Page 58 of All My Heart

He came from a large family, and they'd want to spend as much time with him as they could. He'd slowly distance himself from me, not on purpose but by necessity. Then he'd pull away completely, knowing I was leaving soon.

We weren't supposed to last longer than the few weeks of my visit, but I had a glimpse into Axel's life, and he tended to distance himself from anyone who put emotional pressures on him. He had a hard time saying goodbye and coming back. Why would he be different with me?

He needed to make things right with his family. This wasn't about me. I'd kept him from them for long enough.

“I'll talk to them tomorrow.”

I smiled. “Good. I'm sure they'll be happy to hear from you.”

“Let's carry the tile out to the truck, then continue removing it. I think it will take the rest of the day.”

We still had today. Who knew what tomorrow was going to bring, but I enjoyed working on the house.

We cleaned up lunch, then the discarded tile, before getting back to work in the bathroom. It was hot and sweaty but satisfying work. By the time we'd removed every last one, my hands ached.

Axel stood back to study our work. “I think we've earned ourselves a hot tub night.”

“Me too.”

We carried the remaining tile to his truck, and he drove it to the dump. I showered, threw something quick in the oven for dinner, then got ready for the hot tub. I uncovered it, poured two glasses of wine, then slipped inside the water to wait for him.

The phone rang. It was my oldest brother, Hudson.

“What's this I hear that you might be quitting?” he asked by way of greeting.

I blew out a breath. “Well, hello to you too.”

“Dad said he talked to you, and you want to start your own business.” His voice was tight.

“That's right. I offered my services to your customers, and Dad said I should keep it separate.” He hadn't really given me a choice but to go out on my own.

“Why do you think our clients want your design opinions?”

That hurt. “I'm the one who talks to them on the phone, and they ask if we offer the service.”

“But what makes you qualified to give it to them?” Hudson asked.

My jaw tightened. “You don't have to have official training. I have an eye for it, and it's what I want to do.”

“You know how hard it is to start a business. Why would you do that when we already established ours?”

I let out an exasperated breath. “Dad and Granddad established the business. Not us.”

“What difference does it make?”

“A lot when I'm not allowed to be part of it the way I want to be.”

“What are you talking about? You've always been a part of the business. Since you were a kid.”

I sighed. “You know I want to be involved in the construction aspect, not the office.”

“When you were little, we kept you safe.”

“And now?” The knot in my stomach coiled tighter.

“We have the construction side covered. We need you in the office. Mom's going to retire soon.”

“I don't want to work in the office.” I had a feeling handling the administrative side of my own business would feel different.

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