“Knife?” She heard herself ask in an unnaturally high voice. “He had a knife?”

“We’ll talk about everything when you’re totally alert and the drugs are out of your system. For now, you just need to rest.”

Carrie Ann didn’t have much choice, she could barely keep her eyes open. The next time she awoke, she was more alert. Her throat was sore and she suffered from a pounding headache. Thankfully both began to subside after eating a small bowl of homemade chicken soup that Summer had delivered for breakfast.

“The doctor said you’ll be released this morning.” Summer stated.

“Good. I just want to go home.”

Her father cleared his throat roughly, drawing her attention. “Summer, would you mind giving Carrie Ann and I a few minutes?”

She scowled. “Dad, whatever you have to say, you can do it in front of Summer.”

Summer pulled in a deep breath, exhaling a long drawn-out sigh. His amber eyes warmed to the color of cognac and were full of reassurance as he tilted forward brushing his nose to hers. “It’s okay, Red. I need to make a phone call. I promised Shayla I’d keep her informed.”

Leaving the room, Summer paused in front of her father. He stuck out his hand, locking eyes with her father as they shook hands. Both men gave a curt nod, acknowledging some sort of mutual truce.

Sitting at the edge of her bed, Carrie Ann couldn’t help but notice her dad looked older, drained from being at the hospital all night. The glow of fluorescent overhead lighting adding a greyness to his skin accentuating the dark bruising shadows beneath his eyes.

“I rushed judgment, accusing Summer too quickly.”

The muscles near her mouth softened detecting what sounded like an admission of guilt or an apology. Either way, it was a first. “I suppose we did the same, assuming it was Jason.”

“I’m hoping that you won’t judge me too harshly,” he paused. “When I say what I need to tell you.”

A shiver ran down her spine, hearing the unmistakable regret riddling his tone. “What do you have to tell me?”

“We all make mistakes. I’ve definitely made my fair share. I thought that boy was bringing you down. Holding you back from a vast future of possibilities. When he came to the house…I thought I was protecting you from a lifetime full of struggle and heartache. He was a rough-neck by California standards, no couth, no class, no future to speak of. He was sliding down a dark hole and I’d be damned if I was going to let him take you with him. You deserved better. I always thought your mother deserved better too. I never understood what she saw in me.” The last few bits, washed in recollection.

Searing heat climbed up her neck, turning her words to a near whimper. “What did you do?”

“It never entered my mind that you truly loved him. Or that he’d be able to give you a good life.”

“Those aren’t things you get to decide, Dad.”

“I know that now. He came to me that day,” His tone softened. There was no need to explain, she knew which day he referred to. It was the day she lost their baby. “I’d heard you crying, telling Shayla the whole story. I’d be damned if I was ever going to let him near you again.”

The tiny muscles of her nose twitched as wetness struck her hot cheek. She asked again firmly, “What did you do?”

“When he showed up wanting my blessing to ask for your hand in marriage, I threatened to kill him. Undeterred by loss of limb and life, I bribed him to stay away.” His words, appalling and inexcusable, wrenched and twisted her gut, pummeling her with a wave of queasiness. “When he refused to take the money, I threatened to cut you out of my will…out of my life.”

Her heart thundered painfully. “How could you?”

“I was desperate.” He reached for her hand, but she recoiled, placing it in her lap. “All I can do now is ask for your forgiveness.”

“I don’t think it’s going to be that easy, Dad.” A frigid warning clung to her voice. “Is there anything else?”

“I guess you should know that Summer came to see me when you got back from Montana. He wasn’t asking for my blessing, but he wanted me to know that he planned on marrying you.”

“And what did you tell him?”

“I threatened to kill him.” A shred of orneriness rifled his tone. He sobered, surveying her emotions. “Summer gave me an ultimatum, either I tell you the truth or he would. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

The beeping of monitors encompassed the deafening silence.

“I think you should leave now, Dad,” she said flatly. “I’m not feeling any clemency.”

Summer sauntered into the room, weighing the heaviness of the bruised air, stating, “I am.”

Carrie Ann shook her head. “You don’t have to forgive…”

“I don’t have to. I want to.” Summer’s eyes were bloodshot. “Life has a way of putting things into perspective. Your father and I nearly lost the most important thing in our lives. I think we can put our differences aside from now on. Obviously, I’m capable of taking care of your daughter, Mr. Lowell. I don’t need your blessing, but it would be nice to have it.”

“Either way, Dad, I’m marrying Summer.”

He pressed a fatherly kiss to the top of her head before rising to his feet. “I’d be happy to pay for the wedding.”

Carrie Ann and Summer’s eyes connected in a brief glance. Money talked when it came to Mr. Lowell. It was the one constant thing he could control in his life. It was her father’s way of offering his approval.

“Thank you, but I think I can handle the wedding.”

“Fine.” Walking out the door, her dad turned back. “Do you golf?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Maybe you’d care to join me this weekend?”

A deep-seeded satisfaction warmed Summer’s smile. His unblinking stare never left Carrie Ann’s features. “I’ve got plans this weekend, but we can pencil something in.”

Waiting for the door to close, she asked quietly, “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“I tried.” Summer gently tugged her from the bed. “To be honest, I don’t want to think about it anymore. I’m tired of looking back. I’m more interested in the future. Paperwork is all finished. Let’s get out of here.”

“Let’s go home.”

Aspen greeted her with twenty puppy kisses, before rolling onto her back for belly rubs. Carrie Ann headed straight for the shower, needing to wash off the hospital grime and aftershocks of mental stress. Standing in the closet, towel clad with soaking wet hair, she rifled through her drawers searching for a pair of boxers and a tank top.

She didn’t know how long Summer had been standing behind her, but she shrieked catching sight of him in her peripheral as the thin tank stretched over her head, making it past her eyes.

Her pulse went crazy squashing almost every word in her vocabulary, seeing Summer propped against the doorway wearing a silver-grey suit. “Fuckity-fuck, fuck,” she panted breathily.

A sexy smile sucked into the corner of his mouth. His faint laughter filtered through the closet as he ambled toward her. His arms came around her as his eyes locked on hers with an intensity she’d never seen him wear before. One hand spanned the small of her back, drawing an arch as the other coasted over the curve of her bare bum, giving a generous squeeze. Her slight giggle dissolved into a soft gasp.

Carrie Ann’s fingers keyed up his white shirt front, giving a small adjustment to his crooked tie. The flat of his palms held her securely, molding her to the muscular terrain of his body. A low, pleasurable sigh rose in her throat, reveling in the tantalizing scent of his neck.

“What’s going on?”

“I know you’re exhausted, but I thought I might be able to tempt you in a little trip.”

“A trip? Where?” she questioned amusingly, raising an inquisitive brow. A broad smile touched her lips. Even though she was tired, there was no way she’d turn him down.

Following his gaze beyond the doorway, she noticed one of her dresses, a white strapless vintage-style cocktail dress laid out on the bed. Summer lifted their entwined fingers to his lips, and kissed her knuckles. His gorgeous gaze hovered behind the rock on her finger.