Chapter 20

Autumn

I was on my second cup of coffee and my third call of the day when my father walked into my office. He stood behind the chair in front of my desk, and because he was a posturing fool, he didn’t belittle himself by taking a seat.

I sat up straight in my chair. “I’ll have to call you back, Rob.” I put the phone down and gave him my full attention. “Yes, Father?”

“I saw the report on the Helix project, but I didn’t see your input.” He looked down at me with a hard stare and a touch of disappointment.

We’d had this same issue before. “It’s there. I added it to the back. Are you sure you got the entire copy?” I hated when his secretary didn’t give him the right files. The woman was dumber than dirt, and he only hired her for her ability to look amazing in a short skirt. “I clearly marked it with my initials.”

“I’ll ask Heather, but I also came to tell you that I have Roger Minton coming in later, and I’ll need you to sit in on the meeting tonight.”

I leaned back in my seat. “For what purpose?”

I usually never spoke at those meetings because my father wouldn’t let me get a word in edgewise, and I found them to be a lot of show and no substance where I was concerned. I had a feeling he just wanted me to be there as a distraction.

“Because you’re my daughter and this is our company, for one. For two, I requested it.” He folded his arms and glanced at his watch. Always on a timer, that one.

“I’m afraid I can’t stay late. I have a guest at home and Penelope is expecting me.” I wasn’t about to offer up any more information than I had to, but he wasn’t finished with me.

“A guest? Then let them watch Penelope.” He regarded Penelope so casually that one might think he had an actual relationship with her, which wasn’t the case.

“I’m aware that you’re not concerned with the well-being of your granddaughter, since you’ve made no effort to see her or even call for a quick hello, but I’m not pushing her off on my guest.”

He ignored the comments about his fathering skills. “And just who is this guest? Anyone, I know?”

“As a matter of fact, you do know him.” He had known Emmett from the short time he was around before he jump-started the company and the business really took off.

“Him? Do you think it’s appropriate to have Penelope exposed to one of your boyfriends? And you claim I’m a lousy parent.”

“It’s Emmett, Father. Not some stranger I’ve exposed my daughter to. He’s practically family.” He made it sound like I’d had a different man at my house daily since the divorce, when in fact, I’d never been out with anyone other than Jason.

Father wasn’t impressed with what he did remember. “I remember him; his father was a lush, right? His brother was that delinquent who blew up my mailbox just before I moved.”

“Right.” Leave it to the old man to remember all the negative shit about Emmett’s family.

“Yeah, and if I recall, he was the one who filled in for me at your wedding. He was Jason’s friend, wasn’t he?” Father’s eyes narrowed with suspicion.

“He was my friend first.”

“Yes, well, how’s he doing? I thought he joined the Army or something.”

“He’s a Marine. He was wounded and sent back home, but he’s at the base today getting his release processed, and I don’t want him to have to come home to an empty house or a high-spirited seven-year-old.” Not to mention, I wanted to be there for him. The kiss I’d given him earlier in the day hadn’t nearly been enough and only made me want him even more.

“He’s a soldier; surely he can handle it.” Dad turned and walked to the door, and stopped just shy of leaving. “You know, I’m starting to see a pattern here, Princess. One that I don’t like. You’re putting too many things ahead of work, and I’m not sure what you’re trying to accomplish with playing Florence Nightingale to some injured soldier, but you’re neglecting your job.”

I rose from my seat and came around my desk. “I beg your pardon, Father, but I’m not neglecting anything. I did the report for you, and if your secretary was more interested in doing her job than fluttering her skirt tail at you, then you’d have gotten it. My job is to be here from eight to five, five days a week, not twenty-four-seven.”

“We have a duty to this company that isn’t on a schedule like a standard employee, Princess.”

“And you’ve never let anything get in the way of building it, and I doubt it’s going to fail now. So, I don’t understand why you’re so upset about me wanting to have a life outside of these walls.”

He tugged at his collar as his face turned red, and I knew I’d struck a nerve. “As long as it doesn’t affect your work, I could give a good goddamn what you do.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, even though I hated to fight with him more than anything. “But you do, and that’s my point. You have a problem with me being able to balance a family and a career because you never could. And furthermore, I think it really chaps your ass that I’m able to do it all without anyone back home to help me like you had Mom.”

“Don’t bring your mother into this.” He turned and grabbed the doorknob, holding it so tightly in his grip his hand turned white.

“Right. Let’s not talk about Mom.” I rolled my eyes and wanted to add how doing so would only be rubbing salt in his wounds.

“We’ll talk more about this after work.” He pulled the door open, but I wasn’t finished.

“I swear, you’ll never get it. You sound more like a boss than my father. Would it kill you to act like the latter for just once in your life?” I let out a deep sigh. “After work, I’m going home. You’ll have to learn to stop calling late meetings if you want me to be there.” I walked over and he stopped and searched my eyes as if he had so much more to say, but I wasn’t going to let him say it. I held the door, and as he left, I shut it behind him, hoping no one in the hall had heard my complaints.

I leaned against the door and tried to breathe calmly. I had too much going on to let him get to me. I’d not only been on the phone all morning securing new clients, but I had Emmett’s new job all set up for a special project as well. I didn’t have to stress myself out further trying to please my father, and I resented him coming in and trying to throw me off my game.

I went back to my desk after I collected myself and wondered how Emmett was doing and if he’d made it to the base in good time. I wanted us to do something special for dinner, and hopefully, I’d be able to put Pen to bed and have some time alone with him.

I knew as our relationship blossomed, I was going to have to explain what was happening to Penelope. She had always been a bit more mature for her age when it came to certain things, so she was probably going to understand it all better than I’d imagined. I was just so scared it would change everything with her and his relationship, which seemed to be so wonderful and just what she needed in light of her father’s absence, but in the past, I had let my friendship prevent me from pursuing more. I couldn’t let him and Pen’s do the same. I didn’t want to lose him for another ten years of my life, only to find that he was truly the only man I could ever love.

I needed to give it a shot, and I hoped that this time, things would be as magical as I’d always dreamed for me, and for Penelope and Emmett, too.

I picked up my phone and dialed Rob’s number, hoping he had time to pick up where we left off about our project, and I spent the next two hours on the phone, not only with him but trying to nail down everything he needed.

I went down to the food court that was in the middle of downtown to find a bite to eat for lunch and wished I could call Emmett. I hoped he’d get his cell phone soon and that his trip to Camp Lejeune hadn’t taken longer than he expected.

I spent the time by myself enjoying the weather and thinking about his coma. I wondered what it would be like to be in one country one minute, and waking up two weeks later in another with a hole in his chest. The poor man had been through so much, and as I felt the sun warm my face, I was thankful he had made it back to me alive.

I walked back to the building and then went up to my office on the top floor where I spent the remainder of my day doing what I did best, negotiating for the company. When I was done, I had the Helix project in the bag and another lined up with Rob Waters that was sure to make Emmett an important fixture in the company as well.

Before I knew it, the day was over. I gathered up my things and walked out into the hallway to find that a few of the others were already gone for the day, and in the spirit of love, I went to see my father to tell him to have a good evening and remind him that I was really going to go home. I hoped our words were kinder, and despite our disagreement, we could end the day on a better note.

I knocked on his door and then pushed it open to find him on the phone, but instead of putting his work down, as I’d done for him, he waved me away, dismissing me like I was his secretary or some other employee who hardly mattered.

I stepped out and pulled the door shut, knowing that it was best if I just left things alone and continued on home.