Chapter 9 Gabriel
GAbrIEL
Turned out, I’d be in Golden Falls longer than a weekend.
Great.
I should’ve known it wouldn’t be easy.
Hopefully, I’d talk with residents over the next few weeks, help Lily with that goddamn wish list, pitch my idea to Hal, get the building, and be done with this strange small town.
In the meantime, I was back in Milwaukee for the weekend to grab more of my belongings for my extended stay. My first stop was the office to pick up documents, folders, and notes that I didn’t have stored on my work laptop. I intended for this to be a quick stop so I could get back to my apartment.
But those plans went out the window when I heard footsteps outside my door. It was a Saturday, so there was only one other person who’d be here.
I inhaled deeply, grabbing the stack of folders and sliding them in my backpack. “Dad,” I greeted simply.
He stood in the doorway, his overwhelming and intimidating presence filling the whole office, suffocating me.
With one look, one raised brow, he was able to make me feel small.
Make me second-guess everything. Why wasn’t I more successful?
Why couldn’t I stand up to him? Why couldn’t I just walk away?
“Gabriel,” he said slowly, eyes moving to my cleaned-off desk. “I’m surprised to see you here, considering you’ve been slacking lately.”
“I’m not sure where you’re getting that from,” I responded.
“I turned in my work ahead of leaving for the weekend. Which, speaking of, I’m going to be working remotely for the time being.
Through the end of the month, at least, but maybe a little longer than that. I’ll let my clients know and make—”
My father let out a humorless laugh. “You’re going to be working remotely?” he asked, disdain dripping from each word. “Consider yourself out of a fucking job, then.”
I clenched my jaw, my patience thin. “There’s a building. One that would be a good candidate for community development and getting the public involved on the project. I’m trying to close the deal. It’s…” I paused. “It’s in Golden Falls. That’s where I’ll be for the time being.”
There wasn’t any emotion on my father’s face when I mentioned his hometown. He didn’t raise his brow, didn’t frown, nothing. He was a fucking statue, acting like the town and Hal meant nothing to him. For all I knew, they didn’t.
I wrapped my fingers around the edge of my desk, my grip tightening with each passing second of silence.
“Nothing?” I challenged. “I go to your hometown, see Hal, and you can’t even ask how he’s doing, let alone what building I’m talking about?”
My father sneered. “You’re just like your mother.
Always so fucking sensitive.” I’d lost count how many times I’d heard that one.
“I know what building you’re talking about.
It’s the same one I tried to buy from him years ago, but he wouldn’t sell.
Whatever you have going on is your problem now.
Fix it—and don’t come back until you do. ”
He didn’t wait for my response before he stormed off. I heard his stomps well down the hallway. At least I got approval for working remotely as long as I needed. That was how I was choosing to interpret his words.
I loosened my grip on the desk, flexing my hand to work out the stiffness. Hal hadn’t sold to my dad but was considering selling to me? I shook my head, unsure how this was all fitting together.
As much as I wanted to forget about Golden Falls, the building was my chance at putting one of my ideas in motion.
Showing my father that this could work. In the past when I’d tried to purchase property for one of my projects, the sellers either wanted my father involved or didn’t trust that Nelson Group would make what I was proposing about benefiting the community a reality given the company’s reputation.
Buying the building from Hal also meant closing a deal my father couldn’t. I’d be in charge and keep him out of the plans.
The various hoops I had to jump through to get the building were worth it. It was my opportunity to turn my career around and do something my father couldn’t—finally proving to him that I had what it took.
I had to see this through and had no intention of backing out, even if it meant I’d be spending the next few weeks side by side with Lily Richards.
Business. It was all just business.
Conversations with my father always drained me, but this one in particular I couldn’t shake, even as I left the office and made the short drive to my apartment.
Every time I reminded myself I wasn’t who he thought I was, his criticisms of me came flooding back.
With our troubled relationship, I was constantly walking upstream, trying not to get knocked over by the rough water.
After parking my car in the garage, I grabbed my backpack and started to climb the three flights of stairs to my apartment. On the way up, I checked my phone to see if Liam had texted me back—no luck.
By the time I got to the top, I was breathless, nearly keeling over, and had a thin layer of sweat on my forehead. I wish I could say I did this regularly, but it was because the elevator was out of order.
I swiped the key fob against the door, the light turning green and beeping to let me in. When I pushed open the door, I got the answer as to why Liam hadn’t answered my text. He was asleep on my couch, the television playing some house-flipping show on HGTV, and Beans was curled up on his chest.
“Don’t like cats, my ass,” I muttered with an amused chuckle. Liam claimed he didn’t get along with Beans, that my cat was out to get him. I snapped a quick picture, fully intending on using this as proof that Liam was wrong.
I closed the door behind me, and Beans opened one eye to scope out the scene and then the other. He yawned, standing and stretching out his limbs before launching off Liam’s chest.
“I’m awake!” Liam called out, sitting up and using the back of his hand to wipe the side of his mouth.
He cleared his throat, looking around and spotting me.
“Oh, hey, you’re here. Yeah, right, I saw your text that you’d be stopping by today.
We were, uh, hanging out.” Liam cautiously looked over at Beans, who blinked at him before trotting over to me.
“So I saw.” I shook my head with a smile.
“Had to stop by to grab more clothes. Looks like I’ll be gone for longer than I thought.
” I let out a heavy sigh and dropped my keys on the counter.
“Think you could watch Beans while I’m gone?
I’m not sure how long it’ll be, and he doesn’t do well with long car rides.
Plus, it seems like you two bonded this weekend. ”
“I guess you could say that.” Liam stood, stretching his arms above his head. “And, yeah, I’m happy to. So, not a weekend trip, huh? Do you have a better idea of how long you’ll be gone?”
On my drive back to the city, I had called Liam to fill him in on how the meeting went. “Nope. Maybe through the end of the month? Slightly longer, potentially. I only really know what I told you. Maybe I’ll find out more on Monday, if I survive working with Lily.” I muttered the last part.
“Oh, yeah,” Liam said with a grin, far too amused.
He walked toward the kitchen, opening one of the cabinets and pulling out a half-eaten bag of chips.
“You’ll be working at the café and then helping her with the wish list. This’ll be good.
Considering the amount of death stares you said you got on your first day, this will be a chance to have the town warm up to you. You can lay the charm on them.”
I raised my brow. That was more Liam’s specialty than mine. “And how do you suggest I do that?”
“Flex your muscles, smile, maintain eye contact. You know, the basics.” He shrugged, popping another chip into his mouth.
“I’m trying to close a business deal not flirt with the women of Golden Falls.”
“Tomato, potato or whatever that saying is.” He waved his hand. “You can walk and eat at the same time.”
“Tomato, toh-mah-to. And it’s walk and talk.”
“Same difference, and actually, I like my version better.”
I couldn’t argue with him on that one. I leaned my forearms on the counter, reaching over for a handful of chips.
“I’ve told you this before, but it feels like a good time to offer you a reminder.
You don’t need to try to impress your father.
He might be blood, but it’s okay if you distance yourself from him, or even cut him off entirely.
I know that’s easier said than done, but you won’t be alone if you do that. You’ll always have me in your corner.”
Liam’s words were a sucker punch to the heart—in a good way but leaving me winded nonetheless.
I reached up to rub my chest, brows furrowing.
“I know I’ll always have you in my corner.
” That much was true, but there was more to it.
“It’s intimidating to think that this all was for nothing.
If I don’t impress him, then why have I spent the last four years working for him?
Because it sure as hell wasn’t for me. This feels like…
an opportunity to prove to him that I can do the work I’ve wanted to do.
Even if I leave Nelson Group at the end of it all.
I don’t know if I would, but I’ve sure as hell thought about it. Now more than ever.”
Liam listened intently, nodding. He reached over to grab a napkin and wiped his hands on it. “Well, let’s get you packed up and sent off to Golden Falls. This is an opportunity to get you closer to what you want. Plus, you could use a vacation.”
I huffed a laugh. “I’d prefer if that vacation was to one of your resorts instead of a small town where everyone gives me the stink eye and I have a blue-eyed blonde wishing for my death sentence, but I guess this will do.”
“I’ll see what strings I can pull,” he teased with a wink. “Now…” he said with a wide smirk. “Tell me more about this blue-eyed blonde and the winter wish list you have to complete. What’s on it? Anything good?”
I rolled my eyes, shaking my head and pushing myself off the counter. “Nothing more to tell, and no, nothing good. It’s all the stuff I hate about this time of year.” I walked toward my bedroom, focusing on what I still had to pack and not on the conversation at hand. Certainly not on Lily.
“Nothing more to tell?” Liam repeated, his footsteps right behind me. “What do you think, Beans?”
Beans meowed loudly.
“Yeah, buddy, I call bullshit, too.”
“What, so I leave for a weekend, and all of a sudden you’re best friends with my cat? Who you’ve claimed for months hated you?”
“Everyone loves a good slow burn. We just needed some bonding time.”
“Apparently, you’ll have plenty of bonding time in the coming weeks.”
Liam stopped in the doorway, leaning against the frame. “I could use the company. Think I could bring Beans to Half Day Pub for dinner? Oh! I’ll get takeout. That’ll be easier.”
I barked out a laugh. “I do think that’ll be easier. But…” I looked over at him. “Then you wouldn’t see Fiona.”
Liam’s face fell as realization dawned on him, which only confirmed my suspicions that there was something there, at least on his side. “You’re right. I’ll pop in for an appetizer, say hi to her, and then get my dinner to go, so I can eat with Beans.”
“Sounds like you have a plan. Any dates lined up?”
Liam rolled his eyes with a groan. “Fuck no. I’m taking a break.
I can’t handle another bad date or a date where the woman knows everything about me because she did her research.
Like, I get looking up the person you’re going on a date with, but being able to recite my whole biography?
Recounting details that even I’d forgotten about?
” He shook his head. “That was my last straw.”
“Damn.” My eyes were wide as I listened to him.
“Well, Beans is great company.” I would know.
He’d kept me company during many date-less nights.
I hadn’t been on a date in well over a year with how busy work had been.
After the damage my parents had done on me and hearing Liam’s horror stories, it was possible I’d never date again.
Not that I was having much luck when I was dating.
I always kept things casual and surface level, despite knowing that having a long-term relationship would be more fulfilling.
I liked the idea of having someone I could tell anything and everything to—and being that person for them in return—but I couldn’t bring myself to open up.
Because of that, I typically sought out women who were looking for something casual.
We would spend time together over a few dates and then go our separate ways without any hard feelings.
It was easier that way. I didn’t have to dig into how unhappy I was in my career or my complicated relationship with my parents.
Or how even though I wanted a long-term relationship, I was seeking the opposite.
Liam broke me out of my thoughts. “Tell me more about Lily. What do you think being around her will be like?”
I moved around the room, grabbing a stack of shirts and then a few pairs of pants.
I had no damn clue how long I’d be in Golden Falls, which made packing difficult.
I had to hope for the best. That and try to survive Lily.
One moment her eyes were a bright blue, and the next I swore her pupils turned into tiny daggers.
“Absolute torture.”
For more than one reason.