Chapter 56
"You're an embarrassment, Sheridan. An embarrassment to the Crane name. The only thing I regret is not killing Martin in the first place," he said. So much cruelty in his voice. His eyes. "That way you would have drowned in the accident. And I would finally be rid of you."
She'd never imagined one person could be so hateful. So heartless. She should have been used to it. Immune. Hardened her heart. But she couldn't. God help me, she thought as she stared out the window at the landscape passing by. Remembering his stinging words earlier.
He was her father. And as hard as she tried, she had not been able to abandon her hope that somehow, in some small way, he cared for her. Even just a little bit. Until today. When he'd told her she was better off dead. To her face. She felt her throat tighten with tears again, and she blindly reached out for Luis's hand.
Luis squeezed her hand in his. Cursing her father under his breath. A repeat of what he'd said earlier. She'd had to hold him back herself. Keep him from attacking Alistair as he cackled evilly from his hospital bed. Boasting that the secrets would die with him. The secrets surrounding Julian's son. Finally admitting he cared nothing for her. Knowing how much it'd wound her.
"Neither you nor Julian were ever worth a damn," she kept hearing him say. Taunting her. A sob escaped her throat then. And Luis pulled her to his side. His jaw set in a firm line. "If he wasn't already on his death bed, I'd kill the bastard," he ground out. Kissing her fevered forehead as he steered the car into his parents' drive.
"Sheridan. Baby. I'll be right back. I'm going to go inside and get Ali, okay?" She nodded her head and slipped from his arms. Desperately trying to wipe the evidence of her tears away before her daughter saw her. The car door opened a few minutes later, and she heard Luis talking to Ali quietly. Buckling her in.
Luis started the car, and they drove in silence. Clutching one another's hand like a lifeline. Ali said not a word from the backseat. She met her blue eyes once in the rear view mirror and saw fear and confusion in them. Fear and confusion and concern. "Luis?" she asked. As they passed the exit that would lead them home. "Luis? Where are we going?"
He said nothing. Only brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. She looked to him in surprise when they finally reached their destination. He got out of the car and hurried over to her side. Taking her hand and helping her out of the car. Then lifting Ali up into his arms. They were at the beach. And the sun was slowly fading in the distance.
Ali's somber mood from moments before vanished as she took in their surroundings. She loved the ocean. Just as her parents did. For the first time since they'd left her father's hospital room, Sheridan smiled. She loved the man beside her so much. And their beautiful little daughter. "Daddy, it's so pretty," Ali said in awe. Pointing at the horizon. At the sunset. "Not as pretty as my two girls," he said. Pulling her more firmly against him. Looking at them both with such adoration it warmed Sheridan's heart.
Luis set Ali on her feet. And she ran to the waves. Joyfully running back and forth along the shoreline. Squealing as they surged toward her. Spraying her with their mist. "Ali! Be careful, sweetie," she called. Sinking back into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her from behind as they watched their daughter play.
She leaned even further back into his embrace and sighed in contentment when he placed a gentle kiss on her neck. Whispered "I love you" in her ear. She looped her arm back behind her. Caressing his face. "I love you, too," she breathed. "Thank you for bringing me here. With Ali. How did you know exactly what I needed?"
"I know you. You're worth a million of your father, Sheridan. Don't ever forget that. A lot of people love you. Our friends. Our family. Me. And Ali," he said. Laughing as the tiny person whose name just escaped his lips came running towards them. Her long blond hair damp. Tangled from the wind.
"Mommy! Daddy! Look what I found," she said excitedly. Proudly showing off the shells in her little hand. Her blue eyes sparkled and her hair shone like gold in the waning sun. "Looks like you found treasure, AliCat," he said. Grinning at her enthusiasm. She grinned at him in return. Her smile impossibly big. And infectious. She laid the shells down, and crawled into her mother's arms. Snuggling close to her. Close to her warmth. He wrapped his arms about both of them. Watching until the sun was no more.
"You're an embarrassment, Sheridan. An embarrassment to the Crane name. The only thing I regret is not killing Martin in the first place," he said. So much cruelty in his voice. His eyes. "That way you would have drowned in the accident. And I would finally be rid of you."
She'd never imagined one person could be so hateful. So heartless. She should have been used to it. Immune. Hardened her heart. But she couldn't. God help me, she thought as she stared out the window at the landscape passing by. Remembering his stinging words earlier.
He was her father. And as hard as she tried, she had not been able to abandon her hope that somehow, in some small way, he cared for her. Even just a little bit. Until today. When he'd told her she was better off dead. To her face. She felt her throat tighten with tears again, and she blindly reached out for Luis's hand.
Luis squeezed her hand in his. Cursing her father under his breath. A repeat of what he'd said earlier. She'd had to hold him back herself. Keep him from attacking Alistair as he cackled evilly from his hospital bed. Boasting that the secrets would die with him. The secrets surrounding Julian's son. Finally admitting he cared nothing for her. Knowing how much it'd wound her.
"Neither you nor Julian were ever worth a damn," she kept hearing him say. Taunting her. A sob escaped her throat then. And Luis pulled her to his side. His jaw set in a firm line. "If he wasn't already on his death bed, I'd kill the bastard," he ground out. Kissing her fevered forehead as he steered the car into his parents' drive.
"Sheridan. Baby. I'll be right back. I'm going to go inside and get Ali, okay?" She nodded her head and slipped from his arms. Desperately trying to wipe the evidence of her tears away before her daughter saw her. The car door opened a few minutes later, and she heard Luis talking to Ali quietly. Buckling her in.
Luis started the car, and they drove in silence. Clutching one another's hand like a lifeline. Ali said not a word from the backseat. She met her blue eyes once in the rear view mirror and saw fear and confusion in them. Fear and confusion and concern. "Luis?" she asked. As they passed the exit that would lead them home. "Luis? Where are we going?"
He said nothing. Only brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. She looked to him in surprise when they finally reached their destination. He got out of the car and hurried over to her side. Taking her hand and helping her out of the car. Then lifting Ali up into his arms. They were at the beach. And the sun was slowly fading in the distance.
Ali's somber mood from moments before vanished as she took in their surroundings. She loved the ocean. Just as her parents did. For the first time since they'd left her father's hospital room, Sheridan smiled. She loved the man beside her so much. And their beautiful little daughter. "Daddy, it's so pretty," Ali said in awe. Pointing at the horizon. At the sunset. "Not as pretty as my two girls," he said. Pulling her more firmly against him. Looking at them both with such adoration it warmed Sheridan's heart.
Luis set Ali on her feet. And she ran to the waves. Joyfully running back and forth along the shoreline. Squealing as they surged toward her. Spraying her with their mist. "Ali! Be careful, sweetie," she called. Sinking back into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her from behind as they watched their daughter play.
She leaned even further back into his embrace and sighed in contentment when he placed a gentle kiss on her neck. Whispered "I love you" in her ear. She looped her arm back behind her. Caressing his face. "I love you, too," she breathed. "Thank you for bringing me here. With Ali. How did you know exactly what I needed?"
"I know you. You're worth a million of your father, Sheridan. Don't ever forget that. A lot of people love you. Our friends. Our family. Me. And Ali," he said. Laughing as the tiny person whose name just escaped his lips came running towards them. Her long blond hair damp. Tangled from the wind.
"Mommy! Daddy! Look what I found," she said excitedly. Proudly showing off the shells in her little hand. Her blue eyes sparkled and her hair shone like gold in the waning sun. "Looks like you found treasure, AliCat," he said. Grinning at her enthusiasm. She grinned at him in return. Her smile impossibly big. And infectious. She laid the shells down, and crawled into her mother's arms. Snuggling close to her. Close to her warmth. He wrapped his arms about both of them. Watching until the sun was no more.