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“I love you, but if you don’t start going after what you want in life, you’ll forever accept what you’re given instead. You’ve been trying for years to escape the shadow of your father and brothers. Now you have a chance to make your own choices, and you should choose what you want for a change.” Her mother plated the slices of cake. “Deliver these. The sooner your father eats, the sooner we’ll leave.”
Before Gia picked up the plates, she hugged her mom.
Macy patted her daughter’s back. “Go on.”
Outside, Gia maneuvered two plates through the open sliding door. Jayson and her dad sat, their backs to her. There were having a quiet, and she guessed by the low hush of male voices a somewhat intense, conversation. She should interrupt but she was too intrigued by what Jayson was saying.
“Gia deserves it more than I do.”
“It’s not about deserve, Jayson,” Jack replied. “It’s about want. You want it. The same way you wanted chief technology officer.”
Jayson’s back stiffened. “That was a mistake.”
“I promised you the tech department when you asked for my daughter’s hand. You seemed excited about it then.”
She blinked in surprise. Had she heard that correctly? She stayed out of sight, content to listen a little longer.
“I never should have accepted it.” Jayson sounded as frustrated as he looked. “She graduated MIT with honors, Jack. She’s overqualified for tech and her current marketing position.”
“Hell, I know she’s smart. I tell everyone that.”
“Yes, you do, but you say it as if it’s your accomplishment. Then you treat her as if she can’t handle the world on her own. When you asked me to take care of her, I thought you were being fatherly. I didn’t know you meant for her to settle for a lesser role in your company.”
“You didn’t take care of her, though, did you? Instead she shows up with that idiot skateboarder at a family wedding. You failed me,” Jack snapped, his face going red. “Don’t think I haven’t forgotten it.”
“I failed her,” Jayson bit out. “Not you. Our marriage had nothing to do with you. And since you’re retired neither does ThomKnox.”
“But you are seeing each other again. That might lead to more. Vice president would be a good position for you, if that were the case.”
“Our marriage ended a long time ago,” Jayson announced.
Upon hearing that, Gia felt as if someone had plunged a knife into her chest.
“You can’t bait me with the promise of VP,” Jayson added. “You can’t bait me, period.”
“I should have fired you the second you divorced my baby girl,” Jack growled.
Macy stepped outside, two plates in hand. “Jack. What is the meaning of this?”
Jack turned to face his wife, spotted his daughter and promptly pasted on a smile. “There are my girls.”
Stunned, Gia was still frozen in place when Jayson turned and met her eyes.
“The ID badge,” she muttered. “I thought it was odd how quickly you’d advanced to CTO.”
“Because I gave it to him.” Jack scowled. “No daughter of mine was going to be married to a man who couldn’t provide.”
“Jack!” Macy gasped.
“You underestimate her,” Jayson told her father. “And so did I. But at least I had the hindsight to pull my head out of my ass.”
Jack opened his mouth to retort but Macy stepped in. “Not another word. Jayson, Gia. We’ll be going now. Thank you for the lovely afternoon.”
“This isn’t over,” Jack promised Jayson. Then he turned to Gia, having the decency to look guilty. “I can explain.”
“Not now, Daddy.” She put up a hand and kept her eyes on her ex-husband. She had issues with both of them right now, but the one with Jayson was paramount.
Her father silently followed Macy into the house. Jayson folded his arms over his chest and waited until they heard the Knox family car leave the driveway.
