BRIDAL JEOPARDY by REBECCA YORK Read Free Book Online Page B

but her father had stayed with his traditions.
    He looked up to meet her gaze.
    “You were just here a couple of days ago. Now what?”
    It wasn’t a very warm welcome. No “Hello” or “How are you?” But she was used to that kind of reaction from him. She and her father had never had that great a relationship, and it had deteriorated after her mother had died five years ago of ovarian cancer. It had been a quick death because her mother had kept her symptoms to herself until it was too late to do anything about the cancer.
    When Stephanie had been a kid, Mom had tried to keep up the appearance of a warm, close family, and maybe she fooled some people who didn’t know them all that well. Dad had always done his own thing. He’d had a sales job that had taken him out of town frequently. Being away from his family had given him the opportunity to gamble. He’d retired several years ago, but since his wife’s death, there had been no one to pull him back from his gambling obsession. Which was how he’d gotten into debt and almost lost the house—until John Reynard had approached him about marrying his daughter.
    Dad had always been a pretty decent poker player. In fact, there were many times when he’d won instead of lost. In her more cynical moments, Stephanie wondered if John had somehow arranged for her father to lose—so he could approach him with the offer of financial salvation.
    “You know I like to stop by and see how you’re doing,” she answered.
    “I’m doing fine,” he said, his brittle voice a counterpoint to the claim.
    “That’s good.”
    “What’s bothering you?” he asked bluntly.
    She might have taken the time to work up to her question, but since he was forcing the issue, she asked, “Are you gambling again?”
    He sat up straighter in his chair when he answered, “I agreed not to.”
    “That wasn’t the question,” she said, determined to meet his words with equal force.
    “I’ve abided by my agreement. Is there some reason why you’re asking?”
    “Two men came to my shop and threatened me,” she said.
    “What men?”
    “They looked like they could be connected with the mob or something.”
    “They weren’t there on my account.”
    “Are you sure?”
    He glared at her. “Maybe you ought to think about what you might have done to attract their attention.”
    “I have.”
    He kept his gaze on her. “And you can’t think of anything?”
    “No.”
    “You always did keep your own secrets.”
    “I’m not keeping secrets,” she answered, but as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she knew they were a lie. She was keeping the secret of Craig Branson from her father. For several reasons. She knew he wouldn’t approve, and she also knew that he wouldn’t understand about what had happened between her and Branson. Nobody would understand.
    Still, she managed to say, “Do you think I’d come over here and ask if you might be the cause of the problem if I already knew what was going on?”
    He shrugged. “I never know what to think about you. You were usually off in your own little world—where nobody could reach you. Good luck to John Reynard. He thinks he’s getting what he wants, but he’s in for a surprise.”
    She stared at her father, hardly able to believe his words. She’d sacrificed her future to save him, and he was acting as if he didn’t give a damn about her. Had his attitude toward her changed when she’d agreed to marry Reynard? Or had he seen a chance for her to do something useful for the family? And why had she agreed if this was the kind of thanks she got?
    “Did I do something particular to upset you?” she asked.
    “No.” The word was clipped and she wondered if he was lying.
    “All right,” she said, then turned on her heel and left, thinking that this visit had been a waste of time.
    Well, not entirely, she corrected herself. She was pretty sure that her father had nothing to do with the men who had threatened her. Which left