Page 52 of The Charmer

“You would say that.”

Her scathing glare of condemnation kicked him in the guts before she headed for the door.

“Last night was incredible, Ariel and you know it. Don’t spoil it by bringing business into it.”

She hesitated at the door but didn’t turn around.

Damn it, the sooner this deal went through, the sooner he could move onto more important things, like showing this stubborn, beautiful woman how much she meant to him.

“This needs to be finalised, Ariel. Today.”

She ignored him and strutted out the door, slamming it in her wake, a hollow, empty sound that reverberated through his soul as he realised she’d slammed the door on any chance of a future between them.

Chapter Thirty-One

Eric barged into Cooper’s office, shirt sleeves rolled up to the elbows, no tie, and a killer crease in his navy trousers, his usual work garb. His father never conformed, though he expected nothing less than perfection in his employees. “What’s all the ruckus about?”

Cooper sank into his chair and gestured for his dad to take the seat Ariel had just vacated. “Ariel Wallace was here.”

Cooper held up his hand to forestall his dad’s usual interrogation. “The deal will be done by the close of business today.”

“Good.”

Cooper struggled to hide his surprise at his father’s one syllable answer without a hint of emotion. He’d expected cartwheels from the man who had been after the last piece of prime land in Fitzroy since forever.

However, what shocked him more was his father’ morose expression. It resembled how Eric had looked after his wife’s funeral, the same devastating lost look that came with realising you would never see that person again, would never talk to that person again, share a hug or a laugh with them again.

“What’s up? You don’t sound so thrilled.”

Cooper expected Eric to give him the brush-off, the usual ‘back to business’ gruff response he normally got.

Instead, his dad ran a hand through his thick thatch of peppery grey hair, his gaze darting around the room as if he wanted to look anywhere but at him. “Guess I can’t change your mind about leaving?”

“No, Dad. You can’t,” Cooper said, deliberately keeping his voice devoid of emotion.

Close on the heels of his draining confrontation with Ariel—and the stunning realisation he loved her—he didn’t need this. He’d waited long enough, hoping his dad would broach the yawning gap between them. He’d given his all to Vance Corporation, playing the dutiful son, trying to prove his worth rather than live off the family name, but it looked like his best efforts weren’t good enough.

Nothing he could do or say would ever be good enough for his father and he’d stuck around too long already. Time to cut his losses and hope that his dad would realise what he’d lost when Cooper wasn’t around every day.

“That’s the first time you’ve called me Dad in a long time,” Eric said, the uncertainty in his eyes surprising Cooper.

His dad was never uncertain about anything. Ruthless, domineering and pushy, yes. Uncertain and plagued by doubt? No way.

The crafty old devil. This had to be the old man’s last ditch effort to make him stay at the company.

“I haven’t called you Dad because you haven’t encouraged familial bonds since I joined the company,” Cooper said, opting for blunt honesty to get this over and done with. No use rehashing the last year and how Eric had squandered his right to be called dad.

Once again, Eric surprised him. Rather than blustering his way out of an unwelcome topic and changing the subject, his dad seemed to crumple before his eyes: slumped shoulders, head slouched forward, mouth slack with pain.

“Forget I said anything—”

“No.” His dad’s head snapped up and some of the familiar fire blazed in his dark eyes. “You’re right. I don’t blame you for not calling me dad. I’ve been a prick, pushing you away. Not giving you the acknowledgement you deserve. Staying away from you.” He shook his head. “I’ve made a mess of everything.”

Cooper didn’t respond, considering he agreed with everything his dad had just said. Besides, Eric had a look he hadn’t seen in twelve months, a look that he genuinely cared about Cooper enough to want to talk to him about something other than business.

“I thought I’d never recover from losing your mother but having you got me through her death.” He dragged a hand through his hair and it shook. “You were my world. Then you started working here…” Eric drifted off, pain glazing his eyes and accentuating the multitude of lines fanning out from their corners.

“But that’s what you wanted,” Cooper said, confusion lending a sharp edge to his words.

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