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“Yes.”

“You’ve finally decided that my idea doesn’t suck and won’t ruin the brewery.”

“Yes,” Eric said with a smile. “Although I wouldn’t quite put it—”

“And at the very same moment you decided that maybe I have a decent plan, you also decided it isn’t good enough.”

Eric’s smile faded. “What?”

“You’ll let me have my little pizza joint while you work on something bigger and better.”

Tessa touched his arm. “Jamie.”

“What? That’s what he’s saying.”

Eric huffed out a humorless laugh. “That’s not what I’m saying at all. I’m saying you were right. That even without knowing it, you still understand what Dad wanted.”

“Jesus, this isn’t about Dad. Why do you always turn it back to him?”

“Stop,” Tessa cut in. “The important thing here is that Eric is supporting you, Jamie.”

Jamie laughed. “By telling me he can do it better?”

Eric leaned forward, his shoulders tightening to rock. “I’m trying to compliment you, damn it. Why is it so hard for you to see that? I’m saying our dad would’ve been proud of you.”

Jamie’s jaw turned hard. “That’s not up to you to decide. It’s not up to anyone. He’s dead, Eric. I can’t get his approval, even if I deserved it.”

“Fine, but lucky for you, you don’t need it. You don’t have to work for it at all. Even when you’re just doing things your way, you’re a lot closer to staying true to him than I could ever be.”

Tessa shook her head. “What are you talking about?”

“It doesn’t matter!” Jamie shouted. “I can’t live my whole life wondering what Dad would think about it. He’s been dead for thirteen years! What is your goddamned obsession with this?”

“Obsession?” Eric snapped. “It’s been my fucking job since he died. To step in and do what he would’ve wanted. To try to take his place in this world, as if anyone could. Not that you ever fucking appreciated a moment of what I’ve done for you.”

“Oh, for godssake. Is that what this is about? You being a martyr?”

Tessa hit Jamie’s shoulder. “Stop it. He gave up everything for us.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Eric said quickly. “I love you. It’s just that—”

Jamie laughed again. “That you expect us to do everything your way for the rest of our lives because you put in a few years when we were teenagers?”

“I put in a few years?” Eric snarled. “I gave up my whole fucking life so I could keep the brewery going for you two. It was five years before you could even wash a goddamned glass in here, Jamie. And seven for Tessa. Do you think my dream was to push papers around on a desk forever? To be a father before I’d even grown up? I gave up my life so I could move back home and try to fill Dad’s shoes the best I could for an ungrateful little shit who resented everything I did for him!”

Jamie’s smile was tight and angry. “You aren’t Dad, Eric. And it drove me crazy that you pretended you were.”

Eric surged up, shoving his chair so hard that it crashed into the wall and tipped over. “Jesus, I know I’m not Dad! I’m not even his fucking son, am I?”

Tessa stood up, too, but Jamie just leaned back in his seat, looking bored.

“Eric, don’t say that,” Tessa pleaded.

“Why not? It’s true, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s not true,” she said, anger in her eyes. “It’s not true at all.”

But Eric looked down at Jamie’s flat expression. He wanted to hit him again, as if he could beat into Jamie how much he loved him, how much he’d do for him, how desperate he was for him to have a good life. “I wasn’t even working here when he died. Did you know that? I got a place in Denver and I was working at a bottling plant for experience. And you know what? He didn’t care. You two were the ones who were supposed to take over.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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