Chapter Thirteen #3
The question stung, like so many darts she’d taken over the years, but Lexie had to admit she didn’t know what the future held.
She didn’t know what would happen when Cam finished the reorganization.
They’d both avoided the subject like the plague.
“I’m thinking of finding an apartment in the city. ”
She hadn’t been thinking that at all, but the moment she said it, she realized it was a good back-up plan. It was time she ventured out on her own, spent some time finding her own two feet.
With Cam or not.
Julian frowned as he evaluated a painting on the wall. “Your mother won’t be happy about that, but I suppose she’ll enjoy redecorating the place.”
Lexie cocked her foot. Of course Anne Marie would, but how did he feel? He’d made a point of showing up here with no invitation or warning, yet he’d said nothing. He was so full of guards and shields, bluster and arrogance, she couldn’t read him.
“Why are you here, Julian?” she asked point-blank.
“Julian,” he spat. His suit jacket pushed back as he settled his hands on his hips and turned to face her. “I want things to go back to the way they were.”
There it was, his hurt and her corresponding guilt. Only this time she wasn’t going to acquiesce. “They can’t go back.”
“Why not?”
She watched him carefully. Coming here had to have been difficult for him, swallowing his pride this way.
It was his way of reaching out to her, she knew.
So why was he standing all the way on the other side of the room?
The distance had always been there between them, physical and emotional.
If they were so alike, why couldn’t they communicate?
Why had she never been able to live up to his expectations? “It just can’t.”
His blue eyes hardened. He didn’t like being told no. Stubbornness had gotten him to his place in the world today.
“Well, at least come back to work.” His hands were still on his hips, and his cheeks were starting to redden. “You know this isn’t a good time for you to be away. Underhill is going through challenges. We need you there.”
Lexie sucked in a surprised breath and dropped her foot back to the floor. She’d been waiting for that for so long, some sort of acknowledgment of her contributions.
“You’re steady. You’re our glue. The company needs your influence.”
Her heart began to thud. Her gaze dashed around the room and landed on her laptop on the coffee table.
Spread out around it was her presentation and all the supporting documentation for her used-toy concept.
It had to be a sign. This was her chance.
This was her opportunity to show him what she could really do.
“Your brothers and sisters…” Julian tossed his hands in the air.
“They try, but they’re young. Inexperienced.
But you…” He picked up the crystal paperweight from off the mantel.
He turned it over in his hands and scowled in distaste.
Setting it back over the fireplace, he crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Come home, Alexandra.”
Lexie’s excitement froze as her gaze stuck on the paperweight. The beautiful, multifaceted crystal. He’d scowled.
“Lexie?”
She pulled her gaze away from the mantel. “What about me?”
“Excuse me?”
“They’re young and inexperienced, but what am I?”
He frowned again, and something sour pinched in her chest.
“You’re hardworking and dependable.” He waved his hand as if they needed to move things along. “Come back, sweetheart. Together, we’ll put our company back on its feet.”
She stared at him for a long, quiet moment. “I’m not coming back, Father.”
This time the endearment came out easily—and so did her decision.
She unclenched her hands from behind her back and wrapped her arms more lightly around her waist. The moment the words were out, she knew it was for the best. As hard as she’d fought Cam, he was right.
She needed to move on. The hurt in her chest eased.
She watched Julian standing in the middle of her bunker, her secret hiding place, and was no longer uncomfortable having him there.
“It’s time I ventured out on my own,” she said more steadily.
The color that had been brightening his cheeks faded. “This is about the disagreement we had.”
“No, not really.” She realized she meant that.
For once, she wasn’t trying to play peacemaker.
The fact that he thought what had happened between them on that veranda had been a simple disagreement showed how little they really understood each other.
“It’s time for me to spread my wings. Every child has to strike out on their own eventually.
It will be good for me to work someplace other than the family business. ”
“But I don’t want you to go.”
She blinked and then swallowed hard. Finally.
He was finally talking about himself rather than the company or the family, but the emotion in his voice was so raw it made her want to give in.
For him, she normally would have. For herself, she held firm.
“It’s just work. I’ll always love you and Anne Marie.
I’m upset with you, yes, but I hope you’ll still consider me part of the family. ”
His mouth compressed. To him, work and family were inseparable. “Fine. Go out and explore, but you can come back when you need to—or want to.”
“Thank you,” she said softly. “You’ll have my written resignation in the morning.”
A muscle in his cheek flexed, but then he nodded.
His footsteps were heavy as he crossed the room.
The three steps up to the entryway seemed to take more out of him than he had.
Walking towards her, he straightened his tie.
“You’ll still have your seat on the Board. I’ll expect you there for meetings.”
“Of course.”
He pulled the door open but stopped when he was halfway through. “I’m sorry I…” He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be the man you wanted me to be.”
She frowned, thrown by the statement. “What do you mean?”
He glanced over his shoulder, and this time the pain in his eyes was clear. “After we brought you home, you always seemed to pull away from me. I didn’t know that splitting you apart from your sis— Well, I always thought it was me.”
Tears pricked at Lexie’s eyes. “I don’t understand.”
“You’re having trouble calling me Father now.” His blue gaze wavered. “But once we adopted you, you never called me Daddy again.”