She watched as her father looked away and couldn’t believe that he couldn’t even look her in the eyes. He did everything she had said. This was his doing; what did he have to be embarrassed about if he thought it was right?

“Then I met Karson, Dad, and he made me feel like a woman again. I tried to push him away, but he kept coming, and finally I let him in.” Looking up at Karson, she brought his hand to her chest and then smiled sweetly at him. “I’ve never in all my life felt as loved as I do when I am locked in his gaze, but then you took that away from me too. You scared him away, manipulated him, and for the last nine years, I’ve been empty. So please, explain to me, how were you doing what was right for me?”

Her dad met her gaze, and he shrugged his shoulders. “I did what I thought was best, and maybe I didn’t do right by you with the cancer thing, but you have to understand I was scared.”

“Really, Dad?” Grady asked. “Is this true?”

“Leave it be, Grady,” he snapped before looking back at Lacey, “I’d just lost your mother; I didn’t want to lose you too.”

“I beat the cancer, Dad, and you continually treated me like I was helpless in that bed, bald with no idea how to care for myself. Then when I was starting to get better and get back to me, you wouldn’t approve the one thing I needed to feel like a woman, like I belonged.”

Her father shook her head, glaring. “The point is moot. It’s over, Lacey. But this, this is not over, and that man is not what’s best for you. If he was able to leave you once, he’ll leave again.”

“No, I won’t,” Karson said with a shake of his head. “Nothing will ever come between us again.”

Her dad shook his head, his face still so full of anger, and she honestly didn’t understand it. Why couldn’t he just accept Karson? He wasn’t going anywhere.

“There is no talking to you when he is around,” her father spat as he stood. “Why don’t you just leave?” Nate yelled at him, and Lacey rolled her eyes.

“In your dreams,” Karson said and Lacey could see the fire in his eyes.

“Do you hear this? Do you see the way this trash treats your family?” he said, pointing and looking at Karson like he was the vilest thing on the face of the planet.

“You have yet to refer to him as my husband or by his name, so yeah, I think he is taking this pretty well. Lord knows I don’t deserve someone to be this patient with my circus of a family.”

“You’re more than worth it,” Karson said, and her heart warmed as she met his gaze. “I can deal with anything as long as I can be with you.”

“I’m not going anywhere without you,” she promised.

“So this is what you chose? Over your family?” her father demanded, causing her brow to furrow. She looked at Grady. Why, she wasn’t sure, maybe for support, but he was looking at the ground, his brows brought in as he slowly shook his head.

“I chose him to be my husband, but it’s not one or the other for me. Why are you making this into a choice? Can’t you just support us?”

“Absolutely not, it’s a choice. It’s me or that.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Karson asked dubiously as Lacey’s heart pounded in her chest. Surely he was just talking out of his ass, because who would do that to their daughter?

But when Nate Martin met her gaze, his eyes told her he wasn’t playing around. “No, make a choice, Lacey, your family or him.”

“No, Lacey, I know how much they mean to you. I want to be with you, I do, but family is important,” Karson said softly. “I don’t want to lose you, though. There has to be another way. Why would you do this to her?” Karson asked her father.

“Because I hate you.”

“What the fuck did I do to you? I love her, that’s all. I promise I can take care of her.”

“You are worthless and don’t deserve someone so gorgeous and amazing.”

“You’re right, but she loves me too, and I can make her happy. Don’t make her choose; that’s just wrong,” Karson said with a shake of his head.

“Stop,” she said, swallowing around the lump in her throat. She looked over at Grady, but he wouldn’t look at her. Still she asked, “Does this go for you too? Are you going to keep the boys from me?”

Nate glared at Grady, but he ignored him, shaking his head. “No, Lacey, you can come see the boys. I don’t agree with what he is saying.”

“Oh, you don’t?” her father asked incredulously.

Grady shook his head. “No, Dad, I don’t. Yeah, we both think she is making a mistake. But she’s right—we never got to make mistakes because you didn’t let us do anything. And I’m getting to the point with you where I really don’t know who you are,” he seethed.

Nate brows came up. “Is that right?”

“Yeah. I don’t know why you are hell-bent on ruining her, but I refuse to keep my family and myself from my sister because she is married to some douche. I don’t have to deal with him, but I want to deal with my sister.”

“So you want her to leave?” Nate asked incredulously.

“No, Dad, I don’t, but I also don’t want to lose all contact with her,” he said, tearing his gaze off their father and to Lacey. “So yeah, after you are all packed and ready, come on over to the house. I know Rachel will want to say goodbye. I’m sure you’ll have to figure things out too with Lacey’s Lace.”