Page 49 of Dare to Need

“Mmm, yeah. That’s probably true.”

We walked for a few minutes in silence, the warm summer breeze whistling through the trees.

“I’m going to feel like such shit if I pull out of the position. All my father has ever wanted was for me to be a part of his legacy and now that I finally gave him what he wants, how the hell am I supposed to step away?”

Lucas chewed on the side of his lip, a habit he’s had for as long as I could remember. “Was he planning on selling it, even if you didn’t take the position?”

“From what my mother said, yes. He’s been ready to retire for several years now and after the heart attack, he isn’t willing to spend any more time away from her.”

“Have you thought that maybe instead of running the company, you could use the funds you get from your inheritance to make a legacy of your own?”

I cocked a brow at him. “Haven’t I already done that?”

“No. Not really. Everything you’ve done with your art has been from your own pocket. Hell, you had a trust fund of over thirty million when you were nineteen and you refused to take a cent from it while you were at Parsons.”

“I don’t really see your point here.”

“What I’m trying to say is that maybe it’s time to step into your father’s legacy, but in a way that supports your own needs as well. Let him sell the company so he can be with your mom, and use the money he’s given you to make something of your own. Show him that everything he did for you and Garrett didn’t go to waste. That you are going to use the money for something good, to build a better future for yourself and his future grandchildren.”

It was an interesting idea that didn’t completely rake against my nerves. Money had always made me uncomfortable, especially the millions that had my name on it even though I didn’t lift a single finger to earn it. But maybe there was something to Lucas’ idea. A compromise of sorts that would pacify my father’s desire to pass on a legacy while preventing me from spending the rest of my life spending hours a day doing something I loathed.

It was a possibility. A glimmer of hope that something really good could come out of everything this storm had brought ashore.

ChapterTwenty

There was a lightness in my chest that I’d started to notice after talking to Lucas yesterday. It felt like all the pieces of my life were slowly inching toward one another to create a holistic picture. A portrait of something I’d wanted my entire life, but always felt as though it were out of my reach. The edges of some pieces were still fuzzy, and I needed to iron them out before they would fit with all the others, but I was getting somewhere—the haze of this past week finally lifting.

“This place smells incredible,” my brother mused, lifting his nose in the air, sniffing.

“Mom recommended it. She said it has the best cinnamon rolls in the city.”

“Looks like we might have to test that theory.” Garrett shot me a lopsided grin.

“I think we can manage that.” I returned his boyish smile with a mischievous one of my own.

It didn’t take long for the waitress to cover our entire table with an absurd amount of food. It reminded me of the holiday season when we were just boys, helping our mother bake all day long and by the end of it, we would cover the entire dining room table with casseroles, pies, mashed potatoes, and pastries. Garrett and I would spend the rest of the night rolling around the living room floor groaning in pain because we’d eaten way too much.

I had a feeling that this morning’s breakfast festivities were going to be no different.

“Can I ask you something?” Garrett mouthed between bites of syrupy pancake.

“Shoot.”

“Are you mad that dad didn’t put the same kind of pressure on me to take over the company?”

I stopped reaching for my coffee cup, my arm hanging mid-air over the table. The question surprised me. Though Garrett was always better at expressing himself than I was, the topic of our father’s company was something we rarely ever talked about.

Retracting my arm back to my side, I swallowed the bite of bacon I had in my mouth. “I think there was a time, yes, when I wasresentful. But I don’t think I’ve ever been mad at you.”

His dark espresso eyes darted between mine. “Are you still resentful?” His voice dropped, as though he was afraid of what the answer might be.

I exhaled loudly, running my palms along the tops of my jean-cladded thighs. “To be honest, I haven’t thought much about it lately. But now that you’re asking, I’d say no. I think I left that behind a long time ago. I’m sorry if I ever made you feel that I was mad at you.” My head dipped down for a moment as I rubbed my fingers against my forehead. “I know I didn’t exactly make things easy for our family and you saw dad and me fighting…a lot. But I’m trying to make things better now.”

“You don’t need to apologize to me, Garth. I know how much pressure you were under to take his position. I witnessed it every day until you left for Parsons. It’s just…when I got the call about dad being in the hospital, it made me think about all the relationships I wanted to fix in my life. All the things I wanted to make sure I made known to the people I care about. I was only asking if you were mad because if you are, I want to fix it. To make things right between us again.”

His words felt like a giant sigh of relief. Another puzzle piece sliding into position.

“I’m glad you brought it up with me. I want things to get to a good place too. Not just good, but great. Like how they were when we were kids. Before shit got complicated,” I mumbled the last words.

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