Page 21 of His Fake Wife

“Next time, bring her along.”

And have her witness the dysfunction? I think not. “Maybe.”

“She’s such a sweet girl.”

Yeah to everyone but me. I smiled and took a seat at the already set table.

“Business is better than you left it, Dad. What more do you need to know?”

He gave me a scowl and I grinned.

“I’ll have everything brought up,” Mom announced and disappeared inside.

Dad put his paper down and set steel-gray eyes on me. “I hear you’re doing pretty well. Playing golf with Charles, I’m impressed.”

“Do you old biddies talk about everything?”

“Watch your mouth.”

“When do I ever?” I loosened my tie and sat back with a sigh. “I hate it that you practically spy on me.”

“I was worried, and you can’t blame me.”

“About what? Do I need to remind you of everything that I’ve done for Thorne Holdings?”

“I might have been concerned that you’d get into... something, but things have been quiet. I guess Beth is a good influence. Martha is right, she's a sweet girl. Smart too. She fits right in as a Thorne, don’t you think?”

Gritting my teeth, I reached for the pitcher of water. “Did you make up everything about her father wanting us married? So you could saddle me with a chaperone?”

“You know damn well I’d never do something like that. Not to my best friend’s daughter and certainly not my own son. There were no lies. What are you so sour about? Things are working out in your favor. You’ve got people who didn’t trust you before wanting to do business.”

“Isn’t it about time for you and mom to move to Florida like every other retiree? You could put your energy into salvaging what’s left of your marriage.” If there was ever anything there to begin with.

I braced myself for the backlash of my loose tongue, but Dad’s reaction caught me off guard. There was no reprimanding glare, not stern lecture about manners. He laughed.

“You’ve been sending my blood pressure up since you learned how to talk. You know, you’re one of few who ever really stand up to me. That’s why I knew you were the man to fill my shoes. You’ve more than filled them, son.”

I blinked. “Dad, are you dying?”

That sent him into another fit of laughter.

“I can’t tell you I’m proud of you?”

“It always came with a lecture before,” I said slowly. Eying the old man warily. What had gotten into him?

“I’m trying to do better with you boys, Adam. I pushed your brother away and I realize that I should have handled things better. I don’t want to push you away too.”

“As if you could get rid of me,” I snorted.

Dad smiled. “You’re brother is coming home soon, by the way.”

“What? If he’s coming to try and get his paws on my company, it isn’t happening. He wasn’t here when I worked along with you to build Thorne Holdings.”

“Calm down. He still wants nothing to do with the company.”

I fell silent but I was still suspicious. I hadn’t seen my brother in ten years and I wasn’t sure how to feel about his return. We were never close.

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