Kat could live with a broken heart. But she couldn’t live with herself if she left her father and he had no one.
“Ms. Jerris?”
She jumped, her eyes flying to the open doorway.
“Your father wants to know if you’re still planning on dinner this evening.”
Kat nodded, slowly turning her eyes back to Leo. “Yes. Thanks, June.”
Her father looked olderthan his years. Kat didn’t know when that had happened. She’d always thought the man before her was nothing but formidable. But as she settled into her seat, she couldn’t drag her eyes from the man she loved and respected.
He offered her a small smile. In his hand was a glass filled with his favorite red. He swirled the liquid, his expression thoughtful.
“Sorry I’m late.”
“The roads are bad.”
Kat nodded. She didn’t dare tell him that she was actually late because she’d nearly crossed the street to speak to Leo—to plead with him to leave again. She’d been so conflicted that she’d ended up leaving ten minutes later than she’d planned.
She swallowed hard, ignoring the twist in her heart. Leo would give up eventually.
“He’s still waiting?”
Kat didn’t have to ask to know exactly who her father was asking about. She gave a curt nod as she opened the menu.
Her father grunted before taking a sip of his wine. “Determined young man, isn’t he?”
She refused to meet his eyes. “Stubborn more like.”
He chuckled. “Sounds like someone else I know.”
Her gaze flicked up to meet his with question, then she sighed and flipped the menu’s page. “I’d have thought that was a trait you could respect.
“To a degree, yes.” He was quiet for several seconds. When he spoke again, her heart stopped. “I brought your mother here—on our first date.”
Kat’s eyes burned with emotion. Her father rarely spoke of her mother. It was too painful. At least that was what she toldherself. She kept her focus glued to the menu, but her vision blurred and she couldn’t read it.
“From the moment I saw her, I knew she was going to be mine.” He chuckled. “She took some convincing, though.” He waved a hand to the restaurant. “Your mother wasn’t impressed with money or status. She thought I was arrogant and that I worked too much.”
Kat snorted. She wasn’t surprised. “But you did it. You won her over.”
Her father glanced at her over the rim of his glass. “Not without a great deal of effort.” He placed the glass on the table then steepled his fingers. “That young man of yours—he reminds me a lot of myself back then.”
Her eyes widened. There was so much to unpack with that statement. “What?”
He smiled again. “I was persistent. Sent her flowers every day. Waited for her outside her apartment to ask her out. Took a while, but yes, I wore her down.”
“You seem very proud of yourself.”
Her father chuckled again. “I am. Your mother was the love of my life. I made sure she wanted for nothing. She was my… everything. And all I wanted for her was her happiness.”
Kat frowned. “But she gave up her dreams?—”
Confusion marred his wistful expression. “Your mother gave up nothing. She wanted to be home with you, to care for you, raise you to be the strong woman you are today. When she found out she was expecting, we had a long conversation about what our lives would look like. I couldn’t step down from my position.And we knew we didn’t want you raised by a revolving door of nannies.”
Blood rushed through Kat’s ears. She felt dizzy all of a sudden. Her mother had walked away from her dreams not because her husband asked her to, but because she wanted to give her daughter everything she had.
Tears stung the back of Kat’s eyes.
