I gave him time and space. He went toward the china cabinet, and I grabbed the tiered snack tray and headed for the bedroom, my stomach growling. Among the leftovers were assorted tinysandwiches, a fruity array, and mixed cheeses and assorted crackers. A plump, mild blueberry landed in my mouth, but it only accentuated my hunger.
After placing the tray on the mattress, I headed to the closet to change out of the nice clothes Dash had laid out for me earlier. He entered the closet, clearly still lost in thought. Usually, I’d accost Dash as he undressed, but I gave him a break tonight, no matter how sexy unfastening those cufflinks looked.
I felt strange about having cufflinks turning me on, and made a beeline for the tray. My stomach upped its game, rumbling like a snare drum in a homecoming parade. Each tier tray came off the base, so I carefully put everything on the duvet and took a seat with them.
Dash was so preoccupied that he even sported a pair of pajama pants, going against his own rule of being naked while inside this room. He went for his laptop and brought it to bed with him.
“Do you know anything about Wesley Carter?”
The bite of cheese lodged in my throat as I laughed then coughed my answer. “Of course, not.”
“What do you think his angle is?” Dash asked, sitting across from me with the computer in his lap as he typed on the keyboard.
“I feel like he was pretty straightforward about it,” I answered, rolling off the bed to get a glass of water from the mini bar.
“And what do you believe he said?”
Here we went, the many questions began. Of course, Dash had the answers in his head, but he wanted a different perspective. I always played along. “Okay, I believe what he said about stickin’ it to your father. You two have that in common. I do too.”
Dash nodded his acceptance of that premise. “That was my interpretation too.”
“I don’t understand money on that level,” I said. “But helpin’ you live and go to law school seems like pennies for guys like that. How do you feel about it all?”
Dash’s gaze turned speculative, thinking through the answer as he spoke. “Better than I anticipated. I’m not sure it’ll upset my father. He seems to be finished with me.”
“Your old man wants you destroyed, so if this gets under his skin, then you have a win.”
“What does it say about me that the prospect excites me?” Dash asked, a gleam in his eye. I loved that sparkle. It meant he was happy.
“If there was any way I could have gotten my father back, no question, I’d already have signed on the dotted line.” Those were facts.
I chose a couple of sandwiches to try. With the first bite, my taste buds questioned my choices. I sniffed the sandwich, unsure what to make of it. I glanced over at Dash. “What’s this?”
Dash’s gaze locked on the sandwich in my hand. “Leek, prosciutto, topped with a sour cream spread. It’s my favorite.”
Well then, I’d save the rest for him. I definitely didn’t have the refined taste buds to swallow another bite.
“Come over here, sit by me. I’ll share my food,” I said, patting the bed closer to my side..
But I’d lost him again. Dash’s eyes moved quickly, scanning the screen, reading in that quick way he always did. I dropped to my back, staring at the ceiling. It sure seemed like I was moving to Chicago. The country boy inside me rejected such a big city. Depending on where we lived, maybe we’d be close enough to get to the lake easily. If so, it’d be better than living in Dallas. Pushing all thoughts aside but the food in front of me, I decided to take it day by day.
6: The Windy City
Dash
Chicago, Illinois
It was one thing to be consumed by a desire for retribution against my father, but quite another to act so blatantly on that impulse. After spending most of the night studying the history of the Richmond/Carter public feud, it became apparent that there was a deep-seated loathing between the two men. Like Dr. Harris suggested, my ideology aligned more closely with that of Carter. If I accepted Wesley Carter’s offer, I’d be jumping the line of no return. But was there a point to return to anyway?
I had vowed to cease all communication with my parents until Beau received an apology and a plan in place to earn our trust. Of course, that was never going to happen. Joy had made my family’s position clear. What they hadn’t counted on, I was just as stubborn as my father. I had youth and education on my side to combat his aging experience. Wow, that was a damned bold statement, but true, nonetheless.
So why did I persist in wrestling with this decision?
I paced the living room. The sunrise edged through the glass walls, making the time and expense I’d invested in my backyard worth every dime. What an extraordinary view. The brief reprieve from my thoughts allowed the truth to emerge. I’d always been a positive, assertive, somewhat obsessive person. What happened if the goodness inside me turned into a consuming vengeance? At that point, what happened to the man I wanted to be?
I knew that answer. Fuck a meaningful life. I’d spend my time searching for a way to destroy my father. Where others failed to bring him to his knees, I’d find the way and act swiftly.
However, I couldn’t let this opportunity slip by. No other law school wanted me. I abruptly stopped walking as a light bulb moment struck. There was no other choice. Over the last six years, I’d painstakingly planned every part of Beau and my life together. It hurt me to think I had to give up on those dreams.
