34. charlee
THIRTY-FOUR
charlee
I knocked at my father’s office door like I was a ten-year-old girl.
He worked most days, even weekends, and had since we were kids. Mom never seemed to mind, always doing her own thing. Golf, lunch with friends. Apparently, she had worked eons ago, but neither my sister nor I remembered it.
To each his own. I personally couldn’t imagine not working and leaned more toward my father’s tendency to overdo it. Either way, this whole thing with Lucas had begun and ended with my father, and after talking to Natalie last night and thinking about it all morning, this conversation needed to happen.
Sooner rather than later. And my father always said, no time like the present. So here went nothing.
“Well, look who the cat dragged in. What are you doing here on a Saturday?”
When I worked weekends, which was often, I could typically be found at Taughannock Falls and not here. “I wanted to catch you. To talk.”
He was behind his desk buried in paperwork. And though he usually looked pretty fit—my dad had been a runner his whole life—today he seemed a bit. . . frailer than usual.
I sat. “I want to talk to you about the job. And Lucas.”
Taking a deep breath, he put down the papers in front of him and sat back.
“The other night you didn’t want anything to do with either topic at dinner,” he said.
Which was true.
“You know how much Mom hates work talk.”
“I do. But you refused to talk about Lucas, either, and she’s worried.”
“She didn’t say anything to me about being worried.”
He shrugged. “She did to me. I don’t know if she thinks he’s the best choice for you.”
This was the point I typically flew off the handle. Said something like, “Does she actually think that, or did you tell her to think that?” But neither were productive questions, and I was trying to get a grip on my interactions with my father. So instead, I very calmly said, “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Charlee, be honest with yourself. Do you think Lucas Warner is a good fit for you?”
The man had flaws.
He was stubborn. Colder than I’d like, especially now. He barely believed in relationships, probably having to do with being left by his mother.
But yet. . .
He was domineering in the bedroom. Had the confidence to carry it off, and would never ever cause me pain. Or push limits I couldn’t accept. Confident. Witty. Sexy as hell. Ambitious. And a good singer to boot.
Was he the right man for me?
Damned if it mattered. I was head over heels in love with him.
“Clearly, you don’t think so.”
My father frowned. “If I’m being honest? No. I don’t.”
“Alright, Dad, let’s do this. Right now. Tell me why. And be honest.”
I tried to slow my heart rate. Not freak out. But this was my life, and it shouldn’t matter what he thought. Yet his opinion had always held more weight with me than I wanted it to.
“He owns a tattoo studio.”
I laughed aloud at that. “Seriously? That’s an actual reason? I’d think you would like the fact that the man is an entrepreneur. He used money he invested from his time in the military to open that shop. What could possibly be wrong with that?”
No response.
“If it was a flower shop? Would that be okay with you?”
When he smiled at that, I couldn’t help doing the same. The thought of Lucas owning a flower shop. . .
“I’ve been making some inquiries,” he said finally. “I wasn’t going to tell you, but since you’re pushing.”
So much for staying calm. “What kind of inquiries?”
“From friends of mine. Former military.”
Oh. My God. “Dad.”
“Your boyfriend,” he said. “He didn’t come back to Kitchi Falls voluntarily. He was discharged from the Army.”
“How dare you—”
“Charlee,” he said, firmly. “You are my daughter. I will dare anything to keep you safe.”
“Safe? From Lucas? Seriously?”
“Yes, from Lucas. He’s always had an edge—”
No shit, and still did, now more than ever. But I kept that thought to myself. “You mean he’s never had money. Comes from a different part of town, maybe one you don’t like as much as ours.”
“That your future father-in-law, if you were to marry, is a drunk? Sure, it plays a part. I want you to have a good life. To be happy.”
“An alcoholic,” I clarified. “And so, to you, being happy means having money. Living here.” I waved an arm around his office. “Instead of the beautiful home you built with the money from your business.”
That one stung I could tell.
“Are we talking about Lucas or your job now?”
I tried not to squirm in my seat. “Both, I guess. You are aware I didn’t want to go into this business. That I really wanted to be a design major and draw and create instead.”
“Create what? You could never explain that part of it. In the meantime, you have a great job—”
“Ugh.” He was so maddening.
“Charlee,” he said, more calmly. “You’re angry with me for not knowing what you want, but you don’t know either. Do you?” I couldn’t deny it. “As for Lucas—”
Time to put that to bed. “As for Lucas, do you know why he was discharged, Dad? Or did your buddies not mention the specifics?”
By his expression, it was clear they hadn’t.
“He was discharged,” I said, my voice rising, “because a superior of his got handsy with a new private. Lucas asked him to stop, so the guy pulled rank. Eventually Lucas cocked the guy and boom. Ten years of loyal service at an end. For doing the right thing. The honorable thing. The thing that, if it were me, you’d want done. You’d want someone like Lucas to come along and risk himself to defend me. Right? Or wrong?”
It was rare, but I’d just gained the upper hand with one of the smartest and savviest men I knew. Time to put the nail in the proverbial coffin. “That is the Lucas I know. I don’t give a damn about where he's from or what kind of struggles his father has, which, by the way, have absolutely zero bearing on Lucas. I love him. In fact, I loved him the first time we dated, and you forced us apart. That is not gonna happen again, Dad, and I’d really, really like for you to realize that. One better, to accept him as the kind of man worthy of me. Because I have, and you raised me to be the kind of woman who can make decisions. One you trust enough to be vice president of a company you lovingly expanded.”
Whew.
And that, folks, was all I had to say. Now it was his turn.
The fact that he said nothing for so long should have been a clue. But I was still shocked as hell when the words, “Maybe you’re right,” came out of his mouth.
I leaned forward, my hand to my ear. “I’m sorry. Can you please repeat that? I thought for a second you said I was right.”
“I didn’t know,” he said. “Assumptions can be. . . dangerous.”
Like me assuming Lucas would be upset about the VP job. He hadn’t said much about it, and seemed more bothered by the fact that I hadn’t mentioned it to him.
“They can,” I agreed. And because he’d conceded a point, I would too. “And you’re right. About not knowing what I want. Job wise,” I added quickly. “Relationship-wise, I want Lucas.”
“I won’t pretend to like hearing that. The idea of having built Lakeside Properties for nothing. To leave it to no one since your sister is not interested. . . ”
So, that’s what this was about.
“You’re not going anywhere, Dad. You don’t need to leave it to me to keep it alive. We could form a board. I could serve in so many different capacities even if I don’t take it over as president.”
That didn’t seem to be the answer he was going for. Maybe it was too much to ask that he accept Lucas and my life and job choices all in one night. Besides, I didn’t know one hundred percent what I wanted yet.
“I need more time to think it all through,” I said. “In the meantime. . .” I put my head down. I’d screwed up, not trusting Lucas. But this was the same guy who’d wanted to pretend to date me as a test, so what the hell was I supposed to think?
Sensing my father’s presence, I looked up to find him standing in front of me. Once again feeling ten years old, I stood. His arms encircled me. When was the last time I’d given my father a hug? I couldn’t remember since he wasn’t a big hugger. Never had been.
“Take the time you need. I shouldn’t have said anything in that meeting, Charlee.”
Instead of No, you shouldn’t , I choose the less-Charlee and more adult response. “Thank you for saying that.”
He pulled back.
“So. . .” He was clearly uncomfortable. Poor Dad.
“So. Why don’t I bring Lucas around. Maybe for dinner or something?”
That is, if we were still on speaking terms. Maybe I wouldn’t mention that to my father.
“Sure. In the meantime, since you’re here. . .” He glanced at his desk.
“Oh no, I was afraid of this. I’m gonna end up working the day away, aren’t I?”
“No,” he said, without much conviction. “But I could use a second opinion on this refresh.”
A good opportunity to make a pitch for Zoe. “Let me see,” I said, following him back around the desk.
With a full heart for the best talk my father and I had had in a long, long time, I took a peek at the drawings on his desk, my mind wandering to the bigger problem of the day. I may have been able to pave the path for a Dad-Lucas reconciliation, but there was one part of that equation still very much in limbo.
But hopefully, not for long.