His opinion about homosexuality would never change. His stomach churned just thinking about his daughter married to a woman, but Joanna was willing to give up five years of her life for him, so he would quiet his opinions for her. He would ask questions and be the father he always was because he knew in his heart this marriage would give Joanna what he could not. A future filled with promise instead of debt.

Relaxing back onto the pillows propped behind his back, Robert took a deep breath. “Well, it seems our future is going to be much brighter than we expected.”

“Yeah?” Joanna asked quietly. “So...you’re okay with this?”

“No, I’m not, but I won’t stand in your way either. If this is what you want to do, I’ll support your decision and not say another word about it. It just would be a lot easier if you were marrying a man for convenience, instead of a...a woman.”

“I’m sorry, Dad, but this is the only offer on the table, and it’s a good one. You’ve got to see that.”

“Yes, well it is a lot of money,” Robert said as he eyed his daughter. “Can she really afford it?”

“And then some,” Joanna said, bobbing her head.

Rubbing his hand over the two-day-old whiskers covering his chin, he said, “I suppose if she owned a sports team, I’d know more about her.”

“Yes, you probably would,” Joanna said with a chuckle.

“Well, I’m not sure I’m going to remember all of this tomorrow, but how about you tell me a little more about Miss...um...Miss—”

“Kane. Addison Kane.”

“Yes, that’s right,” Robert said, his voice fading to a whisper. “What’s she like?”

Joanna’s brow furrowed as she thought about Addison Kane. “Well, she’s my age or maybe a few years older. Tall, thin...um...she has dark brown hair and...and she has these really odd eyes.”

“Odd?” Robert said. “What do you mean like...like glazed over or something?”

“No, silly,” Joanna said, playfully slapping her father’s leg. “They’re just...they’re just really light blue, like one of those Alaskan dogs.”

“I see,” Robert said, studying his daughter. “What kind of person is she? You said she was here last night. How’d she strike you?”

Joanna’s dimples appeared as she tried to find the appropriate words. Quickly giving up, she began to snicker. “Dad, she’s filthy rich, and she knows it. She’s more than a bit full of herself, and it seemed to me that she’s quite used to getting her own way.”

“Oh, a haughty cow – eh?”

“She’s definitely that,” Joanna said, snickering again. “But I can handle her.”