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“Because, for the past few days, I’ve had my assistants looking into places in upstate New York that I can buy,” he says. “So we can find somewhere to live together. Close to your family.” These last words are said to me, and I feel myself melting. He really put that much thought into it. He’s been looking into it without even saying anything, without being sure that I would want to come with him.
That’s how sure he was that he wanted to be with me.
“That’s all well and good,” Dad says, and even though his words are still dismissive, I know him. I can tell that he is getting less and less confident in his position. For every objection he has, it seems like Sean has the answer. Sooner or later, he’s going to have to admit that he has nothing left. I brace myself to hear what it is this time, to find out what we have to solve next. “But it doesn’t mean that you’re going to get off the hook for just leaving her there on her own. A man and a wife should be together. If you really love her, then you would want to be with her all the time, not just leave her to jet off all around the world and have your fun while she has to stay at home like a good little housewife.”
“First of all,” Sean says, his tone getting more fierce in my defense. “I don’t expect her to be a good little housewife. If she wants to stay at home, she can. If she wants to go out and work and do her own thing, then she can do that, too. I’m not going to hold her down, no matter what. It’s still her life to do with as she pleases.”
“Thank you,” I say, with more than a little bit of fire. “And thanks for that confidence in me, Dad.”
“That’s not what I meant,” he says testily.
“And second of all,” Sean presses on, raising his voice slightly to ward off any further interruptions. “It wouldn’t be like that. Me off on business trips all the time and her all alone. It won’t be like that.”
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Dad says, his eyes full of scorn. “You’re not being realistic. This is what your life is like. You’re away from home more than you are in it – you’ve said that to me so many times before.”
“Yes, and I won’t be,” I say. I squeeze Candace’s hand and look into her eyes. “Because I’ve made a decision. I’m going to stop traveling and settle down.”
There’s a gaping silence following his words. I can only stare at him in shock. He’s willing to give up everything for me. His amazing lifestyle, going from city to city in those VIP suites, getting access to all the best places. His job, which is such a pride in his life. Something he’s spent decades working on to get to where he is now.
And he’ll give it all up, just like that, so he can be with me.
I don’t even know what to say.
“That’s a pipe dream,” Dad says dismissively. “How are you supposed to run your company if you aren’t on the ground, making all of the deals happen?”
I can only blink. I knew that Sean was a success, but I didn’t realize he had actually risen to the head of his company. After all, I didn’t ask. I remembered what I knew about him from when he was spending time with Dad, and I just assumed nothing had changed. But why would it be the same? It’s been years. Of course, he would have moved up the ladder.
But that far?
For him to be running his own company… it’s almost too much. Too much to give up. He can’t. I can’t do that to him.
“Well, I’ve spent a lot of time training others to be able to fill the same roles that I do,” Sean says. “In fact, I spent this week with Candace while another of my employees stepped up to finish off the deal I started here. And by all accounts, he did an amazing job. He’s no longer in need of my assistance or training. And most of them aren’t. They already do their own deals all around the world. Sure, I might be one of the best at what I do, but sooner or later the best have to retire. It doesn’t mean the business grinds to a halt. It just means that someone else will take over. And I can still carry on running the operation from a central headquarters. I can buy an office, or have one built, wherever we decide to settle down.”
“And it doesn’t even have to come to that,” I say, almost stumbling over my words in my excitement. I can see it all now. Knowing that Sean is in charge of the business changes things. It means that there are no rules for him to break. He can take control and do whatever he likes. He can make the rules. “Because this is what I’ve always wanted to do.”
