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“Yes, I should have.”
“You mean that?” she asked with more hope than she’d thought she had left where her remaining parent was concerned.
“I do and I’m sorry.”
She’d never heard her father apologize. Not once. Not ever. She took a deep breath, feeling the sting of tears in the back of her eyes. “I forgive you.”
“Thank you. That means more than I can say.”
“How’s your blood pressure?” she asked without planning to.
“Much better. I’m exercising, eating right … but I miss my old life.”
“As chairman of Dioletis Industries.”
“As father to my children.”
“Rhea still sees you.”
“A lot less frequently than you might imagine. She never forgave me for how hurt you were by your marriage to Ariston.”
Chloe hadn’t known that. “She never said anything to me.”
“She said plenty to me,” her father said ruefully.
“The company will retain its name, but it’s going to be absorbed by SSE,” Chloe felt the need to say.
“I know and in a way, I’m very relieved. It cost me my wife, it cost me my daughters and eventually it cost my health.”
“But you still love it.”
“Yes.”
Finally there was something she and her father had in common. Loving unwisely. “It will be okay. Maybe grandchildren will make up for retirement.”
“I’m hoping you and Rhea will allow me the privilege of that role, though I’m fully aware I don’t deserve it.”
Wow. This humble side to her father was not something she was used to dealing with. “Just don’t try to turn them into little CEOs.”
“I’ll leave that to Ariston.”
“He’ll have to deal with me.”
“A formidable concept, I am sure.”
Chloe found herself laughing with her father for the first time in years. “Yes, it is.”
“Thank you, Chloe.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I love you.” It was the first time he’d said it since she was eleven years old.
The tears threatening finally spilled and Chloe didn’t try to hide them from her voice when she said, “I love you too.”
“Please don’t cut me out of your life again.”
“Don’t be an arrogant, cold manipulator, and I won’t.” He laughed alone this time, but she was smiling. “I won’t,” he promised.
And she thought maybe this time, it was a promise her father intended to keep.
CHAPTER EIGHT
IT took Chloe closer to three weeks than two to train her replacements and put her affairs in order.
Though she’d only lived in the small coastal community that catered to tourists for less than two years, she’d built up a life there. One that wasn’t defined entirely by the time she spent in her gallery and shop.
She was an adjunct member of the chamber of commerce as well as fundraising coordinator for their annual dinner auction. Finding someone to fulfill her community responsibilities took all her time outside her hours in the shop.
Well, the hours not taken up by Ariston’s frequent phone calls. He hadn’t been happy when she’d changed her flight to a week later before telling him.
He’d been positively cranky when she’d started making noises about having to do so again. That conversation had happened the night before and she hadn’t heard from him since. She would be grateful if she wasn’t certain it was the calm before the storm.
She might even miss the calls, though she wouldn’t admit that—even under pressure.
While she was concerned about a lot of things, she wasn’t worried he’d changed his mind. According to Rhea the merger/takeover was in full swing.
Chloe’s musings were interrupted by the soft chimes announcing a customer in the gallery. Her new managers were organizing an inventory delivery in the shop next door, so she was manning the gallery alone. One of her final opportunities to do so—she was relishing her time here.
It had been a quiet morning, however, since they’d opened an hour ago.
Looking forward to interacting with a customer, she got up from her desk. She’d been making a list of people to contact in hopes of finding a new fundraising coordinator to replace her. So far, there were only two names on it and neither was she keen on.
The one woman she’d thought would do a stellar job had turned Chloe down because of prior commitments.
Forcing away the discouraging thoughts, Chloe curved her lips in her routine customer-welcoming smile only to have it freeze as she recognized her visitor.
“Ariston! What are you doing here?”
“Collecting my errant lover.” His cerulean gaze was too serious to be kidding.
