Rayden
THE NEXT MORNING, Ientered the executive floor of my father’s office and glanced around. Nothing had changed. I spied my father’s fifty-something PA, Ingrid, watering one of her many plants at her windowsill. A habit I’d discovered not to mess with when I first met her during my teens. She’d been with the company forever. “Hi, gorgeous.”
Startled, she swung around, her eyes round balls of fright. “Rayden? Oh, my God, I thought one of the lions had you for dinner. You’ve been gone so long.” She came around the table with a huge smile and gave me one of her granny-squeezes. “Does he know you’re coming,” she asked, stepping back. I shook my head. She glanced at her watch. “He’s got a meeting in half an hour, so go on in. We can chat later.”
“Thanks.” I opened the door and stepped inside.
My father, a tall, imposing man with a powerful built and an attitude to go with, turned away from the window. He was on a call when he noticed me. His eyes widened, and that prominent square jaw I’d inherited minus the light beard worked a brilliant smile. “I’ll call you back.” He cut the call. “Rayden.”
“Hey, Dad.”
“Jesus, son, you’re a sight.” He came around his table, arms outstretched, and swallowed me in a tight embrace. We were both manly men, yet he saw no reason to quit the show of affection even at my age. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back,” he asked when we broke apart.
“I wanted to surprise you.” I grinned.
“Can’t say I’m not pleased. Did you just get in?” He walked back to his chair and sat.
“No.” I cupped my neck and dropped into a seat on the opposite side. “I’ve been back for the last five months.” His lightly tanned forehead, natural, unlike mine, scrunched in a frown as he eyed me over his steepled fingers. The lashing I expected didn’t come. Instead, his soft smile had me lifting a brow. “I stopped over at Trent’s. I spent some time at the restaurant.”
“Bartending?”
“Mixologist, Dad.” I might be a rich man’s son, but one thing I loved about my father was his constant advice for us to follow our dreams, do what made us happy. I’d done that. Only, I didn’t think it would take me this long to recover.
“Have you been back to the estate?” I shook my head. He stood and came around the table. “Have you finally let go?” I nodded but said nothing. He crossed his arms over his chest, leaned his butt against the edge of the table, and studied me for a moment. “Losing a girlfriend is not easy, Rayden. I understand that, but shutting yourself up, extricating yourself from your friends and family is not the way to live. It’s been close to two years since we’ve seen you. Yet you still denied us another five months while being around the corner. Not an entirely different continent. Are you sure you’re ready to live again?” He studied me with a shake of his head. “Look, I understand this city and Granger Valley are huge reminders for you, lots of memories. But you never let on you were in the country when you called. We could’ve come out to see you.” While his voice was quiet, his tone remained undisguised steel. My father, the epitome of calm even in anger, but I’d seen him blow a fuse, and when he did, it wasn’t a pretty sight.
I met his questioning gaze head on. He was right, though. I should’ve come home sooner. “I met someone.”
His brow shot up. “Met someone? Recently, I take it?” He took my evasion in stride.
Slowly, I nodded. “The last five months.”
“Is that why you remained in Brenton?”
“Yes.”
“Are you settling, Rayden?”
I knew where he was coming from and answered honestly, “God, Dad, she’s made my smile again.”
“Are you sure?” He sighed, stood, and walked back to his seat but didn’t sit down. “The fact that you’ve stayed away from here and home for the last five months tells me you’re not over Zena. This girl might never be able to understand your pain, but don’t break her heart, son.”
I stared at him, reflecting on his words. Was he right? Was Zena out of my life for good? Maybe I should’ve walked away from Sianna. She didn’t deserve the ramifications of Zena’s death, if any more still lingered.
“Does she know?”
Even before I could answer, I knew his response wasn’t going to be positive. Losing Zena catapulted me into a darkness that not many people could survive. Not being there to help her when she needed me made the acceptance that more difficult. “No.”
He drew in a sharp breath. “Do you think that’s wise? Not telling her I mean.”
I raked both hands through my hair. Only my father could make me see the other side of the coin. Meeting Sianna happened so suddenly, I hadn’t realized that until that moment, I merely existed, nothing more. There wasn’t much to my life, and I accepted each day for what it was, not caring what the next would bring. While moving to Africa proved an ideal escape, one that challenged my very survival with everything from wild animals to fucked in the head poachers, Sianna was a welcome change. She instilled feelings I thought could never exist again.
“I guess I should’ve told her.”
“Guess. Jesus, Rayden, that’s a living, breathing person whose emotions you’re playing with.” His lips pressed into a thin line. I understood his annoyance.
God, I needed this. My voice of reason as usual. My father always knew how to rattle my cage just to get the best out of me, and right now, he made more fucking sense than I cared to acknowledge. Sianna was the only other woman I’d come across since Zena, who saw the positive side of life despite its bleakness. Yes, Zena came from a far more lavish life than Sianna, but she’d still experienced her share of assholes and difficult situations.
