Page 111 of Worst in Show

And that would be me. He must have seen the photo of Leo in my Happy Paws tee.

Leo is practically vibrating with fury but so is his dad. Chests heave, nostrils flare. It’s a Wild West standoff, sans guns.

“I will not let this go, Leopold,” the older cowboy says. “Four o’clock Thursday. Wear a suit.” He sidesteps his son.

Leo follows him into the hallway. “I won’t do it.”

His dad spins around, a finger cocked and ready to fire at his chest. “You will if your family and your inheritance mean anything to you. My secretary is forwarding your plane ticket as we speak.” He rests a heavy hand on Leo’s shoulder. “I know you won’t let us down.”

He leaves without acknowledging me, and as soon as the door closes behind him, Leo returns to the kitchen and sinks into one of the chairs. “Fuck!” He slams his fist on the table, making Tilly and me jump. “I’m sorry,” he says. “I’ve told you what he’s like.”

I don’t know where to start. My brain is still processing. “So, an interview in New York?” I ask, eventually.

At the table, Leo fiddles with the business card, turning it over and over in his hand. “Three blocks from my old job.”

“Your dad has a lot of nerve. Scheduling an interview for his adult son.” I scoff. “I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah, well…”

When he doesn’t continue, a chill makes its way from the base of my spine upward. I sit down across from him. “Hey.” I force him to look up. “Tell me you’re not considering it.”

Leo rubs the side of his nose with one finger and looks out the window. “You heard him. If I don’t go, I’m no longer welcome home…”

“But you said you don’t want to go back. You’ve created something for yourself here.”

His shoulders slump, and his eyes are weary as they connect with mine again. “My father didn’t get to where he’s at because of his listening skills. And either way, he won’t let me keep the branch.”

This conversation feels more and more like a downhill sled ride after the brakes have given out. It’s going nowhere good, very quickly. “But you can’t go. The show is Saturday.”

He blows air out of his nostrils. “Fuck,” he says again.

That’s when I realize that he’s already made up his mind. I choke back the lump forming in my throat. “That’s it? You’re giving in just like that?”

“Don’t.”

“I thought… We’ve been working so hard. What about…” Me, I want to say. What about us? A traitorous tear swells and runs down my cheek, but I wipe it away before he sees it. “You said you were done with that life. That it wasn’t good for you.”

“He’s my dad.” Leo’s voice is louder now. “They’re my family. My mom…” He scrubs a hand across his face. “You don’t know what it’s like. Anyway, it’s only an interview.”

“And you think he’ll stop at that? If not this job, there’ll be another.”

Leo doesn’t answer.

“You know I’m right.”

“I don’t know that.” His gaze is hard when he looks at me. A carbon copy of his father’s. That’s who he’ll become if he goes down this route. I want to grab him, shake him, make him see reason, but there’s no point. His dad has thirty years of whispering in his ear on me.

“And isn’t this what you wanted all along anyway?” he asks snidely. “No more competition?”

My heart drops like a frozen rock. We’re back at the park again—like the past few months never happened. Like I’m still nothing but a nuisance to him.

I lift my chin and push the chair back to stand, the wetness behind my eyelids magically gone. “Fuck you,” I mutter, turning toward the door.

“Cora…”

“No.” I stop and give him my best glare. “We had a deal. I’d talk to Harvey about what I want, you’d do the same with your dad. Well, I held up my end of the bargain. That’s what I was going to tell you at lunch today. And yeah, it was scary, but I did it. If you can’t do your part, you’re a coward, and if you want to pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about, you’re an asshole. But then I guess New York deserves you. Don’t bother with dinner.” I storm out, almost slipping on the stairs.

He doesn’t chase after me.

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