“Oh, Dad, how could you?” Bliss suddenly felt cold to the marrow of her bones. She didn’t want to believe that either of her parents would be so manipulative.

“It was for your best interests,” her father said.

“My best interests? Didn’t I have a say in them?” Stunned and reeling, she nearly fell into one of the chairs at the table and fixed her gaze on the man who had sired her.

“You were seventeen. Didn’t know up from sideways.”

“But it was my life. Mine!” She thumped her fingers against her chest. “You had no right—”

“I saw you with Lafferty and knew it would only be a matter of time before you got yourself into big trouble, so I went along with your mother.”

“I can’t believe it.” Bliss cradled her head in her hands. All these years. All the lies. “You . . . you could have ruined so many lives. Mine. Mason’s. Terri’s.”

“No one was really hurt,” John argued.

“Untrue. We were all hurt.” She felt the sting of tears behind her eyes at the thought of her parents’ betrayal. Whatever were their reasons, there was no excuse, no explanation good enough to justify their actions. “Just because I wasn’t ‘of age’ or whatever you want to call it, didn’t mean I didn’t have feelings, that I shouldn’t have some say in my life!”

Her father’s jaw was rock hard. “I did what I thought best.”

“Because you were coerced into it by Mother.”

“She loved you more than life itself, Blissie. You know that.” He blinked, as if the thought of his wife and how he’d treated her brought tears to his eyes. “We were the best parents we knew how to be.”

“I can’t believe this,” she whispered.

“Believe it.” Mason’s voice was hard and the wrath in his gold eyes reflected his years of pain. “We were both deceived, Bliss.”

“And what about you?” she demanded, hurting and raw, as she stared at Mason. “Taking money from Dad, staying away from me and never looking back.” Mason, too, had used her.

“I’m sorry,” Mason said. “I should have come to you in the hospital and explained—”

“Explain what? That twenty-five thousand dollars meant more to you than I did? That . . . that you were willing to marry another woman rather than face me again? I never thought I’d say this,” she whispered, anger burning through her, “but you’re a coward, Mason Lafferty, and I thought I loved you. For years I believed . . .” Hot tears stung against her eyelids. “I—I mean—Oh, just forget it.” She couldn’t stand to remain another second in the house, turned and hurried out the door.