“No. But he’s highly intelligent. Arrogant along with it. Controlling too. My mother never worked and never wanted to. My father is a doctor and he’s meek. He does what my mother wants or my grandfather says because he wants to continue to live the life that he has.”
“And your sister?” she asked.
“The same. She’s been going to college for years. My grandfather keeps telling her to continue and what he’d like to see her do with her life. He did the same with my cousins and myuncle. My mother’s brother. They all work but have careers that were selected for them. Handpicked and their jobs were lined up. If they stepped out of line, they didn’t get draws on their trust funds.”
“Why?” she asked. “That is almost barbaric. And not only that, if they all work, they could just leave. It’s not like anyone was living on the street, right?”
“Of course not. But there is a difference in their eyes between being comfortable and being an Easton. Or part of the network of our extended family.”
“So they wanted to continue with this lifestyle at the risk of their own independence? Freedom of choices? They didn’t care that someone else was pulling the strings?”
“No. See, you get it. I’m not like that. Not anymore. And I’m sure the hell not doing it to Jonah. I did what was told of me. I went to Columbia. Right before my senior year I got the first draw of my trust fund. I took a risk in the stock market and bet big. It paid off.”
“Why would you do that? You could have lost it all.”
“I could have. I didn’t. If I lost it all, I probably would have ended up at med school until I got the next draw and could do it again. I always knew I wanted to own a bar.”
“Which is almost another world compared to being a doctor. Did your grandfather want you to be a cardiac surgeon like him?”
“He did. I wasn’t antisocial in school, but I was picked on and made fun of for being smart and tall and scrawny. I talked a lot but said smart things that made people just bully me. I started changing my appearance my senior year in high school. Protein drinks, weightlifting. You name it, I did it. When I went to college I just reinvented myself as the person I always wanted to be.”
“Like what I did, only later in life?” she asked, her chin going up.
“Yeah. Like you. And I shouldn’t have gotten upset over that when I’d done the same thing. You weren’t really trying to deceive me like I thought. I realized it after I left your office.”
“You went to a new city. I get that. But why keep it a secret that you own the bar? And the name Pulse isn’t lost on me either.”
He laughed. “Some of the devices my grandfather patented are there.”
She shook her head. “It’s funny in a way.”
“Ironic. Anyway. For years I was happy with no one knowing. I didn’t want anyone to know about my intelligence. Stupid, I know, but I wanted to leave Brainy Dean behind for good. And if Corinda knew anything about my family or wealth, it would have been a bigger nightmare. I’m lucky Ruby didn’t know. Or didn’t think anything of it. I was approved by the bank, got a loan and end of story.”
“She wouldn’t have said anything if you paid cash and I’m guessing you could have.”
He laughed. “Yeah, but I didn’t. It’s a write off.”
She laughed. “I’ve always known you were smart. You can’t necessarily hide it.”
“I know. Few catch things the way you do. But I’ve never dated anyone quite like you before.”
“Nerdy?” she asked.
“Smart. Confident. Strong. Stubborn.” He scooted closer to her. “I fell in love with all those things and the longer this went on, the harder it was becoming to tell you.”
“You said you were going to tell me when you got back. Why should I believe that?”
“Because my grandfather and I made up this weekend. Sort of. Our version of it. He was livid with me when he found out Iwasn’t going to fall in line like everyone else. I handed him the money back from my trust fund and wiped my hands of things. Sure, I’d come home now and again over the years, but we never talked. The rest of the family blamed me for standing up to him and making him be even harder on them. The biggest insult to me was him refusing to acknowledge Jonah.”
“I’m surprised you even talked to him at all for that alone.”
“I guess guilt got the better of me. But as he pointed out. I walked away. He wasn’t making the first move and if I wasn’t, then in his eyes, he didn’t think I wanted him to know about Jonah.”
“That’s nuts.”
“It is what it is,” he said. “But my grandfather told me I was like him and I was insulted at first. Then I realized he didn’t mean it that way. He meant I was strong enough to be my own man. Last night he took the first step with me because he wanted me to know he was proud of me. But I want to give myself something to really be proud of. Not the money in my account. Not the businesses that I own. But that I’m man enough to say when I’m wrong to the woman I love.”
She started to cry and he had no idea if this was a good thing or not. Then she launched herself at him. “I love you too. I fell in love with you before I knew this.”
