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Adam kissed her on the cheek then faced his father again. “Dad, do you want to know the one thing in my life that I have never questioned? Not even once?”
“That you’d run LangTel someday?”
“No. That you and Mom loved each other. I can see it in the way you look at each other, hear it in your voices. I have that with Melanie. She understands me and cares about me. She’ll be a real partner, and that’s more than what I need. It’s the only thing I want.”
Melanie warmed from head to toe, unable to suppress her smile.
Evelyn cleared her throat. “Darling, do I have to remind you that you and I were engaged after two months?”
Roger had no answer for that, only a sigh.
“Love is love, Dad,” Adam said. “I wasn’t about to consult a calendar when I asked Melanie to marry me. The only thing I thought about was what my heart wanted.”
“Don’t forget that I was pregnant with Aiden when we got married,” Evelyn said to Roger. “These things don’t always look like a picture postcard. And it didn’t matter that it happened that way. It didn’t change the fact that we were a couple of kids, madly in love, and all we wanted was to be together.”
Roger turned and looked at her sweetly. “I remember that day like it was yesterday. Best damn day of my life.” The corners of his mouth turned up, but it was clear that she’d brought up something far more meaningful than a simple happy memory. It was about everything between them.
A tear rolled down Evelyn’s cheek. “See? And you and I did just fine. Thirty-one incredible years of marriage. No one could ever want more than that.”
“We did better than fine, Ev,” Roger said. “It was perfect.”
Now Melanie was fighting tears, witnessing for the first time the power of the love that bound Roger and Evelyn Langford. They were both so strong, so resolute, even when they knew very well they were about to lose each other forever.
“Dad, I just want you to be happy for me, be happy for us,” Adam said. “Melanie’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met, and she’s going to be part of this family.”
“That’s the most important thing, Dad,” Anna said. “We need to welcome Melanie into our family. An engagement trumps whatever happens tonight.”
“I know you want Adam to have love in his life and to get married,” Evelyn said, her tears slowing. “And you’ve been singing Melanie’s praises since the day you hired her. I don’t really see what the problem is now that you know the truth.” She turned quickly to Adam and Melanie. “Can we see about hurrying up the wedding so your father can be there for it?”
Adam’s eyes connected with Melanie’s and he cracked his half smile. They would have a lot to talk about once they were finally alone. “Sure,” he said. “But there’s one more thing Dad needs to hear.”
Adam stepped closer to his father, resting his hand on his shoulder. Everything Melanie had said to him last night rang loud and clear in his head. His dad was still here. There was still time, and that meant it was time for the truth. “I can’t run LangTel. I love you and you know I’ll do anything for you, but I can’t live your dream. More important, it’s Anna’s dream to run the company, and I can’t sit by and watch her lose the chance.”
His father didn’t even feign surprise. He was at least aware of Adam’s wishes, even if he’d dismissed them as ludicrous. “You really were serious about that.”
“I should’ve forced the issue, but I wanted to make you happy. I love you, Dad, and I always want to make you proud.” Adam couldn’t remember the last time he’d cried, but after witnessing the powerful exchange between his parents and now seeing the look on his dad’s face, his eyes misted. He embraced his father. There would be only so many more opportunities to do that. He didn’t want to pass this one up. It was too precious. “LangTel will still be a family company if Anna runs it. We’ll all still have the lives you want for us. She can still meet the perfect guy and get married.”
Anna coughed. “Hey. No promises on finding the perfect guy.”
Adam laughed, thankful his sister was willing to lighten the mood. “I’ll be there whenever Anna needs me, but I have a feeling she won’t need me at all. It really will work out. I know it will. I won’t let anything go wrong. I promise.”
His father sighed heavily. “I wish it were as simple as that. I can’t pull a fast one on the board and give them a different succession plan. Even in my role as founder, I can’t do that. You understand that as well as anyone, Adam.”
