Don’t Mind If “I Do” by Everly Ashton

Forty-Four

Nick

That shift sucked. I ended up having to stay longer than my scheduled twenty-four hours because the ER was so backed up. So I hope to see Mazzy up when I arrive home just after eight o’clock. What I don’t expect is to find her at the kitchen table and looking as if she’s hungover.

Her eyes are red and puffy, her hair is a mess, and she’s wearing one of my T-shirts and I don’t think anything else except maybe panties that aren’t visible.

I drop my bag on the tile and rush over. “What’s wrong?”

Taking the seat next to her, I visually scan her from head to toe to make sure she’s not injured, but she looks physically okay—just emotionally distraught.

Tears well in her eyes when she looks at me. “I went to see my dad yesterday.”

I take her hands. “Is he okay? Did something happen?”

She closes her eyes and shakes her head, a tear dripping down her face. Then she tells me about her conversation with her father. I’m probably almost as shocked as she was.

First, because although her father’s no saint—he is a product of his environment, after all—I would never guess he’d do something like this. My dad would have no trouble using his son to cover up his own fuck ups, but I didn’t think Thomas Pembrooke had it in him. Mazzy had always adored her father and looked up to him.

The second reason I’m shocked is because Mazzy would marry someone just to try to save the family company. That’s how much she cares. She was willing to approach a man she knew hated her to protect their workers—the majority of whom she doesn’t actually know.

“I’m so sorry.” I pull her so her legs are slung over my lap and wrap her in my arms.

She sobs into my chest, wetting the T-shirt I changed into after my shift. Probably five minutes pass before she leans back enough to see my face. “The worst part is that I keep wondering what else has he lied about. Does the man I grew up idolizing even really exist?”

I frown. “I’m sure he does, Maz. Everyone has pieces of themselves they hide from others, but I think most of what you saw with your dad was the truth. He loves you.”

That much is true. Regardless of how many shithead moves the man makes, I know he loves his daughter deeply.

“Thank you for telling me. And for going there to insist that you should,” I say. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out how you’d hoped.”

“He’s not who I thought he was.” She squeezes her eyes shut.

“You’ve got bags under your eyes. Did you sleep at all?”

She shakes her head. “No, not really.”

“C’mon. Let’s go to bed. You’ll feel a little better after you get some sleep.” I lightly tap her lower back to get her to stand.

She does. “I hope you’re right.”

We head upstairs and slip under the covers once I’ve stripped down to my boxer briefs.

“I like your T-shirt.” I pull her in and kiss her shoulder.

Her gaze whips up to mine. “I hope you don’t mind. You weren’t home and I was so upset when I tried to go to bed. I just wanted something that made me feel close to you.”

“I don’t mind at all. In fact, I think it’s one of the sweetest damn things I’ve ever heard.” I kiss the top of her head. “Now let’s get some sleep and we can talk about this some more once we wake up.”

She nods and snuggles into me. While she drifts off to sleep, I study every part of her face, committing it all to memory. Only once her breathing is even and I know she’s fallen asleep do I let myself drift off too.

* * *

Mazzy stretches out beside me,yawning and rolling away from me.

“How are you feeling?” I ask.

She rolls back my way and blinks a few times. “My head hurts from crying so much.”

“Hang on, I’ll get you something.” I slip out of bed and grab her some water and aspirin from the bathroom, then give them to her.

“Thank you.” She tosses the pill in her mouth and swallows it with some water. “Sorry I was a mess when you got home.”

I sit on the edge of the bed beside her. “You don’t ever have to apologize to me about being upset.” I tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear.

“It was a lot to lay on you when you’re just coming off a shift.”

I shake my head. “No, it’s not. I want to be here for you.”

She gives me a small smile and skims her hand down my cheek. “You’ve sure had enough practice, that’s for sure.”

“Tell me about it. I’m practically an expert by now. I remember that time you skinned your knee when we were seven, and then in eighth grade when Timothy Ravencroft said you were a bad kisser.” I lower my face and look at her from under my eyebrows. “Complete lie, by the way.”

She chuckles.

“Then there was the time Donnie Delmonte liked Katie Schroeder instead of you in high school.”

She raises her hand. “Okay, you can stop now.”

I smile. “My point is that I’ve been doing this most of our lives. Though I missed a fair chunk in the middle, it’s my job from here on out.”

She kisses me on the lips. “That means so much.”

“You’re stuck with me.” I wink, and she smiles then sighs. “How are you feeling about everything now?”

She shrugs. “Still trying to work it out in my brain. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I have to come to terms with what my dad did before I can even think about my next step.”

I take her hand. “Well, the good news is that you have a few more months to figure it out before you’ve met the terms of your grandfather’s will.”

“And that’s the other thing. If my grandfather knew, why wouldn’t he say something? Did he want my dad punished and that’s why he bequeathed everything to me, or did he expect me to help? He was the one who started the company and made it a success. I can’t see him being okay with it going down, but if that’s the case, why wouldn’t he leave everything to my dad?”

I frown. “I’m not sure you’ll ever get those answers.”

She nods. “I know. That’s what makes it so hard.”

I pull her in and kiss her cheek. Seeing her so hurt by her father’s actions is painful, but I’m so grateful that I’m the one who gets to be here for her. Whatever her grandfather’s intentions, I owe him one.