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I was so pleased that Maxwell was a classic rock guy, and to my surprise, didn’t love school even though he was an honor student. He wanted to have a gap year, but Dean and Sabine had “convinced” him to try out higher education. Sebastian, on the other hand, loved classical and alternative music. Like his mom, he was a music major and was a talented musician, if he did say so himself. He played in an alternative band in some of the local clubs near his school. He invited me to come listen to them sometime. I definitely would.
Whitney, though, was growing impatient with the grownup talk; she needed to get to the dinosaurs. “I think it is time to go, Dad,” she declared after wiping her mouth like a little lady.
Jonah swallowed down his last bite of the to-die-for brioche. “I guess that’s my cue.”
I wanted to hold onto him and tell him not to leave me, but I knew I had to do this—and not with Jonah, but with my father.
Surprisingly, Sebastian asked Jonah, “Do you want some company? Max and I can drive you downtown. We know the city inside and out. This way we can grill you when Ariana isn’t around,” he teased.
By the look Sabine and Dean gave Sebastian, I had a feeling they’d orchestrated this unexpected turn of events.
“I was going to call an Uber, but that would be great,” Jonah replied.
“Please hurry and get ready,” Whitney implored, narrowing her eyes at my brothers, still in their pajamas.
They saluted Whitney and hopped to it, racing out of the kitchen.
“I bet they kept you on your toes,” I said to Dean and Sabine.
“They still do.” Sabine took a sip of her coffee. “Always on the go, always wanting money, and always a lot of fun. I bet you weren’t a troublemaker, were you?” she asked me.
“I admit I did sneak out once in a while.”
“What?” I’d horrified Whitney.
I gave Jonah a strained smile.
“Honey, why don’t we go brush our teeth,” Jonah suggested.
Whitney gave me such a look—I felt like I was in trouble. I kissed her head. “Have a good time today. I can’t wait to hear about your research.”
“I’ll let you read the notes I write.”
“Even better.” I tapped her nose.
Jonah leaned over Whitney and gave me a goodbye kiss. “I’ll see you later. Call me if you need me.”
“I will,” I promised. “Have fun.”
“We will.”
I watched the loves of my life leave.
“She’s darling,” Sabine commented.
“She is, and very determined,” I responded.
“I see that,” Dean agreed.
A meaningful glance passed between husband and wife.
“You must be nervous about meeting your grandfather.” Sabine reached her hand out to me.
I took it. “Very.”
“He knows you’re here,” Dean informed me.
I squeezed Sabine’s hand. “I should probably tell you I’m in therapy over all of this. My childhood left me with a lot of demons that I’ve been trying to put to rest. I know you know some of it because of the reports that private investigator sent every year, but that hardly scratches the surface of what my mother put me through.”
Dean’s face reddened and Sabine’s eyes misted.
“I’m not saying this to garner sympathy. I just want to be honest with you.”
“Oh, honey,” Sabine cried, “you have more than our sympathy. We will help you in any way we can.”
Dean placed his hand on top of Sabine’s and mine. “I am so sorry. I’ve been sick thinking about how different your life should have been. How I should have protected you. How my father should have but didn’t.”
“It’s not your fault. I know that. And I’m doing okay. I have a wonderful support system.”
“Jonah.” Sabine smiled.
“He’s wonderful,” I sighed.
“I can tell. He’s a keeper, like your dad.”
“How can you tell?” I knew that was a weird question, but I truly wanted to know how she knew my father was a “keeper.” They seemed so happy together, so maybe she knew the secret to choosing a partner who would stand the test of time.
Sabine didn’t act as if I asked anything out of the ordinary. Instead, she smiled at Dean like an infatuated schoolgirl. “When your father and I met twenty-six years ago, I was playing with the orchestra here as a guest pianist. He was attending one of their galas and when I saw him from across the room, I was instantly attracted to him. But when one of the waiters dropped an entire tray of appetizers and your father rushed to help them clean up the mess, I knew then he was someone I wanted to meet. He never lets people know how much his portfolio is worth, only how much they are worth to him.”
I liked that. It sounded very much like Jonah.
Dean let out a heavy sigh. “I’m not always the best at that,” he admitted. “I should have been more of a gentleman to your mom when we parted. I used to look back at that summer so fondly. A summer love affair with a pretty girl. I never even stopped to think of the potential ramifications. I figured she never called, so she must have felt the same. I should have called her. At the very least so she didn’t feel as if I’d used her. I swear to you it wasn’t like that. I did care for her, and it was all consensual.”
