Let her go. Allison resolved to stay at the table and finish her meal. Running after the girl would only create more drama. Brianna had no place to go except back to her father, who might be able to talk some sense into her. The information about the Edgeway Group was Burke’s to share. Whether he chose to share it with his daughter would be up to him.

* * *

Burke had finished a painful and frustratingly slow trip up and down the hall. Leaning on a walker and trailed by the nurse with his saline drip hanging from a wheeled pole, he’d felt every step like a knife stab in his back. Despite the pain, he’d welcomed the chance to be on his feet, but his slow progress was maddening. Damn it, he wanted his life back!

He was seated in a cushioned armchair, waiting for his lunch, when Brianna burst into the room. Burke could tell from the glint in her eyes and the set of her jaw that she was upset.

“Daddy, you’ve got to do something about her! She’s trying to run my life!”

Burke had heard it all before. He’d hoped his bride and his daughter would become close, but Brianna had resented Allison from the first time she’d set foot in the house.

“Give it a rest, honey,” he said. “Allison’s been under a strain since the accident. We all have, even you. Emotions are pretty raw right now. You have to understand that.”

She took a seat on the side of the bed, close to his chair. “Well, I don’t care what Allison thinks of me. I’ve long since gotten past that. But when she starts picking on my friend—”

“What friend?” Burke should’ve known better than to ask.

“Garrett. She told me I shouldn’t trust him. She said that he’s trying to manipulate me. That’s ridiculous!”

Burke stifled a groan as the nurse brought in his tray and set it in front of him. He remembered the happy little girl his daughter had once been, content to be his best pal and fishing buddy. At times like this, he couldn’t help missing that little girl, and wishing he’d been around to spend more time with her.

“I’ll tell you what,” he said. “Let’s stop bickering and enjoy our time together. Where’s Allison, by the way?”

“I left her in the cafeteria. She didn’t say when she’d be coming back. You need to eat, Daddy.”

Burke lifted the cover off his plate and eyed the meatloaf with creamed corn. He hadn’t been hungry since the accident, but he knew he needed to eat. With his fork, he cut off a corner of the meatloaf and forced himself to eat it. Not wonderful, but not bad. He took another bite, chewed and swallowed it.