Chapter 45 - Gabriel
GAbrIEL
Thankfully, the winter weather cooperated with us this weekend, so Lily and I could go to Milwaukee as planned.
We left early Saturday morning to ensure we had plenty of time during the day to visit various cafés.
I’d planned out our route but encouraged Lily to see if there were other places she wanted to stop.
By early afternoon, we’d visited three cafés, and Lily had a number of conversations with employees and managers.
I loved seeing her in her element. The way her eyes brightened when someone happily agreed to talk with her.
How she bit down on her lip as she was taking notes on her phone.
And how she beamed walking over to me to tell me everything.
If I could, I’d make her this happy every day. But we both knew my time in Golden Falls was wrapping up soon.
The past week had been brutal at work, to say the least. My father was giving me extra work and incessantly texting and emailing me that I needed to be back in the office. I responded to his business questions but ignored the personal ones.
On New Year’s Day, I felt optimistic that I could leave Nelson Group, and while that would be ideal, it was starting to feel less and less possible.
What was I going to do for five years as I waited for my non-compete to expire?
I needed to work, and I wanted to have my career in development—just not the work I was doing for Nelson Group.
Maybe I could figure out a plan, but I needed to be back in the city, back in my routine.
I loved being in Golden Falls and spending time with Lily, but it was prolonging the inevitable.
I was leaving, and I needed to figure out what to do about my career.
I also couldn’t keep avoiding my father, especially since he was still my boss.
As excited as I was about my ideas for the building, I was increasingly skeptical that it would change anything with my father. His behavior made it clear he simply wanted the building for himself. He didn’t care about my plans for it.
I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if Hal decided to sell the building to me and, somehow, my father got his hands on it. That building belonged to Lily. Plain and simple.
“Hey, isn’t this the restaurant?” Lily called out, and I realized I’d walked right past it while in my daze. I brought Lily to Half Day Pub, one of my favorite places in the city and where I always stopped by with Liam.
“Yeah, that’s it. Sorry, I was on autopilot.”
“No worries.” Lily smiled, opening the door for us.
“This has been such a great day. Thank you for bringing me to the city and for showing me around. I’ve learned so much already, and I can’t wait to get back to Golden Falls.
” Her smile widened. She then turned to the hostess and asked for a booth for two.
As we were walking, Fiona spotted us and waved. “I didn’t realize you were in town,” she said with a grin and then turned to Lily. “You must be Lily!”
“I am,” Lily said slowly, looking between the two of us.
I stepped in to explain. “Liam and I often come here for dinner and sit in Fiona’s section. I assume Liam has been coming by while I’ve been in Golden Falls and filling Fiona in on what we’ve been up to.”
Fiona pushed her bangs out of her eyes, a warm smile on her face. “I’ve gotten Gabe and Lily updates and Beans updates. I think Liam’s been here about every other day. The guy misses you, so hopefully, you’ll be back soon.”
I didn’t miss the way Lily stiffened at the mention of me being back in Milwaukee, and honestly, I felt the same way. I wasn’t ready for our time together to end.
“Well, why don’t we sit in your section today then, if you have an open table,” Lily suggested, any hesitation or concern quickly gone.
The hostess looked at Fiona, who eagerly nodded. “I just had a booth free up. Come this way, and I’ll get you some appetizers on the house.”
“Perfect, thanks! I love your jewelry, by the way. Did you get it from a shop around here?” Lily gestured to Fiona’s rings and necklace, quickly making friends with her.
“You’re so sweet. Thank you! I did, just a couple blocks from here.”
“Looks like the type of style my best friend Eliza would love.” Lily beamed. “I’ll have to stop by after we finish lunch.”
“You have to. I have a coupon in my bag. I’ll grab it for you when I put your orders in.”
As Fiona handed us our menus and told Lily about recommendations, the two of them continued chatting, and all I could think about was how easily Lily fit into my life.
“How are you able to become friends with everyone you meet? Well, except me, at first,” I teased Lily as we walked into my apartment.
Her and Fiona had exchanged numbers, even making plans to meet up if Lily was in Milwaukee again. Lily also had told Fiona about Purrfect Blend and promised to send photos of her café.
“Hey, we got there eventually,” Lily teased back with a grin. She halted when we walked in, and her mouth hung open. “This is your apartment? It’s, like, the size of a small house.”
I rubbed the back of my neck, hitching a shoulder.
“My whole apartment is probably the size of your bedroom!”
“Okay, that’s dramatic.” I paused. “Maybe two bedrooms.”
Lily let out a laugh and walked inside, running her hand along the black marble countertop in the kitchen.
She crossed the open living room to the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that faced a view of Lake Michigan.
“Wow, this is stunning.” She then turned toward my gray sectional.
“And this couch”—she plopped down and sank into the cushions—“is as comfortable as it looks.” She sighed and unzipped her coat.
After lunch, we stopped by the jewelry store Fiona had told Lily about, as well as two more cafés. Our last stop was a grocery store where we picked up ingredients for dinner. We were going to spend the rest of the evening in and head back to Golden Falls tomorrow morning.
I set the bags of groceries on the kitchen counter and began to put things away. “Make yourself comfortable and at home,” I said as Lily got up.
“I’m happy to help, plus then I can do more snooping.”
I shook my head with a laugh.
As promised, Lily did help, but she also looked in every cabinet, not that I minded. I’d let her do literally anything she wanted.
A knock on the door caught our attention.
“Are you expecting someone?”
I shook my head. Had Liam mentioned he was coming over, and I forgot? I walked over to the door, not bothering to check through the peephole and pulling it open.
In hindsight, I should’ve checked the damn peephole. But it was too late.
My father stood on the other side of the door, arms crossed and jaw clenched.
I had no clue how he’d found out I was in town, but it didn’t matter. Asking would piss him off even more.
“Gabriel,” he seethed.
“Ron,” I answered with a sigh.
“Why the fuck haven’t you been responding to my texts? When are you coming back to the office?”
“I—” I started, trying to keep the door cracked open, but he pushed it open, stalking past me. “Now’s not a good time,” I told him.
Lily was still in the kitchen, and she stilled at the sight of my father barging in. She set the box of pasta she was holding on the counter and closed the cabinet.
I wasn’t sure what to expect. I hadn’t wanted Lily to meet my father this soon, if ever.
Not because of her or anything she did, but because of him.
I didn’t want her to meet him and see me differently.
I also didn’t want my father to be aware that Lily and I were together, because I wouldn’t put it past him to use it against me, against us.
“Seriously?” he scoffed, looking at me. “Let me guess. You go to Golden Falls and now want to stick around for some piece of ass? You couldn’t get that in the city?”
“Hey, don’t—” I stepped forward. My voice was louder and my tone firmer than any time I’d spoken to him. Maybe I’d never been able to stand up to my father for myself, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to let him talk about Lily that way.
“God, Gabriel. You went there for business. Don’t be so fucking pathe—”
“No, you don’t get to do this.” Lily’s voice was sharp, stern.
I almost didn’t recognize it. I’d never heard her like this.
She left the kitchen, marching into the hallway so she was closer to me and my father.
“You don’t get to come to Gabe’s apartment and talk to him this way.
” She was eerily calm and composed. Her expression was neutral, but her hands were balled into fists at her sides.
My father reared back, a rare expression of surprise on his face. “Excuse me?”
People didn’t stand up to my father, oftentimes because it meant putting their careers on the line. It was certainly why I had held my tongue for so long.
But Lily held her ground, straightening her spine and looking up at him. “You’re not going to stand here and talk to Gabe like this.”
“This conversation doesn’t concern you. I don’t think you realize who you’re—”
“I know exactly who I’m speaking to. What I don’t know is why you’re still here when he said this isn’t a good time.”
My father scoffed, looking between us. “Whatever this is”—he gestured between us—“it’s never fucking going to work. You think I’m going to let you live and work from Golden Falls? Your little vacation is over, Gabriel. Your job is here.”
He didn’t have to say it, but I knew what he meant. I own you.
“Gabe is exploring his options, actually. He might decide to come back, but he also might decide to pursue a different opportunity.” Lily took a step forward. “His non-compete agreement is unenforceable, and we both know that. You’ll be hearing from his lawyer.”
What did she mean the non-compete was unenforceable? Was she saying that to get my father to leave, or was it actually true? Because if the non-compete wasn’t an issue…well, that changed everything.