Thirty-eight
Will looked out the window at the November sky, dark and gray. That’s how he felt inside. Lexi wouldn’t return his calls or his texts. It’d been three days. Ethan said she was working, doing all of the things she’d promised, but wouldn’t discuss anything personal. Said she was being polite and professional in an almost robotic fashion.
“Hey,” Kyra said. She walked into his office with a bit of hesitation, not her usual bouncy self.
“Hey.” He turned from the window as she came in.
“Not to add insult to injury but Lexi asked that we do a press release saying the engagement is off. She figured it would be the easiest way to spread the word.”
Will stood abruptly, knocking his chair back. “She’s talking to you? She called?”
Kyra shook her head, and he saw the sadness in his sister’s gaze. “No. She texted. I asked if I could see her, if we could talk. She told me how much she likes me, how wonderful all of us are. Said to take care of you.”
Slapping his palms on his desk, he gritted out, “Fuck that. I don’t need anyone to take care of me. She’s so goddamn worried about everyone else she’s willing to walk away from a chance at being truly happy.”
“I’m sorry.” Kyra’s voice cracked and Will’s head snapped up.
“What are you sorry about?”
“I wanted it to be real for you because I see the way you two look at each other and I pushed. I’m just like Mom.”
Will let out a harsh laugh, coming around the desk to pull his sister into a hug. “Maybe in the wanting me happy part. None of this is your fault.”
“I picked the ring.”
He laughed again. “Is that thing real?”
Kyra leaned back, insult laced in her tone, expression, and body language. It almost made him laugh. “Of course it is. Why would I let you give her a fake ring?”
His brows drew together. “Because it was never supposed to be real?”
Kyra patted his chest. “But that’s not true, is it? I think it’s been real for you since the minute you saw her. Your mistake was pretending it wasn’t.”
“When did you get so smart?”
Kyra squeezed and let him go. “I had good teachers. You should talk to Mom and Dad.”
He nodded. “I know.”
When she left, he pushed down the ache that had taken up residence in his chest, like a rock sitting in a hollow cave, and went to set a few things straight. Things had become less tense since the family meeting they’d had. Like they were all walking on thin tiles and no one wanted to be the reason for the break. Will had a feeling from the way both of his parents talked to him the last couple of days that his sisters had filled them in on Lexi leaving.
His mother was on the phone when he went into his father’s office. His dad was sitting, one ankle crossed over his knee, reading a report on the couch.
“William,” his dad said.
His mother hung up the phone. “Hi, honey. How are you? We haven’t seen much of you this week.”
“Lexi and I were never engaged.” Shit. He hadn’t meant to blurt it out.
His mother’s face went pale. His father stood up. “I knew it. That girl doesn’t suit you at all. I knew something was off. What does she want? Is she blackmailing you for something?”
His mother stood up, coming around the large walnut desk that was once his grandfather’s.
“No. She’s not blackmailing me and she suits me better than anyone I’ve ever met.”
While they stood there, staring at him, he told them everything: how they’d met, how they’d gotten closer, and the misunderstanding about the engagement.
“I don’t understand,” his mother said. “You said you loved her. Why would you let me believe that?”
He did love her. But that wasn’t the reason he’d been okay with a fake engagement. Will ran a hand through his hair. “Because you’re on my case constantly about being with the right woman, about getting married, tradition, and legacy.”
“What the hell is wrong with that?” his father said, pacing as he always did when he was irritated.
“What’s wrong with that is it’s one thing to guide me in business and groom me to take over. But my personal life is mine . I don’t want or need your help. I’d love your approval but I don’t need it. Lexi and I weren’t really engaged but I fell in love with her for real and I plan on winning her back.”
“William.” His father stopped in front of him. “I didn’t say anything because the damage was done but I did some digging. This girl’s credit is abysmal. She lives at home with her mother. They’ll likely lose their house in the next two years based on what I learned about her income and their expenses. For God’s sake. She was a waitress .”
His father shook his head in disgust, like he could shake the word off his being.
Will stared at the people who’d raised him, people he loved and respected. People who didn’t understand him at all and the feeling was mutual.
“Waitress, CEO, what the fuck is the difference?”
“Watch your mouth,” his father said at the same time his mother gasped his name.
“I really thought what Rachel said last week got through to you two. Let me restate it in my own words. It doesn’t matter what we do, Dad. Our company is successful because of who we are. Our customers come back because we stand by our products, because we believe in them. Because we make a commitment and stick with it. They know they can count on us and put stock in what they purchase from us. We’ve never been a bottom-line company. We’re about family and that’s what sets us apart.”
“Damn right it is,” his grandfather said from the doorway where he was leaning, hands tucked in the pockets of his suit pants. His gray hair was a little long, sweeping across his forehead. “The boy is right. You do what you love and everything else follows. You find someone you love and it doesn’t matter if they’re a waitress or a queen. You live life with your heart. It’s got nothing to do with other people’s perceptions. The reason Grand Babies and this family have succeeded is because we’re a real family, providing something other real families need.”
“I thought you were retiring. This has nothing to do with you, Dad,” Will’s father said.
His grandfather laughed, pushed off the doorframe. “It has everything to do with me. It’s my company, son. I’m not retiring until the new year and that doesn’t mean I won’t be around or that it’s not still mine. One day it’ll be yours and William’s and the girls’. And if you remember correctly, Jackson, I let you find your own way in this company, in your life. I didn’t make you follow some imaginary set of rules on how to exist in the social circle I deemed worthy of you.” His grandfather stepped closer to Will. “I was supposed to pair up with a completely different woman when I met your grandmother. It was a charity event, orchestrated by my mother and one of her friends. They had grand plans to set up their children. I didn’t care one way or another. I was there for the open bar, the dancing, and the flirting.”
“Dad,” Will’s father groaned, some of the energy draining out of his rigid posture.
His grandfather grinned. “But I took one look at your grandmother and that was it. My bachelor days were over. I didn’t even have a choice. Something about the way she looked at me hooked my soul for good. You know when you feel that. Don’t let yourself doubt it and for God’s sake, don’t be stupid enough to lose it trying to please any of us.”
Will laughed despite the fact that his parents looked shell-shocked. “Thanks, Gramps.”
“You’ve got good instincts, Will. Trust them.”
Will looked at his mom and dad. “She might not be who you would have chosen for me. But she’s who I choose for myself and I hope you’ll accept that. Accept her. Because I’m in love with her and my world won’t be right without her in it. I need to go.”
“This is ridiculous,” his father spat out.
His mother took her husband’s hand. “Not really. I was crazy about you for months before you finally asked me out. I’d like to think that even if I hadn’t come from money, you’d have fallen for me anyway.”
His father’s expression morphed. Softened. “What? Emily. Of course I would have. I’ve loved you for more than half of my life. All I want is for all of you to be happy. To make you proud. To give you everything.”
She smiled up at him, putting her hand on his chest. “Love isn’t a business plan, sweetheart.” She looked at Will. “I want you happy. I tried to hurry it along.”
“There’s a whole song about that, isn’t there? About not hurrying love?” His grandfather grinned and started humming.
“She makes me happy, Mom.”
His mother came to him, wrapped her arms around his waist. “Then that’s all that matters. I’m sorry about how I behaved. How I pushed.”
“It’s okay. You’re right. Being happy, in the end, is all that really matters,” he agreed.
How could he get Lexi to realize that? That love didn’t care what you did for a living or who your parents were. That there were some things that couldn’t be faked. And when they were as real as what was between him and Lexi, a person ought to grab on tight and never let go.
He had a feeling that was the part she was most worried about. Having to let go. She was scared. So was he. But they’d have each other for the journey and that would make the fear bearable.