Page 24 of Lucas & Melissa Falling in Love
“What do you mean by that? Of course I want to. What else would I do? That’s . . . that’s ridiculous to even—”
“It’s all right, Melissa. You can do anything you want.”
“But that’s not what you said. You implied that—”
And this was where my outrage ran out of steam. Whathadhe implied? I had no idea. When I looked past the wanting to succeed in business and make money again, there was nothing there but a black nothingness. A void I didn’t want to examine, the void that I was terrified by.
He looked expectant and when one side of his mouth quirked up to show his cupid dimple, I let out a disgusted half sigh—half grunt. Something I’m sure I’d never done before and would never do again. Not in front of anyone else. Except maybe Roy. I was too out of control. Too out of my element.
He moved his hands to pull me in and kiss my forehead as if I were the confused little girl I felt like. I pulled away and swiped at his hands, brushing them off me. He chuckled.
“I’m glad you find my disastrous state of mind so amusing.”
“Reminds me of myself a few years ago.”
“Is that right?” I’d have been more curious if I didn’t think he was fibbing to make me feel better.
He put up a hand in the sign of a boy scout pledge. I was a sucker for all things boy scout.
“Tell me.”
“It was rough the first year I was cut off from my family financially. They didn’t disown me or I wouldn’t have survived.”
“All because you didn’t want to be an engineer?”
He nodded and said, “It was symbolic of the family business, as if I was rejecting my legacy, betraying my heritage.”
“Sounds serious.” I wondered what the hell the family business was, but before I could ask, he started the car and announced we needed to get back on the road if we wanted to make it for dinner.
He insisted we stop to buy flowers and a bottle of wine, making me Google to find the only place—not quite along the way—that was open on Christmas Day, and then took a ten-mile detour to go there.
I liked that he wanted to bring a gift to my parents. I was embarrassed I hadn’t even thought of it. But they were my parents and I wasn’t a guest so it was different. No, the problem was, I should have been prepared. I was always prepared, always thought of everything, and this time I hadn’t.
“Tell me about your business,” he asked.
“Real estate development. We took a chance on a less-than-ideal location and made a killing the first three years. My friends teased me that I was a slumlord, but I wasn’t.” I paused to let him judge me.
“Of course you weren’t.”
“I never visited the buildings that our partnership owned, but they were good buildings. That hadn’t been the problem.” I stopped talking because I felt the palpitations returning.
“What was the problem?”
“The lawyers, my partners, misrepresented my position of control—or lack thereof. There was a balloon payment and a clause that said I couldn’t sell . . .” My voice faded and I waved my hand, looking out the window and breathing calming breaths.
“I see.”
“I don’t really want to talk about it. I’m too young to die of a stroke brought on by high blood pressure.”
He laughed.
“Fill me in about your family then,” he said. “I should know something about them before I barge in for Christmas dinner.”
“Okay, but remember, you asked for it.”
