Page 84 of Scarred Redemption

“How about watching a movie instead?”

“I guess,” Mina answered.

I sat down beside her on the couch, staring at the blank television screen. “Do you want me to read you a book?”

“Not really.”

“How about if I got your sketch book?”

She’d been so quiet since we’d gotten back from the hospital. I knew she’d expected her papa to return with her, shoving away all the demons I could tell lingered inside. She stuck out her arm, peering at the bruise that had already formed on her skin.

Dark and ugly.

Seeing how quickly her skin had recovered brought another set of memories I’d tried very hard to forget and until now, I’d done a damn good job of doing so.

I could still see my mother’s face when she’d uncharacteristically verbally attacked my father when he’d come home. As usual, he’d been late by two days. She’d told him how terrified my sister had been in taking tests, including being forced to get a PET scan. My father had promised he’d be home in time to come to the hospital with us, but as usual, his business had taken precedence.

That was the ugly day I’d found out my father had been having an affair. I’d been old enough to realize what that meant. For once, she’d made a scene, which he’d hated, screaming at him since Callista had been up in her room crying since getting back from the hospital.

It wasn’t fair to think about the horrible memory when I knew for certain Maxsim was handling a situation that I’d encouraged him to. It was the very reason I’d learned to hate my father. My sister had been away at school and had believed the sun rose and set on my father. Even when she’d picked me up from the diner, the old hard feelings had lingered. I’d seen it in her eyes.

There’d also been accusations in them revolving around my decision to date such a horrible man. The rift we’d shared would never be repaired. I’d need to live with that.

“You took off your Band-Aid,” I told her.

“I didn’t need it.”

Arguing with her wasn’t going to do any good. “Are you hungry?”

She shook her head.

I moved to the edge of the couch, taking her hand into mine. “I know it’s hard to understand why scary tests were needed. But sometimes they can help in keeping you nice and healthy.”

“Hospitals are scary.”

“I know they are. Did your daddy tell you he was working with me on a new project?”

Her eyes opened wide. “What?”

“A hospital just for kids so things like what you went through today aren’t so scary. There will be playrooms and nurses dressed in clown outfits.” Well, maybe not the clown outfits, but the lie allowed her to giggle. “They’ll allow pets to be with their people too.”

“Really?”

Something I’d insist on. “Yep.”

“And toys?”

“Oh, lots of toys. Your papa drew sketches a long time ago because it was his idea, his dream.” I hadn’t thought about them in months. “Would you like to see them?”

“Can I?”

“Absolutely. Let me go find them. I’ll be right back.” I felt a little more lightheaded since I’d seen the sparkle in Mina’s eyes.

She was very much like her father in so many ways, including in the ability to brood. I raced up the stairs, happy to have some purpose in my step. I found them in his closet nestled behind a row of his suits. Why he didn’t keep them in his office I didn’t know. In my haste to snatch them, I accidently knocked a suit jacket off a hanger.

When I yanked it off the floor, a box fell out. As soon I found it with my eyes, I knew what I was looking at.

A ring box.