The Bentley’s driver’s-side door opened, and Lawrence Johnson stepped out, dressed in a tailored suit.
Jamal’s nostrils flared, and his grip on the steering wheel tightened. “You had no right to bring him here,” he bit out.
He opened the door and stalked right past his father.
Phil got out of the car and ran after him. She gave Mr. Johnson a hasty greeting but didn’t stop. When she got to the room, she found Jamal pacing back and forth in front of the bed.
“I was only trying to help. I know firsthand what happens when you allow something to come between you and your family. It can eat you alive. I don’t want you to suffer the same regrets I’ve dealt with these past three years.”
He pointed toward the door. “You don’t know anything about what happened between me and that man.”
“I know you and your father both probably said things that neither of you meant, and by not talking it out, you’ve only made things worse. It’s the same thing that happened with me and my dad.”
“I don’t give a damn about what happened between you and your dad!” he shouted.
Phil took a step back, the ugliness of his words slapping her in the face, the ferociousness in his voice sending a tremor of unease down her spine.
“This hadnothingto do with you,” he lashed out. “You think I’m going to just forget everything and play nice because that’s whatyouthink is best for me? I’ve spent my entire damn life doing what he wanted me to do. I sure as hell won’t let you come in and try to dictate what I do, too.”
“I’m not trying to tell you what to do,” she protested.
“The hell you’re not!” His voice nearly shook the windows. “I told you I wanted nothing to do with that man, yet you go behind my back and tell him where to find me? You should have just stayed the hell out of it, like I told you.”
Phil tried several times before she could swallow past the lump in her throat. She blinked rapidly, hoping to avoid the wounded tears that threatened to escape.
When she spoke, she barely recognized her own voice. “You’re right,” she managed to get out. “It was none of my business. I’m sorry.”
Jamal stopped pacing and stared directly into her eyes. He didn’t acknowledge her apology, just stood there, fury radiating from his rigid frame. The rage sparkling like fire in his eyes was unlike anything she’d ever seen in him.
There was a knock at the door.
“Can I come in?” came Lawrence Johnson’s formidable baritone.
Phil didn’t think Jamal could look any angrier than he had just a moment ago, but the sound of his father’s voice brought his fury to a new level.
She turned and walked over to the door, opening it just wide enough to slip out of the suite. The look on Mr. Johnson’s face would have broken her heart if his son hadn’t already crushed it with his cruel, unforgivable words.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
The man expelled a harsh breath. “So am I,” he said. “He takes after his father, even though you’d never get him to admit it. We’re both stubborn asses.” He gave her a sheepish look. “I’m sorry if this has caused problems between the two of you. I couldn’t help but overhear.”
Phil shook her head. “It’s okay.” But it was anythingbutokay.
It was exactly what she’d feared—raw, gut-wrenching despair at the hands of the man she’d trusted with her most fragile, most treasured possession. Her heart.
“I’m sorry you drove all this way for nothing,” she told him.
“It was worth the drive if it meant finally getting past this with Jamal. I’ll get through to him eventually.” Mr. Johnson, with eyes so much like his son’s, took her hands in his. “Thank you for trying.”
“You’re welcome.”
He pulled her in for a hug, giving her an extra, reassuring squeeze. Phil closed her eyes tightly, but she couldn’t help the tears that began to flow.
How could Jamal not see how lucky he was to still have his father?
He released her from the hug, but he didn’t let go of her hands. Instead, he gripped them tighter and looked directly into her eyes. “Don’t allow my son’s stubbornness to come between the two of you. Just give him some time to cool off. Don’t let him give you the silent treatment for too long, either.”
“We have a six o’clock flight back to Louisiana. He won’t be able to avoid me for long.”
