Page 64 of Tangled in Temptation

“No. This isn’t a social visit.”

I braced myself for the inevitable confrontation. “I see,” I said. “What’s going on?”

“I want to talk to you about Catherine,” he said.

“Sure, what’s up?”

I didn’t know what he knew and wasn’t about to expose our torrid love affair to her father.

“Do you care about Catherine?”

“I do.” I nodded.

“I’m not sure you do,” he said.

“Why do you think that?” I asked with confusion.

“I know you’ve got an ex-wife that isn’t ready to let you go,” he said. “I don’t want my daughter pulled into some mess. It’s not fair to her.”

“There’s no mess.”

“If you care about Catherine at all,” he said, looking me straight in the eyes, “you’ll let her go. She’s not some rich shmuck’s house pet. She has a bright future ahead of her, and she deserves better than this.”

I listened in silence as he spoke. I understood he was being a protective father, but he was way off base.

“I love your daughter,” I said, the words ringing with a sincerity that surprised even me. “And I have no intention of locking her up in my house. I want her to pursue her passion, to chase her dreams. I just... I want to be a part of her life, John. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. I appreciate your concern,” I said calmly. “But you’ve got it all wrong. It’s not about money or ‘rich schmucks.’ Catherine is with me because she wants to be, not because I’m forcing her to.”

He snorted, clearly not buying my statement. “You think you’re some kind of Prince Charming, don’t you?”

“It’s not about that either,” I continued. “We care about each other. We want to be together.”

His piercing gaze softened a bit, but he remained firm. “She may think she’s in love right now, but believe me, she’s just caught up in the moment.”

I took a moment to try and choose my words carefully. “Do you have a problem with me, John?” I asked, unable to resist the urge to push back against his accusations.

He didn’t hesitate to answer. “Yes, I do. Catherine is my world, Timothy. And I’m done seeing her hurt. I sat back and didn’t say much with that last guy, but I’m not about to let her get hurt again.”

“I’m not going to hurt her,” I said.

John scoffed. “That’s what they all say in the beginning, isn’t it?”

I stood my ground. “I mean it, John.”

“Every heartbreak she endured, every tear she shed... I was there,” he continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “The pain of seeing your child hurt is unbearable. So can you blame me for wanting to protect her from that again?”

“No,” I admitted, my anger deflating. “I get it.”

He nodded slowly. “Good. As long as you understand where I’m coming from.”

“I do,” I said. “I don’t know how much she’s told you, but yes, I screwed up. I wasn’t sure what I was doing. I didn’t come to Sleepy Hollow with the intention of getting involved with anyone. She’s a captivating woman.”

“I know,” he said.

“I can admit I didn’t make all the right moves with her, but I intend to change things. I’m going to do it right.”

“And what does ‘doing it right’ look like to you?” John asked.

I paused, taking a moment to gather my thoughts before I responded. “It means being honest with her about everything. It means supporting her in whatever she wants to do. It means not taking her for granted.”