Chapter 5 #3
I accepted it and sat back in the chair, about to look through it when my phone rang.
When I glanced down, I saw an incoming call from my father.
Instead of allowing it to roll over to voicemail like I wanted, I answered.
I hadn’t taken his calls since the day of the engagement, then the last time we spoke, I called him, asking why he or my grandfather had put in for a vacation I didn’t request. He didn’t have a definitive answer but said my grandfather thought it would be a good idea since I should be spending my time preparing for my nuptials.
I was pissed and hung up the phone. When I was younger, I used to think my father was this big man who made decisions, but now I saw he made no decisions.
He was my grandfather’s yes man. He did what he was told and made excuses for his father, regardless of how messed up the decision was.
“Hello.”
“Look, I know you are unhappy with me right now. Shit, I’m unhappy with myself, but I can’t change anything. All I can do is try to make things right as we go along.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. I love you, Patience, and I know you’ll never understand my decisions, but they were made with the family in mind. At least cut your old man some slack there.”
“Slack, yeah.”
“How is the wedding planning going? You are using the family estate, correct? Per your grandfather, it’s tradition.”
I shook my head, going through the book of flowers. “Um, no. We’re not doing it there. I want to start my own traditions and maybe old ways will disappear.”
He chuckled uneasily. “I guess I deserve that. Please consider marrying at the family estate, as it would honor both your grandmother and your mother. I’ll let you get back to planning, as you must be busy. Love you, baby girl.”
“Love you as well, Dad.” We hung up as Mrs. Carter reentered the room with a little black book.
“Have you decided on flowers?” she asked, taking a seat across from me.
“Well, I like roses. Of course, my favorite is a white O’Hara. My grandmother used to grow them when I was a child.”
She smiled. “Then it’s settled. They are beautiful and smell divine.
I’ll let the planner know. Now on the dress side.
I spoke with Claudia. She’s a fantastic wedding dress designer I know and she’s willing to do the dress in the timeframe we need.
I described to her what you said to me and she said she’ll possibly have something when she comes tomorrow for the fitting. ”
I smiled widely. “Great.” Even though all of this was happening so soon, I relished the fact that I had choices in something. When Hondo told me he didn’t want to take over my life, I believed him. He had no reason to lie.
I spent a great deal of time with Alora before I went to the sanctuary.
There, I spent two whole hours in Zar’s habitat, tossing a ball back and forth, feeding him, and just existing.
The simplicity of the moment was everything, because truthfully, a lot was changing.
Zar was what I held onto. The tiger cub that was only supposed to be here for a few months was my normal. Jesus, I was losing it.
I had just made it to my office when my phone vibrated in my back pocket. I pulled it out, and to my shock, it was Hondo. We hadn’t spoken since this morning before I went to his mother’s house.
“Hello?” I answered, sitting back at my desk.
“Dinner. You want pizza and salad or Alysia to cook?”
“Pizza and salad. Did you beat me to the house or something?”
“I’m tryna come in a lil earlier and be present for you, Nic.” Hondo’s voice made me smile.
“I’ll take that as a yes, Mr. Carter. After wedding plans with your mother, I came to see Zar.” I stood giving my office one more look before I cut the light and exited.
“Zar,” he repeated.
“The sanctuary’s tiger cub. I assume you saw him when you came by my job that day.”
“I did. I was unaware of his name, but I guess. Do you keep them in the sanctuary their whole lives or what?”
“For some no, but Zar is a special case. All he knows is the sanctuary and these people. The chances of him surviving in the wild are slim. He’s well cared for at Meadows though.” Shawn opened the doors as I walked through.
“Given the chance, would you open your own animal sanctuary?”
“Actually, I would. It would be less red tape because I wouldn’t have it be a zoo. Not only that, but it would be free from my family's influence, therefore fully freeing me from their hold.” I reached the car and that door was opened for me too.
“You feel like they control you by way of your job?” he asked, taking my attention from the buttery car seats and bringing it back to his voice.
“Of course. No other Briar South zoo or sanctuary will hire me and my passion has always been animals and saving endangered species. Therefore, placing me in Meadows, where I can be told I’m on vacation even though I didn’t put in for vacation, happens.
The O’Leary influence is something.” I sigh, also irritated that my sister would have to risk so much to attend my wedding.
“What’s bothering you? Besides that, I mean?” His voice was weighted with concern.
“I want my sister at our wedding.”
“Okay, I’ll send the jet,” he answered in a matter-of-fact tone.
“It’s not a transportation issue, Hondo. It’s the control thing. Unlike me, she has been no contact with them for years. I just thin—”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it.”
“Meaning?”
“I got it.” His voice was cool, which naturally made me calm down.
A brief pause happened before he told me he’d see me when I got to the house. That was fine because I was drifting into a nap I didn’t know I needed until I got into the car.