“I was twenty-one and your mother was eighteen when we got married,” Vic said. “She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. A few weeks into the marriage, she got pregnant, and I felt trapped. She never looked at me the same way again. She loved having babies. All of you got the attention. I got nothing. I played around to get even with her, but she didn’t even notice, or care.” His face hardened. “So I found somebody who did. Or so I thought.” He sighed. “I couldn’t bear to see your mother when she was dying, because I felt it was my fault. I was never around when she needed me and I didn’t realize it until too late. I loved her. I didn’t realize that, either. I married your stepmother because I was grieving, not only for your mother, but for Cash. I let your stepmother’s lies cause me to throw him right out of my life, and he hated me. I couldn’t get him to come back.” His eyes closed. “Then your stepmother started running around on me. I got a taste of my own medicine.” He leaned back in the chair and his eyes were dead. “I’ve ruined my life, Cort,” he said quietly. “Ruined yours, too.” He met his son’s shocked eyes. “Ruined all my sons’ lives. Parker won’t even come home unless he has to. Cash is friendly, but we don’t have the relationship we could have had. Garon has a family and he’s never been interested in the ranch. So there’s just you and me. And your new stepmother, in Vermont. She caught me with one of her friends in a compromising situation. She said…” He hesitated, and his face tautened with pain. “She said I was the most worthless man she’d ever known and she was sorry she’d married me. She wants a divorce.” He smiled ruefully. “She doesn’t even want alimony. She just wants me gone.” He sipped coffee he didn’t even want. “I’ve been a fool. I don’t know what to do.”

“Take your yacht out and practice for the America’s Cup trials,” Cort suggested sardonically. “In a few weeks, you’ll forget all about it. You always have.”

His sad eyes met his son’s. “It only seems that way. But maybe you’re right.” He got up from the table. “I’m sorry I’ve caused you more trouble.”

“I patched things up.” He cocked his head. “I’m getting married.”

Vic stared at him. “To whom?”

“A sweet, guileless little Wyoming rancher who loves to knit and read romance novels. She wants kids. So do I.”

“Wants kids, huh?” he asked. His smile was cynical. “Is she poor?”

Cort nodded.

“Is she marrying you for your money?” Vic asked sarcastically.

“She thinks I’m just a working cowboy who’s as financially challenged as she is,” Cort said surprisingly. “She likes to cook, too.”

Vic sighed. “Just like your new stepmother. She was a newspaper reporter, but she’s a homebody now. She likes to grow things. Oh hell, I messed up, big-time! She’ll never speak to me again. I’m sorry for what I did to her, but she won’t let me tell her. She said I was only sorry I got caught, but it’s not true.”