She’d never seen her father cry before. It broke her heart. And it hurt even more knowing that she hadn’t noticed that his life was spinning out of control. She knew how much his career and reputation and, yes, his wealth mattered to him. The threat of losing it had driven him to make such hideous decisions. And she’d been so busy living her own life that she’d failed to be there for her dad. Because no matter how dishonorably he’d behaved, he still was her father, and she couldn’t write him off just because he’d screwed up.
She rose slowly from the chair and rounded the desk, placing her hand on his shoulder. His head jerked up, eyes widening with surprise, and then the tears flowed in earnest down his cheeks.
“I’m sorry,” he choked out.
She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. “I know you are. Don’t worry. We’re going to get you some help.” She swallowed. “And you’re...you’re going to have to tell the truth today, okay?”
Dropping her arms, she stared into her father’s eyes, seeing the remorse and guilt flickering in them.
After a moment, he nodded. “You’re right,” he said weakly. “I know I need to face the consequences of my actions.”
“I’m here for you, Dad. And if you want me to go to the interview with you, I will.”
He shook his head. “It’s something I need to do alone.”
“I understand.”
Presley rubbed his cheeks, then looked up at her and sighed. “Croft is in the building, in case you were wondering.”
Heat flooded her cheeks. “I wasn’t. Wondering, that is.”
“And this affair...you really think it’s a good idea? Croft isn’t your usual type, sweetheart.”
“It’s not an affair. I... I love him.” A lump rose in her throat. “I want to be with him, Dad.”
She paused as the words settled between them. I want to be with him. And then she thought of what she’d told her father, just a moment ago. I’m here for you.
Why was it so easy for her to say that to her father, but not to Brody? He might not have the stable life she’d always longed for, but didn’t he have so many other incredible qualities that more than made up for having to travel every now and then?
She suddenly realized how unfairly she’d treated him, wanting to keep everything on her terms. Fighting him when he tried to make her see they were good for each other.
Well, he was right. They were good for each other. Brody was the first man she’d ever been truly herself with. He made her laugh. He drove her wild in bed. He listened.
Fuck, she didn’t deserve him. All she’d done since the day they’d met was set boundaries, have expectations, find reasons why he wasn’t right for her. Yet, he’d stayed by her side. Even when she came up with silly rules or insisted he was nothing but a fling. And wasn’t that what she claimed to want in a man? Someone solid to stand by her?
And didn’t Brody deserve the same thing, a woman who stood by him? He cared about her, she knew he did, and if he thought putting their relationship on hold until the scandal blew over was best, maybe she needed to trust him.
She stumbled away from the desk, suddenly knowing what she had to do.
“Hayden?” her dad said quietly.
“I need to take care of something,” she answered, inhaling deeply. “We’ll talk after your interview, okay? We’ll talk about everything.”
Her father nodded.
She was halfway out the door when she glanced over her shoulder and added, “And, Dad? I hope you remember to do the right thing.”
Brody stood outside the conference room, anxiously tugging at his tie as he waited. Fuck, he hated this tie. It was choking the life out of him. Or maybe he found it hard to breathe because any minute now he’d be sitting in front of three people who could very well destroy his career.
Both explanations were logical, but deep down he knew there was only one reason for the turmoil afflicting his body.
Hayden.
He hadn’t thought it was possible to miss someone this much. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since she’d left his house three days ago. Her absence upset him a thousand times more than being out of the playoffs. His season had officially ended, and yet he hardly cared. How could he, when his entire body ached for Hayden? Although his brain insisted he’d done the right thing by distancing himself from her, his heart refused to accept the decision. In fact, his heart had been screaming such vile things at him for days now that he was beginning to feel like the biggest asshole on the planet.
He hadn’t wanted a permanent break, hadn’t intended to end the relationship. He’d just wanted the investigation to be done with, the scandal to be an unpleasant blip on his memory radar. But Hayden, well, she’d gone and made it permanent. Reverted to her belief that a relationship between them could never have lasted anyway.
But he couldn’t bring himself to agree. She was wrong about them. If she let down her guard and opened her heart, she’d see that the two of them could be fucking amazing together. Not just in bed, but in life. So what if he traveled a lot for work? If his life wasn’t as stable as other men’s? He’d have to retire sooner or later, and when he did, he planned on settling down in one place. Maybe opening a skating rink that didn’t require a membership fee, so that kids from poorer families would have access to the same facilities as those who were better off. He might even coach a kids’ team. It was an idea he’d been tossing around for years now.
But instead of planning a future with Hayden, he’d lost her.
Hell, maybe he’d never really had her to begin with.
“Croft.”
He raised his head, frowning when he spotted Craig Wyatt walking toward him.
Wyatt’s massive frame was squeezed into a tailored black suit, his shiny shoes squeaking against the tiled floor. The team captain’s blond hair was gelled away from his forehead.
“What’s up?” Brody couldn’t stop the twinge of bitterness in his voice.
A muscle twitched in Wyatt’s square jaw. “I saw the article about you and Presley’s daughter. With that said, I hope you know you have no reason to be nervous. We both know you didn’t do anything wrong.”
“You’re right, I didn’t.” He lifted a brow. “Although I’m curious how you’re so sure about that.”
Wyatt nodded to the left and said, “Follow me. We need to have a chat.”
Brody glanced at his watch. He had another twenty minutes before they called him in for his scheduled interview.
