He didn’t deserve her.

I didn’t either.

But I had her, and I would never have let her walk away from me like he had.

And I needed to make sure Todd understood that whatever chance he’d had with Kayla was gone.

“Is this nuisance Todd the concern, or the lovely Kayla?” my father asked.

“What are you talking about, Father,” I said.

He chuckled. “You do think I’m an idiot,” he said.

“Why would you say that?” I asked, frustrated at him and myself, but interested in what he had to say.

“She tries to pretend to be sweet, but I know a firecracker when I see one,” my father said.

“And you think Kayla’s a firecracker?” I asked.

“Do you think the meek, sweet girl that she tries to pretend to be would ever hold your attention?”

I laughed, and my father nodded knowingly.

“Exactly. So I suspect Todd is a separate problem, but not the one that concerns you now, Elias.”

“Meaning?” I asked.

He smiled. “You might not like what I’m going to say.”

“Has that ever stopped you before, Father?” I said.

“Of course not, and it won’t this time either. You’re jealous,” he said.

“What do I have to be jealous of?” I asked, though I had been thinking that exact thing.

“Nothing in my eyes, but what do I know? I’m just an old man,” he said.

I didn’t respond, which was as good as an admission.

Because while I might hate to admit it, what my father said was true.

I was jealous, almost sick with it.

But underlying that jealousy was something that might even be worse.

Fear.

Because I couldn’t pretend there wasn’t a chance that Kayla might decide Todd was a better choice.

Even thinking it made me ill, but ignoring that fact wouldn’t make it go away.

I’d just have to deal with it.

Which added another level of complication.

The Kayla I had met all those years ago was gone, her proximity to me in this world having taken away some of the naivete that had made her offer herself in place of her father.

But if something happened to Todd, she would suspect me.

And she would never, ever forgive me.

That awareness was ultimately what stayed my hand.

That, along with some more practical implications.

“Have you been able to discover who is backing Todd?” I asked.

“There hasn’t been a single whisper, which is very unusual,” he said.

“More than unusual. You know the men can’t keep secrets for anything,” I said.

“They’re keeping this one,” he said.

Then he looked at me, his hands steepled, his expression serious.

“I’m not going to like whatever you’re about to say,” I said.

“Probably not. But I’ll say it anyway. You have Kayla. Use her,” he said.

“What are you talking about, Father?”