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“And yet, you still want me back in Luna Harbor taking responsibility for everything.”
He uses his free hand to rub the back of his neck. “It was probably a bad idea. My father needs to retire. I’ve never been cut out to be part of the brewery. You and Siobhan seem like a good fit for it.”
“Is that why you didn’t stay after the divorce? You can’t handle your father’s businesses?”
He shakes his head. “No. I had other reasons. The gossip, my father meddling, and the single women of Luna Harbor. Everyone wanted to trap the single dad.”
I chuckle. “So, you didn’t want to become the Romeo of the small town and left? Poor you.”
His eyes become slits. “It wasn’t pleasant.”
“More so when you had a broken heart,” I guess.
The way his gaze turns from amused to annoyed surprises me.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to push a sore subject, Pa.”
“The truth is that my relationship with your mother wasn’t what many think. We met in college, I…” He clears his throat. “We married because she was pregnant. She didn’t like that we moved to Luna Harbor after the wedding. I guess she expected a life in the city filled with luxury. Not the life I offered. To be honest, I wasn’t happy here either, but I was trying to be who my father wanted.”
“You married because you knocked up your girlfriend?”
He nods. “That’s what you did back in the day. I don’t regret it because I love you all.”
“I mean, why keep having children?” I don’t wait for him to answer because it’s probably something like they were too horny. I don’t need to know that. “And you didn’t leave her until she started cheating on you. That’s crazy.”
“As I said, it was all about my children. Giving them what my parents did, a loving home. I should’ve dumped her the first time I caught her cheating, but I let it go because you were young. There’s no point in discussing the past. I think what angered her the most was the fact that once we weren’t together, I went off to live the life she wanted.”
“So you’ve never been in love?”
“Not the way Dad was with Mom or…” He clears his throat. “He is with Gary. That’s never happened to me. I’ve been too focused on my company and providing for my family to even look around. Unfortunately, you’ve been making the same mistake.”
He steps close to me and pats my shoulder. “Don’t let go of Siobhan. You two are perfect together.”
“I don’t know how to convince her that I love her.”
“You think your brother knows?” He rolls his eyes. “I don’t understand why people pay him so much money to get advice when his love life has been a disaster from the start.”
“He’s happy with Bri.”
Pa nods. “He’s always been happy with her. Ever since I met her, I just knew he was in love with her. Also, that hey we’re meant to be together. It’s the same with Siobhan.”
“But what do I do?”
“There’s no secret recipe to life. You just live it, love it, and try your best. All you can do is offer her your heart.”
“It’s scary.”
“Being a parent scared me from the beginning, but it’s been the best thing that’s happened to me. If I die, I can leave knowing I had five wonderful children. The rest doesn’t really matter.” Pa squeezes my shoulder. “Take a leap of faith and believe in yourself. I know I do. You don’t have to do anything fancy. Just love her.”
This is probably a lot better than any audiobook Nando could’ve recommended to me.
ChapterThirty-Seven
Iskander
The days goby with no news from anyone. My brother, Lang, or Anya.
Lang usually keeps us updated on how Mane and the guys are doing—well, not with detail, but at least he tells us they’re alive.
