His Ultimate Temptation. Susan Crosby

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      “I wish I’d met her sooner. She’s been wonderful. She does all the housework, except we share the cooking among the three of us. And, of course, the biggest reason for her being there—I don’t have to worry about what to do with Erin if my hours get crazy.”

      “I’m old enough now to stay by myself,” Erin announced.

      “No, you’re not,” both parents responded in unison.

      “Honey, sometimes you don’t even wake up when the telephone rings right in your ear. You’d probably sleep through an earthquake,” Leslie said, her gaze meeting Ben’s for a second, glad they agreed on this issue.

      “If I knew I had to be responsible, I would be.”

      “Maybe. But the fact is you’re like Sleeping Beauty under the witch’s spell.”

      “But, Mom—”

      “Your mother’s right,” Ben interrupted. “No discussion on this one, kiddo.”

      “Anyway, where would Carly go?” Leslie. asked. “We’re her family now. She needs us, too.”

      “I’m surprised you left her alone on Christmas,” Ben said.

      “She took a job caring for an Alzheimer’s patient for the time Erin was supposed to be gone. She got the chance to make some extra income over the Christmas break.” Pausing, she looked at Ben expectantly. “So—what do you think? Does breakfast meet with your approval?”

      “It’s good, Les,” Ben said, devouring a muffin.

      “I packed lunches for the two of you, too.”

      “The two of us?” Erin frowned at Ben. “Why can’t Mom come skiing?”

      Before Ben could reply, Leslie said, “I didn’t bring my skis, honey.”

      “But, Mom....” Erin apparently decided she wasn’t going to change Leslie’s mind, because she turned instantly to her father. “Make her come.”

      Ben didn’t want to get into a debate. They were all on edge. Spending the day together couldn’t improve the situation. “You can rent equipment, Les.” He picked up his empty plate and carried it to the sink.

      “I appreciate the offer, but I’ll pass.” She came up beside him. “Just leave the dishes. It’ll give me something to do. You two get going before it gets too crowded.”

      Ben hustled Erin out to the car amid further protests.

      “We’ll be back by five,” he called to Les as she stood on the porch and waved goodbye.

      “It’s not fair,” Erin grumbled when they rounded the first bend. “Mom loves to ski. You should’ve made her come.”

      He shot her a glance. He couldn’t remember seeing her so belligerent. “So, are you going to spend the day mad at me? Because if that’s the way it’s going to be, I’ll drive back to the cabin—” he saw her eyes light up “—and drop you off.”

      Her mouth fell open. “You mean you’d go without me?”

      “I’m on vacation.”

      She tapped her feet against the floorboard for three turns of the road. “I suppose it isn’t all your fault.”

      “No kidding.”

      “I suppose I should be mad at Mom, ’cause she’s the one who didn’t come.”

      “Why don’t you skip being mad at anyone and have a good time, instead.”

      She wrinkled her nose. “Too easy.”

      He laughed, appreciating his daughter’s maturing sense of humor.

      “So how come Mom’s really at the cabin?”

      Erin’s question blindsided him. “What do you mean?”

      “Come on, Dad. No way would Mom spend Christmas by herself. No way. She would’ve gone to Grandpa’s or to Uncle Brad and Aunt Mimi’s. Or Uncle Chase or Uncle Gabe—”

      “I get the picture, sweetheart.” He didn’t want to speculate about it with Erin, not when he was only speculating himself.

      “Well, it’s true. She gets, like, totally sappy about Christmas.”

      Ben chuckled. “Yeah.”

      “I kinda like it a lot, too, you know?”

      He glanced her way.

      She stared out the passenger window. “I kinda didn’t like being gone over Christmas,” she said quietly. “I mean, I like being with you, Dad, but Christmas is—well. it’s special, you know?”

      He heard more than her words. Pulling to the side of the road, he shifted the car into park then turned to her. “Why didn’t you say so?”

      “’Cause the agreement says I alternate Christmases.”

      “Erin.”

      After a few seconds she looked at him.

      “They’re just words on paper, sweetheart. The only thing that matters is how you feel. If what’s been planned makes you unhappy you have to tell us. We’ll adjust. Please don’t think that you have to abide by everything your mom and I agreed to in court. We will always put your needs first.”

      “That’s a lie.”

      He touched her hair. “No—”

      “It’s a lie. If you put me first you wouldn’t’ve gotten that stupid divorce in the first place.”

      Tears welled up in her eyes, breaking Ben’s heart. She fumbled with the seat belt until it was undone, then she flung herself into his arms.

      “I’m sorry, Daddy. I’m sorry.”

      Daddy. She hadn’t called him that in a while. Dad, she said, usually with an inflection of exasperation. “You don’t understand, Dad,” was a phrase he heard all too often these days.

      As he held her, he struggled to recall the reasons for the divorce—how Les had disregarded all the plans they’d made. How she’d excluded him in her decision to become a cop. Her accusations that he overprotected her, smothered her. How she’d never understood he was building his empire for her, for their children. He’d grown up so poor, and his mother had worked so hard. But his life would be different. He’d vowed that to Leslie right along with the wedding vows. And he’d worked hard, so hard, to attain financial security.

      Then just when he had, she’d dug her heels in, refusing to move into the penthouse of his first hotel. Refusing to quit her job, even though they didn’t need her salary anymore, her supposed reason for joining the force in the first place.

      She’d become independent. Self-sufficient Distant.

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