Brianna climbed out of Allison’s car in the hospital parking lot. Two days had passed since her early morning arrest and her visit with the lawyer. Now it was time for the task she’d dreaded most—breaking the news to her father.

Burke was in rehab now, pushing himself hard and making good progress. In a few days he’d be going home. Brianna and Allison had agreed that now would be the best time to tell him.

“Do you want me to go in with you, Brianna, or would you rather talk to him alone?” Allison had been pretty cool, Brianna conceded. She hadn’t lectured or scolded, just helped her through the steps of what needed to be done. And the older woman lawyer had been all right, too, even though much of what she’d delivered had been bad news. There would be no easy way out of this mess.

“I’m a big girl,” Brianna said. “If it gets ugly, you won’t want to be there. I’ll tell him alone.”

“Fine,” Allison said. “I’ve got a couple of errands to run. Will half an hour be enough time before I come back?”

“I’ll text you,” Brianna said, and closed the car door.

As Allison drove off, she walked through the front entrance of the rehab wing. She loved her father, and they’d always been close. But she had never disappointed him as cruelly as she was about to this morning. It was all she could do to keep from turning around and running out of the building.

Last night she’d resisted the urge to call Liam and cry on his shoulder again. She knew what he would tell her—take responsibility and face up to it like an adult. She didn’t want to call him again until she’d proven she could do just that.

She found her father in the gym, using a cane to walk with the help of a therapist. He was dressed in sweats, his color good, his face freshly shaven, but he still winced with every step. He was in obvious pain.

He glanced up and saw her. “Hello, honey. Did Allison come with you?”

“She’ll be here a little later.” Brianna took a deep breath. “Daddy, we need to talk.”

He gave her a puzzled frown. “If it’s about your car—”

“No. It isn’t about the car.”

He glanced at the therapist. “Can we go back to my room? I think I’ve walked enough for now.”

The husky young man walked him back down the hall to his room and settled him in a cushioned armchair. Brianna followed, closing the door after the therapist left.

“So it’s that kind of talk, is it?” Burke’s voice had taken on an edge.

“I’m afraid so.” Brianna sat on the side of the bed.

“You look like you just lost your best friend. What’s the matter?”