I laughed. “My dad stopped by.”
He jerked his head back. “What? When?”
I nodded, fighting a smile. I gave him a quick rundown of our conversation, and with every word, I could see the tension drain from him. I felt it too. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted.
“That’s great news.” He smiled, picking me up and spinning me around the living room. He set me down slowly, cupping my cheeks. “I love you, Sumner.”
“I love you.” I leaned up and pressed my lips to his, knowing with every beat of my heart that we belonged together. No matter the obstacles. No matter the pain. We were inevitable.
Chapter Thirty
A Year Later
“Jonathan,” Sumner giggled, batting away my hands as I attempted to untie her robe. “We’re going to be late.”
“So what?” I kissed her neck, the marble of the hotel bathroom floor cool beneath my feet. “They’ll give our table to someone else. And then I’ll slip them a tip, and it’ll be fine.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I’ve been looking forward to trying this place for months.”
We were spending a few days in LA to attend Piper’s engagement party and catch up with some friends before the holidays. Tonight, we were headed to dinner with Lea, and I was looking forward to brunch tomorrow with Alexis and her family.
“Can’t I have one little taste? Please?”
She narrowed her eyes at me, and I knew she meant business. But I could beverypersuasive when I wanted to be.
“I’m serious, Jonathan.” She wagged her finger at me, backing away. “Besides, Lea’s meeting us. And what if my dad decides to show?”
I scoffed. “Right. How many times have we invited him to join us as a group, and how many times has he taken us up on it?”
We both knew the answer—none. He still wouldn’t speak to or acknowledge me, though Sumner claimed he didn’t shy away from my name as much in conversation. I tried not to read too much into that. I knew Ian well enough to know the man could hold a grudge.
She dropped her head down between her shoulders. “I know, but I keep hoping.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that,” I said, lifting her chin so her eyes met mine. “I just don’t want you to be disappointed.”
She nodded. “I hate this. It’s been over a year, and he still won’t speak to you. Shouldn’t he realize by now that we’re together and that’s not going to change?”
“Baby, I hate to say this, but Ian may never accept us.”
“No.” She shook her head. “No.” Her tone was more adamant. “I refuse to accept that. If he can’t even speak to you, well then, maybe I…Iwon’t speak to him anymore.”
“We’re not going down that road again,” I said, smoothing my hands over her shoulders. Ian and Sumner had rebuilt their relationship. But she was his daughter. I was… “Let’s just be happy with the progress we’ve made.”
She let out a deep sigh, and I wondered what it would take for Ian to forgive me, to move past this. Even though things had improved, I knew it still weighed on Sumner. Hell, it weighed on me. There were many times I’d pick up my phone to text him something or call with a question, but then I’d put it down, knowing he’d never answer.
We finished getting ready and headed for the restaurant. Sumner filled the silence with talk of her latest coaching client. She was one semester away from graduating, and I was so fucking proud of her. Not only was she going to graduate with honors, she didn’t even need the degree. Her coaching business was killing it, and she’d already had to bring on an extra pair of hands to help with the workload. My old assistant, Cody, had been only too happy to join her team as her virtual assistant.
When we arrived at the restaurant, I handed the keys to the valet and then placed my hand on Sumner’s lower back. The hostess led us to the table, and I faltered when I saw Ian sitting there with Lea, his arm resting on the back of her chair. My mouth went slack, and I felt a sudden need to sit down.
Sumner gasped, turning to glance at me. “Oh my god. He actually came.”
“You didn’t know?” I asked.
“No.” She shook her head. “I… Wow. Hi, Dad.” Her smile was brilliant.
He stood and gave her a hug, and I watched as if in a daze. Was I imagining things?
Lea snapped me out of it, giving me a hug in greeting before saying hello to Sumner. While they embraced, Lea whispered something in Sumner’s ear. Ian and I stared at each other, and I didn’t know what to do or how to approach him. After all this time, after all these years of friendship, it felt as if I were looking into the eyes of a stranger.
