Page 68 of The Science of Attraction

“Go... on,” my father grunted. “Get it out.” But his tone was less aggressive, less certain than earlier, and his gaze wouldn’t settle on Liam’s.

Liam took a long breath and let it out slowly. “You know, Paddy, I’ve ignored a lot of your bullshit these last weeks, mostly because I understand the frustration you feel, and how hard you’ve fought to recover what you have. ButI’mnot to blame for what happened to you.Nobodyis. Not even you. And I will not be spoken to like that for simply doing my job. For doing what you pay me to do. For reminding you about dealing with stress and why it’s not a good idea to get your blood pressure up.”

My father stared at the table, not saying a word.

“I’m not only here to get your body moving better,” Liam continued calmly while Marty’s gaze ping-ponged between them. “I’m here to help you avoid another stroke. Because if you think your current situation is the worst that can happen to you, believe me, it’s not. I’ve worked with people who would give anything to be able to do just half of what you can.”

Paddy blanched and looked up.

“You know I don’t lie to you,” Liam said more softly. “But if you continue to refuse to listen to the medical advice and refuse to change the way you live your life, then another stroke or worse isn’t inconceivable. Iknowyou’ve been told all this. I have your permission to talk with your doctor, remember? But it’s up to you, Paddy. You need to decide what you want and who you want to be in this new world you find yourself in, because you can’t have it all. You can’t be the old Paddy and not expect some consequences.”

My father’s gaze slid sideways to my mother, who sat with tears brimming in her eyes. She shook her head and reached for his hand. “I love you, and I’m not ready to lose you, you stubborn old goat. Although some days you make it really, really hard to like you.” She took a breath like she was weighing her next words. “You know, I’d hoped that one day when you handed the place over to Julian, then maybe, just maybe I’d get to have you back again, like you were when we were young and your father was still running the station. Before he hardened you up, always criticising you, always on your back, and everything got so busy and so damn serious. Before you got so... angry.” She sighed and squeezed his hand. “We had fun back then, didn’t we?”

My father sat frozen in his seat, but his answer when it finally came was barely a whisper in the silent room. “Yes, we did.”

Tears filled my eyes. I’d never seen that look on my father before—respect, regret, need, hope, and a million other things I couldn’t name and wouldn’t have believed except they all spelled love—a word I rarely thought about when it came to my parents. The realisation felt both humbling and earth-shattering.

I swallowed around the thickness filling my throat, and from across the table, Liam’s gaze found mine. I couldn’t look away, feeling ridiculously proud of him but also so fucking thankful. I tried to tell him with my eyes. Who knows if he got the message, but his smile was soft, his eyes full of an emotion I didn’t dare trust.

My mother cradled my father’s face. “I can’t give you what you want, Paddy,” she said so quietly I had to lean in to catch the words. “I can’t turn the clock back six months. But I’ll tell you something for free.” Her eyes glittered with tears. “Even if I could, I wouldn’t. I don’t want that man back again.”

Marty drew a sharp breath but said nothing as she continued.

“I’m beginning to catch glimpses of the Paddy I used to know. The husband I remember. The way you were when we first met. The man I fell in love with.”

Good God, I was about two seconds away from losing my shit completely, and Liam looked like he was right with me.

But my mother stopped there. “I’m going to spend the afternoon in the vegetable garden. We can talk more when I’m done if you want?” She turned to Liam. “Once he’s resting, I’ll take it from there and you can go enjoy your Saturday afternoon. We appreciate everything you’re doing for us, don’t we, Paddy?” She shot her husband a direct look that needed no interpretation.

Paddy wasn’t a fool. He nodded. “Yes. Thhhank... you. And... I’m sorry.”

It wasn’t a gushing apology, but it was a whole lot more than I’d expected.

Liam gave Paddy a curt nod. “Apology accepted.”

My father looked like he’d swallowed a cup of bile at the words, but he kept his mouth shut.

Marty, however, looked ropeable, but he also said nothing.

My mother glanced over my shoulder, and a smile lit up her face. I spun in my seat to find Zach leaning on the veranda doorjamb, quietly watching. Mum shot to her feet and rushed around the table with her arms open.

“Zach, it’s so lovely to see you.”

Zee moved into my mother’s embrace and they hugged for a long minute. “I was in town, so I picked up your mail.” He handed Mum a pile of letters. “There’s one for you too, bro.” He arched a brow and threw me a small package.

I took one look at the label and my cheeks blew hot. “Oh, thanks.” I forced myself not to look at Liam, but I felt his curious gaze. I put the parcel aside and got to my feet.

It felt strange seeing Zach back in the kitchen after everything that had happened in that same room almost eighteen months before. But it also gave me hope. Dad’s stroke had broken a few of the barriers between them, but Zach still rarely came into the big house, and I didn’t blame him. And from the wary expression on his face, I figured he’d heard most of the argument.

“Oh, and look—” My mother stepped around Zach. “—Luke’s here as well.” She pulled Zach’s boyfriend into the kitchen from where he’d been safely out of sight on the veranda and embraced him warmly. “Welcome to our home.”

“Nice to see you, Norma,” Luke greeted my mother. Then he looked over her shoulder to where my father sat watching, an unreadable expression on his face. “Paddy.”

My father’s frown deepened. “Luke.” His gaze bounced between Zach and his boyfriend, his expression still carefully masked.

Luke looked almost amused at Paddy’s obvious discomfort, but when he turned to Liam, his smile was genuine and they shook hands. “Nice to see you again, Liam.”

“Bring it in, bro.” Zach approached me with open arms and pulled me into a hug, and it felt good, damn good. I’d missed him in this kitchen and as an everyday part of life on this station. I’d just fucking missed him.

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