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“I called Kane and asked him where he got this idea.”
My head popped up and I met Auggie’s eyes as he carefully examined me. “He told me I should talk to you.”
I swallowed hard. “He did?” I squeaked.
“He said something to the effect that I didn’t know my own daughter. It’s not the first time he’s mentioned it,” he grumbled.
“And you let him talk to you like that?” I teased, trying to lighten the moment and delay what I knew had to come next. What probably should have come eight years ago.
Auggie chuckled. “I’m not fond of it, but I’ve always admired his directness.”
“Really? It drives me crazy.” But it was admirable, even though I wanted to smack Kane with a breadstick right about now. He knew this would force my hand. Make me choose once and for all what I really wanted.
Auggie stood and came to sit by me on the couch. He took my hand. “Tell me what I’m missing, Scarlett.”
I blinked back my tears, trying to avoid looking at him while mustering up the courage to say what I needed to. “I . . . um . . . well . . . my entire life, I’ve been afraid of disappointing you. I’ve wanted you to see me and be proud of me. And I thought the only way I could do that was for me to take over Armstrong Labs. But”—I braved looking him in the eye—“the truth is, I want to be a forensic pathologist. I’d rather help solve crimes than run board meetings,” I rushed to say before I lost my nerve.
Auggie seemed at a loss for words, almost as if I had used a stun gun on him. He opened his mouth several times to speak before saying, “Why didn’t you tell me this?” There was a slight bite in his tone.
“How could I? I didn’t want to give you any reason to love me less.”
He leaned away as if I’d slapped him, but he was quick to recover and wrapped his arms around me.
I fell on his shoulder and bawled, no longer able to hold back my emotions. “I’ve disappointed you again.”
He stroked my hair. “I’m not upset with you. It’s me. I’m the one to blame here.”
“I’ve been trying to do the right thing. I know how much the company means to you and Momma,” I blubbered. “I wanted to make you happy.”
“Scarlett,”—he paused—“are you happy?” He had never once asked me that question.
I leaned away from him. “Not really. I haven’t been for a long time.”
He carefully wiped some tears off my cheeks. “What will make you happy?”
I looked around his spacious office with all its amenities and fancy technology. I looked at his desk and chair. I didn’t belong in that seat. “Honestly, not this. I don’t see myself here.”
“Where do you see yourself?”
“In a lab, surrounded by evidence.”
He smiled. “You’re more like Naomi than I ever realized.”
“Yes, but it’s not only because of her, I want what she has.” I pointed to my heart. “It’s something here that calls to me.”
“I think you should listen to it,” he said stoically.
“What about your legacy?”
“Scarlett, you are my legacy. You’re the best thing I’ve ever done in my life. I only regret you didn’t know that.”
I regretted that, too, so my mouth apparently decided to continue blurting out more truth. “You asked me what would make me happy. Having a real relationship with you makes me happy. I need you in my life.” It was about as vulnerable as I had ever been.
He leaned in and kissed my forehead. “I don’t deserve you.”
“Probably not,” I teased.
He laughed. “You are more like your mother than you will ever know. She always knew how to make me laugh.”
I took his hand. “Help me to know her,” I begged.
He nodded, a sheeny mist in his eyes. Then he took a deep breath and let it out. “Scarlett, I need to tell you something.”
I tilted my head, a bit concerned because of his tone.
“I know this competition of sorts between you and Kane has caused some issues and placed a divide between you.”
“That’s only part of the reason.”
He cleared his throat. “I’m part of the other reason as well.”
“How do you figure?” I was confused.
He swallowed hard. “When I promoted Kane to senior global manager eight years ago, I had a little talk with him. You were so young, and I didn’t want you to face the same fate as your mother,” his voice hitched.
“What do you mean?” I was taken aback.
“Your mother and I should have waited to get married until I was more settled in my career. I spent too much time away from home. So much time, I didn’t even realize how deeply my wife was drowning. I brushed off her concerns, thinking someday she would understand why I had to put so much damn time in at work. She tried to tell me she was unhappy and that she needed me, but I thought all the money we were making would somehow make it better. That there would be time later for us to spend together. I let my young ego get in the way, and because of that, she’s dead.” The pain still very much lived in his eyes, his soul.
