“I’m sorry you had to deal with him,” she said.
He toyed with the loose hairs at the base of her neck, his jaw tight. “I don’t mean to start our marriage on a sour note, but your father’s an ass.”
She attempted a laugh but it was forced. “No kidding.” And if it wasn’t for her father, they wouldn’t even be doing this.
His face relaxed, but his fingers lingered at the nape of her neck.
She closed her eyes against the sparks of pleasure streaking through her at the simple touch. She liked Harrison. Liked him so much that, if she wasn’t careful, playing this game could mean losing her heart.
“Hey,” Harrison said softly, “don’t let him ruin your day.”
Light from a street lamp filtered in through the window and cut shadows across his
“I need to head out.” His speech slurred only faintly, but one look at the man’s glossy eyes and Harrison knew he was drunk.
“Hey, let’s get you a cab, Mr. Parker.” Harrison signaled his brother Jake, who was already pulling out his cell to take care of it.
“I wanted to thank you again for marrying my daughter,” Stacey’s father said.
Harrison set his jaw. “I should thank her for marrying me .”
The man chuckled as if Harrison had just shared an outrageous joke. “We both know she’s no catch, but maybe you can get her to drop some of that weight. I’m sure there’s a pretty girl under there, but my efforts to unearth her were never successful.”
Harrison clenched his fist and reminded himself that punching this man wouldn’t change a thing. But it would feel good. “Your daughter is gorgeous.”
“Right! Sure!” The man slapped Harrison on the back and gave him a conspiratorial wink. He lowered his voice to a stage whisper. “Wait until after the wedding night to fix ’er up. Smart man. You got enough money.”
Bile burned his throat. “If you’ll excuse me,” he said, reaching for the door, “we have an early flight.”
“Right, right. But first I was wondering if you could spot your new dad some cash. I’ll pay you back, of course, but this wedding wrung me dry.”
Harrison didn’t bother to call the man on his lie. The Duvals had paid for the wedding. Every cent. Harrison pulled a fifty from his wallet.
“What good’s that supposed to do me? Look at all them envelopes your guests gave you. I’m sure you’re rolling in cash, yet all you can spare for the man who raised your wife is fifty measly dollars.”
His jaw was tight enough to snap as he pulled out two more fifties. The man wouldn’t pay him back and he sure as hell didn’t deserve it, but Harrison wouldn’t risk him making a scene.
After their honeymoon, Stacey could wash her hands of Mitchell Parker.
“You kids be safe.” Mr. Parker tucked the bills into his back pocket, eyes gleaming. “Use protection. That one pregnant, not a pretty sight.”
Chapter Two
Stacey’s cheeks burned with equal parts embarrassment and hatred as she waited for Harrison to join her in the limo. She couldn’t hear them, but she could only imagine the exchange.
Her father deserved none of her respect. But he was the only parent she had left.
When she and Harrison had announced their engagement, her father had laughed uproariously and asked why a man like Harrison would want to strap himself down to her.
She had her mama’s brains and her grandfather’s Norwegian build. Both intimidated her father, a small man in every sense of the word, and it had taken her years to construct a sense of self worth that his drunken insults couldn’t tear down. And still, her father’s disbelief that a man like Harrison would want a woman like Stacey hurt all the worse under the knowledge that their marriage was a sham.
Harrison climbed in and slid next to her until his body heat warmed her.
“I’m sorry you had to deal with him,” she said.
He toyed with the loose hairs at the base of her neck, his jaw tight. “I don’t mean to start our marriage on a sour note, but your father’s an ass.”
She attempted a laugh but it was forced. “No kidding.” And if it wasn’t for her father, they wouldn’t even be doing this.
His face relaxed, but his fingers lingered at the nape of her neck.
She closed her eyes against the sparks of pleasure streaking through her at the simple touch. She liked Harrison. Liked him so much that, if she wasn’t careful, playing this game could mean losing her heart.
“Hey,” Harrison said softly, “don’t let him ruin your day.”
Light from a street lamp filtered in through the window and cut shadows across his
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