Page 74 of Bound By My Father's Best Friend

“And?”

“And what if I found no success at all?”

“Then, you’d still be doing something that you love. Then, you would’ve tried when most people don’t try at all.” He paused. “What if you do succeed, Heather? What if you do something that you love for the rest of your life? How would you feel then?”

A nervous laugh bubbled up from my stomach.

“Huh?”

“I’d be happy.” My smile faltered. “But do you think I can actually do it?”

“Your dreams are worth pursuing, no matter what anyone else thinks. Only you can make them come true and only you will care about them as much as you do. Other people won’t care about your goals, nor will they put forth as much effort to achieve them.”

“Once we’re finally open with our relationship,” I whispered—that was, if we ever ended up being open and not a secret in front of Dad—“then I want you to be proud of me. I don’t want to be a disappointment.”

“The only way you’ll disappoint me is if you don’t try. Your happiness depends on you.”

“But that’s so scary,” I murmured.

“Well, it’s good that I’ll be there to support you through it all. Huh?”

A mixture of emotions welled within me—fear, hope, and determination. But above all else was the gratitude that I had for Hector. Even though my insecurities continued to plague me … he stayed by my side and supported me, no matter what. He made me feel like I could conquer any challenge that lay ahead of us—both in my professional and in our personal life.

The fire crackled and cast dancing shadows across the room.

“It’s getting late.”

After setting my hot chocolate on the coffee table, I stood and headed over to the front entrance to grab our coats from the closet. Mom lingered by the doorway, sipping on a coffee, even this late.

My cheeks warmed at the thought of her watching me with a man twice my age, but she hadn’t said much more to me since our original talk a couple of nights ago. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. She, at least, hadn’t told Dad yet.

“You look so happy,” she whispered. “I haven’t seen a smile that big in a long time.”

“Mom,” I said, even more embarrassed, “not in front of him.”

“Oh, he can’t hear me over the fire.” She waved my comment off. “When you told me about your relationship with Hector, I was nervous that he had all the wrong intentions with you. But I’ve known him for a long time, and I have never seen him so at peace than I have tonight. He’s tender with you.”

My lips curled into a smile, more butterflies fluttering around inside me.

“I love him,” I whispered.

“You should tell him.”

“But what if he doesn’t say it back?”

She laughed. “Oh, Heather, I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

CHAPTERFORTY-TWO

HEATHER

Mom livedabout twenty minutes outside the city, so our ride home was longer than usual. But I didn’t mind the silence that engulfed the car as I watched the snow drift down on the highway around us.

“I love the holidays,” I whispered. “It’s so pretty during this time.”

We pulled off an exit that led to downtown Pittsburgh. The soft glow of city lights shimmered through the falling snow. Every year, the city came alive with festive decorations that adorned every corner and lights that shimmered in the square.

I chewed on the inside of my cheek, wondering if I should invite him to Christmas dinner with my family. The thought of it made my stomach turn because I didn’t think I’d be able to resist sending him flirty glances, which Dad would definitely see.

---