Emily wanted to sing his songs? Dear God, his chest hurt. He put his hand over his heart.
Carolann patted his arm. “I understand perfectly. It’s never easy losing someone. Even someone you didn’t think you cared a fig about.”
He nodded agreement, but it wasn’t losing his father that had him turned upside down and inside out.
The kitchen door opened. “Mom, how much longer? Dad’s getting antsy...” Mike’s words died on his lips when he walked into the kitchen. His gaze hardened and snapped to Emily.
Carolann picked up the large salad bowl, and a wide smile lit up her face. “Michael, be a dear and take this out to the patio and tell your father dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”
Mike made no move to take the bowl. “Emily, do as your grandmother asked. I’d like to have a minute with Seth.”
Emily’s face fell and she huffed. “But, Daddy...”
Mike raised a brow, and she reached for the bowl with all the drama only a fourteen-year-old girl could muster.
Carolann looked from Mike to Emily as she handed the bowl to her. “Don’t worry. You’ll have plenty of time to bend Seth’s ears.”
Mike waited until Emily exited through the kitchen door and Carolann headed for the pantry before moving toward the hall to the living room. Seth followed him into the front room.
Mike slid the pocket door closed before turning loose the fury in his saddle-brown eyes. “What the hell are you doing, showing up here?”
Seth turned away and walked around the familiar room slowly. He, Mike and Abby had done their share of romping in here. “I’m here for dinner. Your parents invited me.”
Mike watched him with his hands fisted by his sides and his feet apart. “You should have declined.”
“And disappoint your momma? I don’t think so.” He stopped at the mantle with its display of family photos. He picked one up of Mike holding baby Emily. He was all smiles and looked every bit the proud papa.
Something in him broke. A floodgate that held back more than a decade of pain and betrayal. He returned the frame with a shaky hand. This time, the trembling wasn’t from overwhelming amazement, but barely controlled anger.
He turned and worked to keep his temper in check. “I only have one question for you.” He had to unclench his back teeth to chew out the words. “Why did you marry Abby?”
Mike moved the lace curtain to look out the front window. “I loved her.” His voice was low and as cold as a Montana wind in mid-January. “That’s more than can be said for you. You only wanted a piece of ass.” Dropping the lace, Mike turned and faced him with a sneer twisting his pretty-boy face. His eyes were as icy as his voice. “I told you that when we had this very same discussion after Emily was born, if I recall.”
Seth took a step closer and grabbed his shirt. Mike’s voice from that day fourteen years ago echoed in his mind.
“What kind of father do you think you’ll be, Seth? Yours is a son-of-a-bitch to you most of the time. Your mother killed herself just because she had to live the simple life like the rest of us. Abby and I are married. You’ll be away more than you’ll ever be here. I’m not going anywhere. I love that baby, Seth. I love her. What do you feel for her?”
At the time, he hadn’t known what he felt. How wrong had he been? About Mike being a better father than he could ever be. And about not fighting for his right to be a father to the little girl who’d stolen his heart without him ever seeing her. “You didn’t give me a chance to be her father. You didn’t even allow me to see her.”
Mike pushed his hand away and stepped back. “I’m not fighting you, not here. But what I do want is for you to leave my family alone. As far as I’m concerned, you are a non-entity in Emily’s life. If it was up to me, she wouldn’t even be allowed to listen to your music.”
“What I don’t get is why.”
Mike shrugged and straightened the wrinkles Seth’s grip had made in his linen shirt. “Does love have to have a reason? Emily’s my daughter.”
“Hello?” The voice belonged to Abby.
As the front door clicked closed, Carolann called, “I’m in the kitchen, dear.”
Seth ground his teeth together. What was she doing here?
At the pocket doors, Mike glared over his shoulder at him. “I won’t let you hurt Emily or Abby. They’ve both been through enough.”
He squared his shoulders. “Who said I had any intention of hurting anyone? I just want what I’ve been denied.”
Mike slid the doors open, and Abby looked through the opening. Her eyes narrowed and she stood straighter. “What are you doing here?”
He pushed past Mike into the foyer. “Wow, I feel so welcome.”
“Mom! Did you see who...” Emily ran down the hall from the kitchen. “I guess you did.” She looked from her mother to Mike to him, her expression falling and taking on the pucker of confusion. “What’s going on? Why do y’all look so mad?”
Mike smiled and draped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. Something in Seth squeezed and the acid in his gut churned when Emily met Mike’s gaze with trusting eyes only a daughter could have for her father.
“Nothing.” Mike glanced at Abby. “I didn’t expect your mother, that’s all.” The obvious lie seemed to slide easily off Mike’s tongue.
Emily rolled her eyes. “Right. The wicked witch might not like it.”
“Emily,” Abby said in an exasperated tone, “please, don’t speak about Tammy Jo that way. She’s your stepmother.”
Seth clamped down on his teeth so hard pain shot through his face. Obviously, Tammy Jo hadn’t changed much in the intervening fifteen years since he’d left town. He wouldn’t have his daughter mistreated by anyone.
Mike’s jaw worked as if he had to unlock it to get the words out between the compressed line of his lips. “Tammy Jo is doing her best, sweetheart. Give her time. Now, let’s go have dinner.”
Mike’s arm remained wrapped around Emily’s shoulders as he led her down the hall. Abby fell into step behind them, and Seth followed.
Frank and Tammy Jo greeted him with a welcome that surprised him, after the chilly response he’d received from his old-time best friends.
Mike moved around the large glass-and-wrought-iron table. Letting go of Emily’s shoulders, he pulled out a chair for her to sit, then helped Tammy Jo into her seat. He sat between his wife and Emily.
Seth pulled out a chair and raised a brow at Abby.
“Thank you,” she murmured and slid into the chair.
Carolann brought a platter of thick steaks to the table. He helped her into her chair, and she smiled at him as he took a chair between her and Abby. “My, what a gentleman you’ve turned into.”
“You taught me well. What else can I say?” He looked around at the food in the middle of the table. “Everything smells delicious, Carolann.”
She waved his compliment away. “Frank, why don’t you pop the cork on that fancy bottle of wine Seth brought with him? We’ll save Tammy Jo’s wine for the next time.”
Frank retrieved the bottle from the kitchen. He held the bottle up upon his return to look at the label.
Tammy Jo’s eyes brightened the moment she saw the bottle. “Tahbilk Shiraz. I’m impressed. Wish I could drink some,” she said, looking across the table at him. “You have good taste.”
He shrugged and unfolded his brightly colored