Page 72 of Cade

Like a sexy corporate leading man who falls for a small town heartthrob and they live happily ever after.

So as I kissed Weston goodbye, and readied myself for work, I chose to believe in us.

That whatever happened, we’d figure it out. Together. And for the first time in my life, that was enough.

CHAPTER 41

Weston

My dad looked a thousand times better than he had when I’d visited him after he’d had his heart attack.

My mother also looked a little more put together than she had been in recent days, though I couldn’t be certain if that was because she’d had a facial or if she was just happy my father was doing better.

Margo had set to preparing a mid-morning meal, at my mother’s request. Though my father kept asking for his chocolate chip muffins, which seemed to have been left off the menu.

“I heard you’ve been helping out down at the company in my absence,” my father said as he took a sip of his tea. After some begging and pleading, my mother had agreed to leave us alone, though I suspect she was hovering because the doctor had blatantly told us to keep my dad’s stress levels down.

I knew it was no secret I added to his stress, and the feeling was mutual, but something about that day felt different.

I felt different.

“Well, I mean you did just announce your retirement and dramatically had a heart attack. I don’t think the ink was dry on the papers yet, so...”

“Cynthia told me you reinstated the fundraiser. Took over the calls, arranging everything.”

“I did,” I said, feeling a sense of accomplishment for once.

My dad stared straight on out the window, watching the birds fly to the massive feeder my mother had put in when I was a kid. I used to love sitting in the four-season room, where we were, and watching all the wildlife when I was home in the summer as a kid.

Jasper Springs was so lush and green, full of wildlife, and I guess a charm I never really appreciated.

And sitting there with my dad, I had to admit... it had a calming effect on me, and him.

For once, we weren’t at one another’s throats.

Perhaps Hell has frozen over.

“Now that I’m out of the hospital, I will need to move on naming my replacement. The ink has likely dried on the papers, as you say.”

His words weren’t all that different from what I’d heard many times, but this time, I could hear the sadness, the exhaustion in his voice. I stole a look at him, noting his profile as he stared at the birds. While my mother had a constant need to try every face cream and beauty treatment available because she didn’t want to “look old” like she felt, my father had let age flourish on him. But as I looked at him that day, I realized that it was not an easy decision for him. Not because I had been so adamant, but because he truly loved his job. He loved getting up and going to meetings, and overseeing spreadsheets, and planning fundraisers. He loved coming home to his wife and the life they’d build together, even if it wasn’t perfect because he had a pain in the ass son who never visited and argued with him all the time.

“I know I’ve asked you a million times, and a million times you’ve told me no. So this will be the last time. If you truly don’t want to be a part of this company, I will accept your resignation. You can go home to your condo and live your life how you see fit, and I won’t ever ask you again.”

His words fell on me and for the first time, I realized I couldn’t say no, entirely.

No, I don’t want this. No, I don’t want to be you.

When the truth of the matter was, the life I had in the city wasn’t really the life I wanted at all.

In fact, it was everything I had never wanted, and I’d deluded myself into thinking it was mine. That I thrived and loved all the late night club dates, the pretty boys who looked good in the digs I bought them, hanging on my arm for the moment they existed in my life.

But I wasn’t happy.

The alcohol always ran out, and the men always disappeared. The condo was always empty, silent, and I was just... existing. I was passing time until the next dopamine rush, until the next argument. Until the next... everything.

But I didn’t feel that way in Jasper Springs.

Not anymore.

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