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Dad’s brow jumped after what I said, perhaps surprised with how casual I was about changing my major. This shouldn’t surprise me at all. Art was my life, but things had changed.
I had changed.
Of course, my father didn’t know that. His head cocked. “Any particular reason for that? And I wasn’t snooping in your life, FYI.” He laughed. “It happened to come up over lunch with some friends from the university.”
Some of my professors, I could imagine, and I had just changed before the semester ended. I worked my hand through my hair. “Just felt I was being pulled in a different direction.”
“Again, any reason? You know I’ve never pressured you into going into the family business.”
I supposed he could assume that was why I’d changed, for him and to go that route. I changed my major to art business instead of sticking with actual application. I wet my lips. “I know, but after everything with my cancer, I guess my thoughts just changed on some things. My priorities or whatever.”
I wasn’t exactly lying to my father. I always had intended to get involved with the family business. Half of my father’s empire surrounded real estate and development, but the other half had to do with his art. He was an artist through and through, and getting involved with his galleries would keep me in that world. I wouldn’t have to let go of it completely.
I worked my fingers involuntarily. My dad started looking at me in a way I didn’t like.
He eased close. “I know your health scare took you through the wringer, but you know, you don’t have to be scared anymore, right?” He put his arm around me. “You keep up on your check-ups. You’re doing what you need to do?”
I nodded at the question. My parents had started taking a hands-off approach to my health after I’d asked them. I’d told them I wanted to be responsible for it on my own, and they had backed off. They did with the caveat that I would keep up on my care and let them know the minute something was off. My cancer diagnosis had nearly broken my family.
Again.
We’d had so much shit happen to all of us. Shit regarding my sister, and so much other crap. My family was strong, but they could only handle so much. They could be broken, shattered.
Dad rubbed my shoulder. “Promise me you’re not putting your life on hold because you’re worried.”
“Of course not,” I said, shaking my head. “I really do want to get involved with the business.”
No lies there, but lies were so easy these days. Sometimes I didn’t even know what was real versus the truth.
And my dad was smiling again. He squeezed my arm, and almost instantly my stomach settled. He wasn’t looking at me like he was before, his own worry in his dark eyes. “Well, I’m not going to lie, I would love to have you involved.” He shook me. “Just as long as you know you don’t have to do that for me. I promised myself I’d never let that happen after the pressure I felt from your grandpa growing up.”
As far as I knew, my dad and grandpa had repaired that relationship, but I could see him still worrying about repeating history when it came to Sloane, Bru, and me.
I smiled. “I know. And since when have I ever done something because that’s what you wanted me to do?”
I was a little asshole, and we both knew that.
Dad laughed before bringing me in, hugging me. It was a strong hug, a great hug, and I didn’t want to let go.
I did, though, eventually, made myself. We wrapped up at the checkout, then made our way back outside.
The dads and Dorian’s god-dad, LJ, were all outside the hardware store chatting. Since they were, I offered to take the stuff Dad and I bought to the Escalade. Dad thanked me, and once we parted, I headed toward the SUVs we all took into town. I found the kid lounging against one of them, his thumbs tapping on his phone.
I passed him, putting the bag in the SUV through the window.
“You and Fawn talk?”
I froze, easing back out. “What?”
The kid’s eyes were on me, his thumbs hovering over his phone. “Just wondering if you talked and worked things out.”
My mouth parted. “We talked.”
Did she talk to him, tell him what she’d approached me with?
My brother’s nod was curt between us, and I guessed he had no other questions because he opened the Escalade and got inside. I stood by the door before he could close it. “Did she talk to you about what she talked to me about?”
I figured I’d ask since, you know, all these questions were being put out there, and I got my answer when Bru averted his eyes.
