Chapter 28

Oh wait—no one had.

And when Matthew had volunteered to delay the funeral so she could be there with his half brothers and stepfather, she’d told him not to bother. “We’ll be there in plenty of time.”

Why had he believed her? If she hadn’t come to see her father when he was alive, why would she now he was dead?

And of course she hadn’t. She’d called the night before to tell him the twins had come down with an early case of the flu—which he didn’t believe for a minute. The brats most likely had a musical recital—and she wouldn’t be able to make it.

“I’m sorry, sweetie.” He hated when she called him that. It reminded him of the days when they’d still been a family, before everything had been ruined. “But I promise I’ll arrange a nice memorial service for your grandfather before the holidays.”

“Fine, Mama.” But it hadn’t been fine. She should have been here to pay her respects to the man who had given her life.