The silence that fell over the kitchen was thick enough to cut with a knife. Determined to pretend like his heart wasn’t threatening to beat its way right out of his chest, Dylan picked up his pizza again and took another bite. It tasted like ash on his tongue, but he forced himself to chew and swallow anyway.
Ethan recovered first. “I figured this was some kind of summer fling.”
“Nope. I’m in it for good. My boss is pretty confident he’ll have a position for me once the internship is over, but if not, I have other options in Atlanta.”
“Better options other places,” Ethan said, his mouth dipping down into a thoughtful frown. “You’d have your pick of jobs if you came back to Maryland.”
“I know. But there’s no sense in asking Sam to uproot her entire life when there are plenty of jobs to choose from right here.”
Nodding slowly, Ethan tapped his fingers against the table, his tell that he was really thinking about something. “You’re really serious about this?”
“I am. And I know it’s going to be a big adjustment, but I’m not going anywhere, Ethan. She’s it for me.”
“Was anyone planning to ask me what I want?”
His adorable babygirl had disappeared completely, replaced by a calm, reasonable woman who sipped her beer as she eyed the two men at the table with her. The loss of her made him ache, even though some part of him recognized this was a conversation for that more grown-up side of her.
“Of course, babygirl,” he said easily, reaching under the table to lay a hand on her thigh, unable to bear not touching her a second longer. “None of this happens without your consent, you know that.”
“Could have fooled me, considering you two are talking about all this like I’m not even here.”
Hurt and annoyance turned her voice sharp, but he couldn’t really blame her under the circumstances. “You’re right and I’m sorry, Sam. So tell me what you want.”
Tell Daddy everything.
Little Sam would have dropped her gaze, probably picked at her pizza while she pouted her way through the conversation. Big Sam, however, just met his gaze head-on, cool and collected. “What I want is to not feel like the reason you’re settling for less than you deserve.”
“I won’t be. ATLantis Biomed is one of the top twenty-five companies in the world, not just for innovation but for how they treat their employees as well. And even if I can’t get on with them at the end of the internship, there are plenty of places here that are just as well-funded and competitive.”
“But Ethan said you’d have more options back in Maryland and I assume DC.”
“I would. That doesn’t mean they’d be better options.”
“Dylan.” Her tone and look were all “mom” now, and amusement rippled through him at the change. “You can’t possibly want to stay here.”
You can’t possibly want me. That was what she really meant.
He flicked his gaze toward Ethan who was watching them with a carefully blank expression. “Can you give us a few minutes?”
“Mom?”
“I’m fine, honey.”
“All right.” Not looking at all happy with the request, Ethan picked up his beer and headed for the living room.
“Eyes on me, Samantha Kay,” Dylan said as soon as he was certain his friend was out of earshot.
Sam obeyed, though there was no mistaking the annoyance flaring in her eyes. “Yes?”
“Good girl,” he murmured, reaching up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I want you to know that I had planned to talk to you about all of this, closer to the end of summer. This wasn’t me making decisions without you, this was me trying to give you the space to come to terms with the fact that I am wildly, hopelessly in love with you.”
A dozen emotions crowded her gaze. “You don’t mean that.”
“I do, Sammie-girl. You’re it for me, baby. But I understand if you need some time to accept that. I’ll be right here, loving you through it until you’re ready.”
“Dylan. Be serious. I’m over forty years old. I have no intention of having more children. I’m very settled in my life here. All in all, I’m the worst possible choice. You deserve someone young and unattached. Someone who is willing to go wherever your job takes you.”
“First of all, I don’t want kids. I never have. Second of all, I don’t want an accessory. I want a woman with her own life, her own hopes and dreams. Even if that woman was my ownage, I wouldn’t expect her to just drop everything to support me with zero regard for her own future. And I’m honestly a little disappointed in you for thinking that’s the kind of man I am.”
