By the time I reach the stables my smile has dropped away and I brace myself to face Mase. The selfish part of me hopes he’s still passed out on my couch. Maybe by the morning I’ll have figured out how to live with myself for lying to him. He’s not on the couch though. He’s wide awake sitting at the island across from the last person I ever expected to see in my kitchen.
“Dad?”
My father turns to face me, and I drop my keys onto the shelf by the door, my fingers numb.
“Roman.” My dad dips his head. I’ve always hated how much we look like each other. Same broad shoulders and tall frame. He keeps his jaw clean-shaven though and his hair is more gray than brown nowadays.
I glance from him to Mase who looks like he’s got the hangover from hell but is holding it together for my sake. He’s never been a fan of my father, hating him on my behalf because I can’t quite find it in me to hate him myself.
He catches my eye, his jaw clenched, and takes another swig of what I hope to god is water.
“What are you doing here, Dad?”
He stands up and straightens the sleeves of his suit jacket. “You never responded to my job offer. I don’t like to be kept waiting, Roman.” He doesn’t expand on that. My father lives in a world where no one ever says what they mean, and subtle threats are delivered through pleasant remarks and calculated looks.
“I’ve already told you,” I say, working hard to keep my fists from clenching. “I’m not interested.”
He blinks and for a second I think I might have actually hurt his feelings but then he forces a smile, the corner of his lips twisted in condescension. “It’s late and your mother insisted we don’t just talk business.”
I lift a brow at that, finding it hard to believe my parents have even talked to each other this week let alone about me. I realize too late it’s just a set up for his next attack.
“Tell me more about this Lola of yours.”
I jolt, my body turning to rock.
Mase glances between me and my father, his brow furrowed, tension pulsing at the line of his jaw.
“She’s not mine,” I say, the lie dry and bitter on my tongue.
“Ah, of course not.” He looks at Mase then smiles at me, like we’re both in on some secret. Like he didn’t orchestrate this whole thing. “Just business partners then.”
Mase eyes my father. “Business partners?”
I flex my hand. I don’t know what my father’s game is, or how he suddenly knows so much about my life, but I think I liked it better when he was an ocean away.
“Why are you here, Dad?”
He stands up and unclips his briefcase. “I thought I’d hand deliver my latest offer.”
I open my mouth, but he holds up a hand. “It’s not just a job offer. I’ve had some health issues which means I’ll be retiring sooner than expected.” His gaze meets mine. “I need a successor. The company is yours if you want it.”
“And if I don’t?”
His smile is brittle. “It’s time to come home, Roman. Work alongside me for the next few years, learn the ropes, and then the company is yours.”
I always thought my father was too stubborn to ever give up Banks Corp before he died. I track my eyes over him, his words playing in my head. The crow’s feet around his eyes are deeperand his cheeks are a little hollow. My father is a sturdy man, but now he’s standing I can see the weight he’s lost. “What health issues?” I ask.
He waves me off. “Nothing too drastic but my time is a little shorter than I anticipated. I don’t want to spend my remaining years in the boardroom. I want to spend them with family. With my son.”
I watch him, wary. I learned at a young age that my father is a manipulative man. I wouldn’t put it past him for this just to be another ploy to get me to do his bidding. But his suit jacket is hanging a little loose, his broad shoulders less intimidating than they used to be. An uncomfortable feeling lodges in my chest.
My dad takes out some papers and places them on the island. “I don’t need an answer now. I’ll be back in Nova Scotia next week. We’ll have dinner.”
I can feel Mase’s eyes on me as my father walks past me to the door. I hold it open for him then shut it and plant my head against the wood.
“Jesus Christ. Did I just hallucinate my father?”
Mase snorts. “Not unless you drank as much as I did today.”
