He sighs. “Fine. Sit.”
I keep standing.
“I won’t speak until you sit.”
I give in and drop into the chair opposite him. “So, what do you think?”
“I think you’re too hard on yourself,” Dad says. “You’re trying so hard not to make mistakes when that’s inevitable. As CEO, you will make some mistakes. You will fund some projects that’ll crash and burn.”
“I know. All I’m trying to do is limit that.”
“I know,” he returns with the same cadence I used. “And I’m saying make the mistakes. Be a failure sometimes. Only with the ups and downs will you grow. You won’t grow by running, okay?”
I fight the urge to facepalm. “Thanks, Dad,” I drawl.
“So,” he leans back, looking proud of himself. “When are you proposing?”
I’m still debating on my options with Ramsey’s campaign that I don’t understand his statement. “Proposing what?”
“To her.” Thedummyis silent, but I hear it in his tone.
I’m about to ask, ‘Her, who?’ when it dawns. I try to grab the document to hide my face in it. But he reaches across the table and snatches it before I can.
“Jesus, Dad!” I slap my hands on my thighs and lean back. “What do you want from me?”
“A date. A hint. Anything.” He shrugs. “When is Maddie going to become an Easton?”
My heart clenches with that thought. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” He sits forward, looking more worried about that than the possibility of losing millions if a project falls through. “She’s a lovely young woman. She likes you and you like her. What’s holding you back?”
His question is bait, but I’m smart enough not to bite.
“That’s not why I’m here.”
He shakes his head, disappointment in his eyes. “You can tell me anything, you know that, right?”
“Of course.”
“So, when—”
“Nope.” I stand and take the document from him. “Not that.”
“Fine. If you insist on not speaking about it, we won’t.”
“I do.”
He sighs.
I’m almost out the door when his voice stops me.
“Have a closer look at pages 7 and 8. Ramsey can be too ambitious with the estimated outcome of his campaigns. If you keep the expectations small, you will be less disappointed. With that, you’ll see how best to adjust the budget.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
He nods. “Take care. And if you see Lucy, tell her I’m still waiting on that lunch she promised me.”
I picture her stuffing her face in front of the fridge. “Yeah, I’ll do that.”
