“To say the least.” They shared a laugh before Michael looked over at Shea.

“I really am glad to see you, Shea. When I called Eleanor this morning and she said she’d call you, I have to say I was surprised. I could have sworn after last night you would run for the hills.”

Shea smiled as Michael laughed, and Elli looked nervous.

“Sometimes I wonder about my family. Eleanor and I are the only normal ones, I think. Would you think so darling?”

“Yes, daddy,” Elli answered with a grin as the waitress came back for their orders.

Shea’s order was different from theirs. He went for the classic bacon and eggs with pancakes, while Elli and her dad got sausage, eggs, and grits. Even though he lived in the south, he couldn’t do the damn grits. They were disgusting in his opinion. Elli smiled at him, knowing what he was thinking since they had this discussion before.

“You know, Shea. Olivia is quick to point out Elli’s failures, but not her accomplishments.”

“I noticed that,” Shea said, reaching for his glass of orange juice. “Why is that?”

“Oh, she’s jealous.”

Shea found himself choking on his orange juice. That was probably the last thing he expected Michael to say.

“Excuse me?”

“It’s simple, really. She wanted to be on Broadway, and she wanted to marry into the Yates family. When Elli did both, Olivia was livid. But then Elli got real sick. She wasn’t kicked off Broadway like Olivia tells everyone, she was asked to lose the weight but couldn’t, so she never went back. When she did lose the weight, she was already in her new career and I guess she never wanted to go back.”

“It isn’t that I didn’t want to go back, Daddy. It’s just, I don’t know if I’m as good as I was. I mean, I used to sing every day, now I only do it in the shower or when I’m driving.”

“But you’re happy?” he asked.

Elli looked over at Shea. She beamed at him, before looking back at her dad.

“I am.”

“Then it is done with, but for some reason your mother can’t let it go.” He reached for Elli’s hand, squeezing it lightly as he looked at Shea, “and then the thing with that piece of shit Justin. Thank God she got rid of him. He told everyone he left her, but I know he would never leave her, he had it too good with her,” Michael leaned back, letting the waitress give him his food.

Elli was looking down at her plate, a little red covering her cheeks. After the waitress placed their food down, Michael continued.

“You know, with the trust fund and the inheritance from her grandparents and the inheritance she will get from her uncle, then the part from me, she is a valuable thing to have. Not only money wise, that’s not what I mean, darling.”

“I know, Daddy,” Elli said with a smile just for him.

Michael looked back at Shea, and said, “But because she is the most amazing girl in the world. Right, baby girl?”

“Daddy..,” Elli groaned with blush covering her cheeks.

Whoa, Shea was missing something. He looked over at Elli as Michael looked over at her, too.

“Now darlin’ I haven’t embarrassed you have I? I’m sorry.”

She shook her head, smiling weakly at him, “No, Daddy, I just haven’t told Shea all that.”

They both looked at him as he placed his fork down.

“So, what? Are you loaded or something?”

Elli shook her head yes, “I didn’t think it mattered.”

“It doesn’t, but you know I’m loaded.”

He didn’t want to argue with her in front of her dad, but damn it! She had kept so much from him.

“Babe, you haven’t told me anything.”

“I have. I didn’t tell you about my past or my money, neither of which is important. Is this going to be an issue?”

He narrowed his eyes at her. She had a little sass to her voice, and it was pissing him off.

“Should it be? Because since you didn’t tell me, you must have thought I would make an issue of it.”

“No, I just didn’t tell you because you see the way these people around here treat me. I don’t want you to treat me different.”

“Oh, come on, Elli, like I would.”

She shrugged her shoulders.

“You’re right, I didn’t tell you because I don’t tell anyone in Nashville. The only people who know are here in town. My family doesn’t even know how much I have, or will have. They all just know I have money.”

“Only I do,” Michael said, with a small smile, “What can I say, Shea? She’s a complex gal.”

“You can say that again,” Shea agreed as he started eating again.

They were going to have a long discussion tonight. Well, on second thought, tomorrow…on the way to the airport.

When he felt Elli’s hand reach for his, he looked up at her. She gave him a weak smile, and he squeezed her hand. He couldn’t be mad at her, he loved her too much.

“Shea, did I hear right yesterday? Your family lives in Boston, right?”

Shea nodded his head as he looked up at Michael.

“My mom and dad do, but my twin sister lives in Nashville.”

“I’ve heard of her, she’s a big party planner.”

“Yes.”

“She married James Justice. He owns a lot of real estate up in Nashville and some surrounding counties right?”