Chapter 38 Miles
THIRTY-EIGHT
Miles
After breakfast on our last day, I know it’s my chance to talk to Dad. I need to have this conversation face-to-face with him.
Lucy reminded me last night that I’m the one who has to live my life and that I need to stop living according to other people’s expectations of me.
It was a little like a pot calling the kettle black, but the sentiment rang true.
“Hey, Dad,” I say as I glance back at Lucy, who’s nodding at me from across the green. It’s wild how two little head jerks from her are the only encouragement I need. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
Dad looks up from his book and points to the empty lawn chair beside him. I sit down and lean back, getting comfy.
“Am I in trouble?” Dad asks.
“Not today.”
“Oh good. I’ll check back in tomorrow. What’s going on?” He takes off his reading glasses and folds them as he studies me.
“I don’t know how to say it other than to just say it.”
“It’s usually how it’s done…”
Smart aleck. “Would there be room for me to work full-time at Around the Bend?”
Dad leans forward and smiles. “You want to come back and work with your boring old family full time?”
“I don’t want you to feel like you have to say yes—”
“Of course I’m going to say yes. Why do you think I’ve been pressuring you into helping all these years?” He laughs. “I’ve been hoping that someday you would want to be a part of it!”
I tap my fingers on the armrest of the chair. “But I’ve only helped a little since I started Kappa Holdings with Kingston.”
“So you decided to start a business with your friend; you think that means I wouldn’t want you to come back and work with us?” He looks incredulous.
“I don’t deserve to just waltz back in there.”
“You think you don’t deserve a piece of this company?” His voice escalates.
I shake my head. “Dad, you and Mom busted your butts growing this business. I’ve watched you all these years.
You both work so hard, and you still take the time to make sure Ainsley, Karis, and I feel loved.
And look what you’ve built this company to.
It doesn’t feel right to jump right into the business and plan to take over. ” I end with a grunt.
“Well, I plan on leaving it to you, Ainsley, and Karis. It’s not like I’m excluding one of you.”
“It feels like I’m cheating,” I say honestly.
Dad sits quietly for a while, the way that dads do. So quiet and still that you know he’s thinking deeply about the problem, or he’s been distracted and wondering what material fishing line is made out of.
“First of all, there’s no ‘cheating’ about this. You remember us building this company, right?”
I nod slowly. Obviously. But I don’t say that out loud.
“Do you remember the late nights, when you and Ainsley would end up lying on one of the display cots while your mom and I took inventory? Karis was so small that she probably doesn’t remember as much as you and Ainsley.
Or the times we had to go on long drives to a couple of states away to check out manufacturers?
Or what about the times you helped tape a million boxes, fold invoices, and answer the phone?
” Dad sighs. “You have been working in this company since before you lost your first tooth. Of course you deserve it. You helped build it. Our whole family did. Not to mention, why do you think I’ve worked so hard on this?
I want to be able to leave something to you and your sisters.
But I want you to understand that I view you and Ainsley as founders as well.
Looking back, I feel bad about those times and how you had to be so mature at a young age. ”
Dad’s face contorts into a frown.
I shake my head quickly. “You know Ainsley and I loved it. We loved getting to spend time with you and Mom. You don’t know how jealous the other kids at school would get when we would tell them that we got to go to work with our mom and dad.
Was it unconventional? Yeah, but the two of you taught us how to work and how to have fun doing it.
You taught us how to pursue a dream and not be afraid of failing. ”
“And what’s your dream?” Dad asks quietly. “Yours. Not what you think I want to hear. Not what you think someone else expects of you. But what Miles Granger wants for himself.”
Something cracks in my chest. “I want to work with you full-time. I want to be done chasing a corporate lifestyle.”
Dad nods slowly.
“It feels like I’m giving up,” I say.
“Or are you just deciding what’s for you?
Because sometimes that’s part of growing up.
Not everyone knows exactly what they want to do the second they graduate high school.
For most of us, it’s a mix of trial and error.
And now you’ve found what you truly enjoy.
Honestly, I’m really proud of you for going out there and trying something different.
It shows grit. And now you know what you truly enjoy. ”
“It feels like making that switch would be a step toward real happiness.”
Dad looks at me from the corner of his eye. “What else do you want?”
This is the one dream I’ve been too scared to even say to myself. “I want to spend the rest of my life being happy with Lucy.”
Dad smiles slowly at that. “Well, you’re well on your way to that. I like her a lot.”
Too bad she doesn’t know that’s how I feel.
“Why does camping make you so tired?” Lucy asks me as I climb into the car.
Alexander sits in the back seat, his head hanging between us. I barely dodge a slobbery kiss and reach up to pat his head.
“Alexander,” Lucy scolds him. “What have we said about kissing with tongue?”
I lean around Alexander to look at her. “I don’t know what was said about kissing with tongue.”
Lucy blushes, and I have to fight a smile.
Let’s just say that I’ve realized I want to have more conversations with Lucy about kissing.
I want to tell her what she means to me.
But how do I approach that with a wife who’s in it for the money?
How do I tell her that everything I promised her was a lie and that I said we would keep our emotional distance, but I had the audacity to fall in love with her? How do I explain that?
I try to formulate the words in my mind, but then Lucy closes her eyes and leans her head back against the headrest.
“Alexander, sit down, please,” she breathes.
Alexander obeys right away and lies down in the back seat, stretching all the way across.
The first hour home, she naps, and I’m pretty sure Alexander is snoring. When she finally wakes up, she looks disoriented, glancing around as if she doesn’t remember where she is. Her eyes land on Alexander, and she settles back in her seat again.
“Is it weird that I love your family?” she asks.
Loaded question. And I’m not quite sure how she wants me to answer it, so I start with the truth.
“They love you too. Mom and Dad were so excited to meet you.”
She looks at me with big eyes. “Both your sisters are great, and your parents are fantastic. Obviously, I love Goldie. Felix is special. And pretty much everyone—except Preston and his parents,” she adds with a grin.
“It’s okay. It’s very easy to dislike Preston,” I say with a laugh.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is that I really enjoyed this camping trip.
I know we’re playing pretend, but I appreciate you letting me spend time with your family and get to know them a little.
And I’ve been thinking about what we should do when we inevitably end this, and I think it would be best if you blame me when we get divorced.
You can say whatever you want. Tell them I ran away to a European country.
I don’t know…something unexpected, I guess.
I don’t want to damage your relationship with your family, because that’s too precious. ”
I almost drive off the road.
I was so busy staring at her because I hadn’t even realized how good I had it. I’ve been so spoiled in the family department that it didn’t even cross my mind that something like this could hurt my relationship with them. I don’t think it even crossed Ainsley’s mind when we were hatching the plan.
But Lucy? She’s had to deal with a splintered family for most of her life.
“We’ll give it some thought,” I say. “Maybe you’ll get hired to be the head veterinarian on an animal rescue somewhere in Australia.”
Lucy laughs at that. “I’ve always wanted to go to Australia.”
It hurts to think of her not being in my life.
“I guess we’ll have to explain why you’re still living at the house.”
It’d be a little strange if we got divorced and then someone showed up while we were sitting on the couch, watching TV together.
Lucy smiles softly. “Well, it’s not like we’re going to live together forever. By the time we get divorced, hopefully, I can afford to have my own place.”
“Are you in a hurry to leave?” I try to tease, but I hear the panic in my own voice.
“You’ve been so great to me. I feel like I’m taking advantage of you.”
“You’re just fine where you are,” I say hoarsely.
“Miles Granger,” Lucy replies softly, “you’re a good man.”
We ride in silence for a few more minutes before Lucy adjusts her seat to sit up a little straighter.
“I have a confession,” she announces.
“Is it bad?”
“It’s the worst.” She grimaces.
Honestly, at this point, I’m not quite sure what this confession is about.
“I told Felix this isn’t a real marriage.” She blurts the words out in a big rush. “I didn’t mean to, but we were sitting there fishing together, and it was like I had to tell him the truth.”
I wait for the rush of disappointment to hit me. To feel sad that the truth is out and that we won’t win the bet. But that feeling never comes. Even more so, I don’t even feel upset over the time we’ve spent ‘faking’ it.
“That’s okay. There’s a reason I was working so hard to avoid him. I didn’t think I’d be able to keep it a secret from him.”
“No one said anything to you about it?” she asks in surprise. “I assumed when everyone was going around hugging us and saying goodbye that the truth would be blurted out.”
“Grandpa can be a little cagey sometimes. Maybe he’s decided to just keep the secret.”
“So I guess I shouldn’t change my Facebook status to single yet?” she asks with a little grin.
“I didn’t even know you had a Facebook. Does this mean we get to make a joint account together?”
“Absolutely not.” She shudders. “Nothing screams ‘I DM strangers on the internet’ like a joint Facebook account.”
I grin as I grip the wheel with two hands.
“You’re sure you’re not mad that I ruined everything for us?” she asks softly.
I glance at her. “No, I’m not mad at all. But let’s not rush anything just yet. Let’s wait and see what Grandpa does, okay?”
“Okay. It’s a deal, husby.”
Coughing, I turn to glare at her when we reach a straight stretch. “Never. Ever. Use that nickname again.”
“Okey dokey, sweet cheeks.” She freakin’ giggles.
“If I weren’t driving, I’d tickle you until you couldn’t laugh anymore.”
“Good thing your hands are busy, right husby?”
I reach across the console and grip her leg, right above her knee—right at the most ticklish spot. She shrieks and grips my hand.
Alexander wakes up from his nap and starts barking, and I’m forced to release her so that I can drive.
Yeah, I’m definitely not rushing the divorce. Because I’d like to keep my wife.