Page 144 of An Engagement for Erica

“Negative?” she asked. “How is that?”

“Saying it’s a nightmare is a positive statement?” he asked, lifting his eyebrow. “What world do you live in?”

“If you’re going to insult me, then you can leave. I’m not sure what has come over you. I’ve never seen you this way before.”

“Yeah,” he said. “Well, I didn’t expect you to cheapen what we had.”

“Cheapen?” she shouted. Wow, he hadn’t expected that either.

“Not the right word,” he said. He’d have to try to calm this situation. “How about putting it second to your career? I mean I should have known that. You’ve always been so professional in everything that I had to push you to even loosen up around me.”

“That’s right,” she said, pointing her finger. “You pushed me. So I’ve got to wonder if you had some crazy agenda and I was part of it. How am I to know those things?”

He threw his hands up. So much for calming anything. “I’ve never had any agenda other than being with you. And maybe holding onto you. Call me stupid for letting my heart get in the way, but that’s my excuse.”

“What excuse?” she asked.

She was staring at him as if she couldn’t comprehend the words he said.

And because he was yelling at her and he never did and hated to sound like his father had to his mother when they fought, he turned around to leave.

She followed him to the door.

He opened it and then stopped to turn and look at her. “That I loved you enough before we started to date and doubted how you’ve felt about me that I used my grandfather to get you closer to me. Even after you said you loved me, I still worried I loved you more than you did me and didn’t want to lose you. That’s on me, not you.”

He slammed the door and went to his car. Rather than go home, he texted Michael to see if his grandfather was still up and if he could visit.

The reply that his grandfather was waiting for him might have pissed him off more.

He walked in the front door twenty minutes later. His grandfather was in his recliner watching TV and picked up the remote with his left hand, pressed the button, and put it down.

It wasn’t lost on him that his grandfather could do that, even if it was slower and more awkward than if it was done with his right hand.

“How much trouble am I in?” his grandfather asked, smirking at him. As if this was some kind of joke.

That his whole life in the past several months was a joke.

“I don’t know why you think you can jump in and try to save me at work. I’m not my father. I’ll never be my father and there is nothing more I detest in this world than for people to even think that. You of all people should know and understand.”

“You’re not your father and never will be,” his grandfather said. “But that company isn’t yours yet. Not fully. It’s still mine. I started it. My name is on it. Just remember that.”

The words were too familiar, making him think that Joel and Catherine reported their conversation back. Talk about the last straw.

“It’s hard to forget. I’m sure Joel and Catherine told you I said that too.”

His grandfather laughed. “I haven’t talked to them in a week. And I know you don’t want to believe me, but you can ask Michael. He’s aware of everything and everyone I talk to.”

Michael was in the kitchen and popped his head out. “He’s telling the truth,” Michael said.

Which meant that he and his grandfather just thought alike more than anything.

Not really a bad trait, but he was at the point he didn’t know if he was coming or going and what was good or bad.

“Why did you go there?” he asked. “If not to throw your weight around?”

“As I said,” his grandfather said. “It’s my business. It was time for a few people to see that I was getting along and on the mend. It’s not a bad thing. Some are people I’ve worked with for years.”

“I don’t need saving,” he growled.

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