He waved a hand. “I’m just talking, honey.”
I sank back into my seat. “You’re making it sound like we’re children.”
Nate coughed into his hand, very obviously—to me, anyway—hiding a smile. Dad grinned at him, shaking off my comment like I hadn’t spoken at all. “I always hoped Katie would find someone solid. Someone who has a good head on his shoulders and who is strong enough to be her partner in life.”
“I’m right here,” I muttered.
Dad, however, was only focused on my husband. “You seem like exactly that man, Nate. Steady, smart, and strong.”
Nate glanced over at me briefly. “I try to be.”
“I can see that.” Dad nodded, as if he’d been around us for weeks and had seen all the little things Nate did for me. “You take care of her now.”
“I do,” Nate replied simply. “And I will.”
“Of course.” Dad grinned again, seriously acting like Nate was the second coming. “Tell me, Nate. In your business, where do you see yourself in five years?”
I groaned. “You’re interviewing my husband, Daddy, but we’re already married. It’s too late.”
“I’m talking to him.”
“You’revettinghim.”
“I’ve already approved him,” Dad said.
Nate finally lost the battle and laughed. I met his gaze and pointed at my father’s back. “You see? Do you see now what I’ve been dealing with my entire life?”
Dad smiled, utterly unapologetic. “You’re my only child. I’ve had to be careful.”
And there it was, the truth hiding under the performance he was putting on. After all these years, he finally had the son he’d always wanted. He’d never said it outright, of course, and I knew he loved me, truly, but Mom had let it slip one night when she’d had one chardonnay too many that Dad had begged her to try for a boy.
Despite doing everything their power, it had never happened for them. So his excitement today made sense. His warmth and enthusiasm, the suspiciously cheerful mood. All of it was because he now had a son, albeit in-law.
Dad kept talking, already launching into something about the estate and weekend plans, practically glowing. I finally leaned back in my seat again and left him to it, trusting Nate to handle Dad’s enthusiasm without breaking too much of a sweat.
By the time we drove through the wrought-iron gates and started up the long drive to Abram’s place, the sun was dippinglow enough to paint everything gold. The estate stretched out in front of us in sweeping views of manicured hedges, wide lawns, and the kind of symmetry that required a full-time staff.
Nate didn’t even blink, but I supposed if you grew up in the kind of house he had and visiting the Westwood compound out in California—which had been the subject of enough lifestyle spreads that I felt like I’d visited even though I hadn’t—then this was just another house.
The car rolled to a stop out front, and before any of us had even opened our doors, Abram burst out of the house and grinned when he reached the front stairs. He spread his arms open wide, jogging down the steps to greet us.
“Kate,” he said as I stepped out. “It’s so good to see you, honey.”
“You too,” I said, but I didn’t really know if I meant it right now.
Abram and I needed to talk too, but again, this wasn’t the right time, so I just gave him a quick hug. When I let go of him, his attention immediately shifted to Nate.
“Congratulations, son,” he said, shaking his hand so vigorously it was almost like he’d just bought a prize mare at a state fair.
Nate took it in stride, stepping closer to my side and sliding his free hand around my shoulders. “Thank you, and thank you for inviting us to stay. You have a beautiful home.”
Hinds inclined his chin in acknowledgment, looking between us with obvious satisfaction. The kind that could only come from getting exactly what you’d wanted, no matter what kind of hoops other people had to jump through for you to get it. But he really had gotten everything he wanted.
The sale was happening. The contracts were locked in so tight, they might as well have been written in blood. Nate and I were married and even the government watchdog, the Securitiesand Exchange Commission, had reviewed the agreement, signing off without issue.
Everything was approved and ready. After months of maneuvering and negotiating, stress and secrets, it had all come down to a quiet evening in a big house upstate. It was ridiculous.
Abram had finally moved on from us though, greeting Mom and Dad with big hugs and magnanimous laughter. Then he swept a hand out toward the house. “Come on in. Dinner will be served shortly. What can we offer you to drink?”
