Page 82 of Miss Manage

Chapter Forty-Five

GABRIEL

Idrove without direction after leaving Charlotte’s house, torn between the urge to turn around and make her listen, and the quieter temptation to disappear into my condo with a bottle of bourbon until everything went numb.

Neither option felt right.

So when my hands turned the wheel on instinct, I didn’t fight it. Twenty minutes later, I was pulling into my parents’ driveway.

The porch light flicked on before I even killed the engine. My mom appeared in the doorway, her silhouette framed in the faint light. Her head tilted the way it always did when she was quietly reading me. She didn’t wave or call out. Just waited.

A moment later, my phone buzzed.

Come inside. I’ll put the tea on. Or something stronger if you need it.

My chest squeezed. She’d always been the family’s anchor. Tonight, I needed that anchor more than I cared to admit.

“Hi,” she greeted softly as I stepped in, pulling me into her arms.

“Hi, Mom.”

She reached up and put her hands on either side of my face, studying me. “Are you all right, Gabriel?”

I gave a short shake of my head. “Not really. But don’t worry. Samantha is fine.”

She smiled, leading me into the family room where we sat on either side of the sofa. “I know. She called me about a half hour ago, but thank you for saying it. You’re a good dad.”

A humorless breath escaped me. “At least I’m finally getting one thing right.”

The way her brow pinched indicated she had something to say, but before she could, my father stepped into the room. His presence, even after all these years, had a weight which steadied everything around him.

“What’s going on?” he asked, his tone calm but probing.

I swallowed hard, the words heavy. “Did you ever have to make a choice in business that cost you everything professionally but let you keep your integrity?”

Someday, I knew I’d look back without regrets over walking away from the title of CEO. Charlotte or not, I couldn’t work for men like the McMillion brothers. But in the short term, the disappointment stung over all the hard work I’d put into this goal, all for nothing.

My mom squeezed my hand. “I’ll make some tea while you two talk.” She slipped out quietly, leaving the air between my father and me thick with unspoken things.

He settled into the chair across from me, his posture relaxed but his gaze sharp. “Titles, money, and jobs come and go. But integrity? It’s what defines you.” He studied me a moment longer. “Do you want to talk about what happened?”

Times had changed. He was asking instead of insisting, making it easier to tell him everything. From the dinner in San Francisco with the client, through what the owners had said to me today when offering the job, to tonight and Charlotte’s reaction.

When I finished, the silence was deafening until he finally leaned forward.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder of you, Gabe. At least not professionally.”

I blinked. “Really?”

“Yes. You didn’t compromise who you are even when it cost you something you wanted. That’s integrity. That’s who we raised you and your brothers to be.”

His words hit deep, but all I could think about was the one person who hadn’t believed in me. My voice came out rough. “Charlotte wouldn’t hear me out.”

Of everything I’d lost today, she was the one I couldn’t get past.

My mom reappeared then, carrying a tray with tea and setting it on the table. Her eyes softened when they met mine. She’d clearly heard enough. “Then fight for her, Gabriel.”

I shook my head. “I don’t know if she’ll let me. She thinks I betrayed her trust, and maybe she’s right. I promised to keep what happened in San Francisco between us, and I broke my promise.”