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We stay just like this, in an embrace, for a long time. After a few minutes, I pull my head away and look at him. “Let’s go to your place.”
He shakes his head. “I want to get out of the city. I know this sounds weird, but do you mind if we go to your mom and Jackson’s? I pretty much lost my family for good today. I want to be surrounded by yours.” He shrugs. “It makes me happy to see you with them. It’s how things are supposed to be.”
I tear up and can do nothing but nod.
He slowly puts me down. I turn and notice the car parked next to us on the street. “Is this Collin’s Dodge Ram pickup truck?”
“Yes, he’s around here somewhere. He created a diversion, so I could slip out the side. How’d you know it was his?”
I smile. “Well, if the name of his construction company on the side didn’t give it away, the bumper sticker definitely did.”
He looks down and bursts out laughing. “Oh my god. I don’t think I’ve ever noticed that. He’s such an idiot.”
It’s a bumper sticker that readsDODGE The Father – RAM The Daughter.
Harley honks. “Hey lovebirds. Get in the car before the press comes out.”
* * *
CARTER
Reagan and I sit in the backseat on the way to Darian and Jackson’s house. She’s curled up in my lap. I’m holding onto her for dear life. I may never let her go. I’m so happy that she came and found me. Even if she didn’t, I was on my way to her to beg for her forgiveness.
We gently kiss and touch and do the simple intimate things I’ve missed so much the past few weeks. It seems she’s missed it too. We say very little. We just enjoy the closeness.
Harley says nothing. She keeps her eyes on the road and drives.
We arrive at Darian and Jackson’s house. I receive a warm greeting from everyone, even Trevor. I have no feelings of ill will toward him for punching me. I love how protective he is of Reagan.
As soon as we walk inside, Jackson asks me to come into his study with him for a private conversation. I look at Reagan in question. She shrugs, also not knowing the reason for this conversation.
We walk into his study, and he closes the door. He pours me a glass of whiskey and hands it to me.
“Thank you.”
He sits down at his desk. “Are you okay?”
I shrug. “I’m not sure it’s hit me quite yet. It was the right thing to do, but walking away from the business my grandfather built definitely stings.”
He nods in understanding. “Carter, did you know that I knew your grandfather and considered him a good friend?”
I’m surprised by this. My grandfather has been gone a long time. It’s not like Jackson is that old. I shake my head. “No, I didn’t know that.”
“I met him on a deal when I was fresh out of school and just getting started with Clarrett’s group. When the deal was over, he pulled me aside. He told me he saw something special in me and that if I ever wanted a job to come to him, or if I ever wanted to go out on my own, he’d bankroll me.”
I smile. “That sounds like him. Though I’ve never seen your company listed among any of our investments, past or present. I guess you didn’t take him up on it?”
“I did eventually take him up on it, but I told him that I didn’t want to fall under the Daulton Holdings umbrella. I wanted to truly go out on my own. Without any hesitation, he wrote me a personal check. He told me to consider it an interest free loan for a year, and then offered me a very small interest rate on it thereafter. It was a handshake deal. He came to my office every week that first year, in his spare time, to help me talk through various investments and acquisitions. I wouldn’t be as successful as I am without him.”
“He was a good man. Thank you for telling me that story.”
He nods. “I paid him back just before the first year ended. It was one of the proudest days of my career. He still checked in on me every month. Until the day he died, I called him for guidance, and he always gave me his time and sage advice.”
I smile at that.
“He knew your father wasn’t a principled man. He considered it his greatest failure in life.”
“He never let on. He never spoke an ill word about my father.”
