Page 54 of The Sandbar saga

"Go ahead."

"There was only one reason my dad was with Miss Cynthia out on the sandbar and even knowing how awful my mom was to live with and they didn't have a good relationship, that wasn't the right thing for him to do." She looked up at him. "I figured that out a few years ago, but never told you."

"Why not?"

"Because before that, I thought my dad was perfect. I needed to hold on to that image of having one parent that truly made me happy." She exhaled, gave her head a small shake, and then looked away from him. "I don't need that picture in my head anymore."

Curious to know how she'd achieved ways to cope with an upset from her past, something she rarely let him see, he said, "Why not?"

"Because I have you." She kissed his hand again, then let him go. "Want a root beer float?"

"Sure." He stayed outside as she walked into the house.

Rolling the conversation around in his head, warning bells went off, telling him she shouldn't look to him for stability. That he could only fill a small part of her life, and she must look outside her circle to find the connections and strength that would serve her well as she moved forward.

That someday, she wouldn't need him. That she'd look at another man and trust him.

But he couldn't stop wanting to be the man who gave her the love she desperately needed.