Page 79 of The Past

The moment the door shut behind us, he whirled, his face twisted with barely restrained fury.“Ye little—”

I lifted a hand, cutting him off.“If ye want to throw insults, I can leave and we can have this conversation in front of the Kavanaghs.”

His eyes promised retribution, but he clamped his mouth shut.

I took a slow breath, steadying myself.“I don’t want half of Glenhaven.”

That gave him pause, but he eyed me with suspicion.“Ye don’t?”

I shook my head.“No.I never wanted it, and I certainly don’t want to be in business with ye.”I stepped forward, keeping my voice calm, measured.“So, I’ll make ye a deal.”

“Yer not in a position—”

“No,yernot in a position.Ye can’t afford to not hear what I have to offer.”

And for the first time ever in all my memories of my da, he looked utterly cowed, as if almost pleadeding with me to be gentle.

It was an odd experience, but I brushed it aside.I wanted this concluded as quickly as possible.“I’ll sign over my half of Glenhaven to ye.”

He looked absolutely bewildered.“Why would ye do that?”

“In return, ye’ll sign permission for me to leave Ireland and marry Tommy.”

His entire body tensed.“Absolutely not.”

I shrugged.“Then I keep my half, and I take full control of the training center.Maybe I’ll sell it to someone else.Maybe I’ll partner with another farm.Maybe I’ll start training steeplechasers myself.I’m sure there would be plenty of buyers eager to work with me.”

His jaw clenched so tightly that I heard his teeth grind together.

I let the words settle before delivering the final blow.“And ye’ll promise—officially, in writing—that Siobhan will marry whomever she chooses, and that ye’ll not arrange anything on her behalf.”

His eyes burned with pure, livid rage.“Yer trying to blackmail me.”

I shrugged again.“Call it what ye want.But I know ye, Da.I know what matters to ye.And ye care far more about yer land than ye do about yer daughters.”He looked at me like he wanted to strike me, but he wouldn’t.He didn’t need to.His silence told me I had already won, but I’m not sure he really understood how good a deal this was for him.“If ye own all of Glenhaven, ye have no need to merge with the Kavanaghs to build yer empire.Ye’ll own all of this one.This is yer legacy.This is yer chance to have it all.But ye have to let me and Siobhan go.”

My legs almost gave way as I saw something else filter into his expression as understanding dawned and he truly realized what I had just done.I saw something I never thought I’d see in my life.

Respect.

I held my breath, waiting, because respect didn’t mean agreement.

Finally, he exhaled sharply.“Aye.”

Relief crashed over me so fast I nearly collapsed.But I kept my face neutral.“Ye’ll sign?”

His lips pressed into a thin line.“I will.”

“And ye’ll promise to let Siobhan make her own choices?That will be written into the agreement and ye’ll forfeit yer half if ye break it.”

He gritted his teeth.“I understand and I agree.”

Every bit of weight and tension eased and a peace washed over me that I’d never experienced before.“Then we have a deal.Please give the Kavanaghs my regards, but I won’t be returning to dinner.”

Without another word, I turned on my heel and walked out of his study, leaving him to pick up the pieces of his carefully orchestrated plan I just demolished.

CHAPTER 28

Tommy

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