Risqué Business (Club Risqué #8)

Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

L aurel tapped a pen against her mouth and looked up from where she was compiling a guest list.

“Have you spoken to your father yet?” she asked, holding her breath once the words she’d been trying to drum up the courage to ask were out of her mouth. Connor Griffin Senior was a sore subject for her fiancé.

“I’m sure my sister’s mentioned the wedding to him by now,” he grunted without looking up.

“Really, Connor?” Laurel chided. “You didn’t even tell him yourself?”

He did look up then, and his usually handsome features were wreathed into a scowl.

"I didn't see the point," he snapped, setting suddenly cold moss-green eyes on her. A sombre mood took over the room, but this conversation was too important for her to back down.

"The point is," Laurel replied, resolute despite the tremor in her voice, "he's your father. He deserves to hear it from you."

Connor sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair, a clear sign of frustration. "You know how he is, Laurel," he said, his voice softening into a tone that was almost pleading. “Where was he when I really needed him? When I was all alone and on the verge of a nervous breakdown… one his fucking ex-wife was mostly responsible for? Did he reach out to me when I was going through hell? No. So why would I reach out to him now things are going so well? Trust me, Laurel, we’ve fought our demons. Neither of us needs that kind of negativity in our lives.”

Laurel blinked her eyes furiously at his cold refusal. Was his relationship with his father really so broken? She understood their difficulties and the dreadful incident that had torn them both apart, but neither of the men were to blame. That dishonour sat squarely with Rayleen, Connor’s perverted stepmother.

“Please, Connor. We’re about to get married and I’ve never even met him. I’d at least like to do that before our wedding day.” She tried one more time. If he still refused, she’d give it up, even if she did have kind of an ulterior motive. Not a bad one, just…

"What do you want me to do?" Connor huffed, cutting off her thoughts.

"I want you to call him," she answered simply. "It's not just about the wedding, Connor. It's about you two mending your relationship."

He fell into a silence more telling than any words could be. For a moment, Laurel thought he would resist, keeping up his stubborn front. But then she felt his fingers brushing against hers in a silent search for support.

"Alright," he finally said, sounding almost defeated. "I'll call him." Sudden determination flared in his eyes as he met her gaze again. "But just so you know, I'm doing this for you."

“Well, that’s not such a bad thing,” she admitted, deciding it was best to come clean right now. “Because I was hoping he might agree to give me away since my own father’s not here to do it.”