Page 60 of Worthy

“You’re expecting me to tell you it’s a bad idea to get involved with the client’s nephew since it could jeopardize business?”

″Isn’t that why you’re here?” I felt pretty certain my folks wouldn’t care about me taking an interest in a man—they’re hippies at heart—but I feel a bit of relief knowing his issue is about Madd’s relationship to our client, not his gender.

″That’s why I came here, but not what had me concerned.” Dad shakes his head slowly.

″What has you concerned?” My heartbeat slows, wondering what else could make him look so grim.

″That you’ve fallen for him,” he says matter-of-factly.

″I…what?”

″I saw the way you looked at him just now, son.” He exhales deeply.

The rhythmic beating of my heart that nearly stopped seconds ago now echoes in my chest. “I…well, I like him, yeah,” I stutter.

″Give your old man some credit, Cade. I know love when I see it. Now, I admit I came over here expecting to tell you to be careful about having a little fun with the wrong person, and I’m glad to see that’s not what this is. I’m glad to see you happy.” He smiles, although it looks more sad than pleased. “But that raises a whole new set of concerns for me. If I remember right, he’s not staying here past the summer, and I don’t want to see you get your heart broken. Does he know how you feel?”

″Idon’t know how I feel,” I admit, which seems to shock both of us. I love my dad, and I know he loves me, but we’ve never really had the kind of relationship where we talked about feelings. Not that we don’t talk, we just never really got into the emotional stuff, and we especiallydidn’t talk about guys. I don’t know how to have this conversation. I don’t know what to say.

″You aren’t sure if you love him?” Dad asks hesitantly.

″How would I know that?” I throw my hands up. “I’ve never had a boyfriend before. Until Maddox I never even went on a date.”

″You went to prom.” Dad’s brow furrows in confusion.

″In a group, not with one specific girl. I was always more interested in playing on the mountain or playing tour guide than hanging out with one girl. Or guy.” I rub my hand over my face. “Until these last few weeks, I still was.”

Dad nods thoughtfully. “So, now you’d rather spend time with him?” he guesses correctly.

″I still play on the mountain,” I protest, thinking about how Maddox makes me ride while he finishes his work, and then we hang out after.

″Why are you smiling?” Dad asks.

“I’m smiling?” I wasn’t aware I had been.

″You’re doing it again,” Dad says.

Huh.I lean against the back of the chair and look up at the stars. “Maddox makes me ride a few times a week,” I admit. “He doesn’t want to keep me from doing my own thing.”

″But you would, to spend time with him?” Dad’s gaze drifts toward the house.

″Yeah.” I nod, keeping my eyes on the sky.

″Then you need to tell him.”

″Tell him what, exactly?” I meet his gaze.

″How you feel. That you want him to stay. I assume him staying is what you want…” he trails off, waiting to see if I’ll agree or object.

″He’s got plans that don’t involve staying here, and I don’t have plans to leave. I’m not going to mess up what he’s worked for by asking him to stayhere.”I gesture to the space around us.

″What’s wrong with here?”

″He’s studying for his PhD, Dad, what could he possibly do with that here?” I shake my head.

″I don’t know. But if he knows you want him to stay, maybe he’ll try to figure it out.” He makes it sound so simple.

″And why would he want to figure that out? Because I ask him to stay? I don’t know if he feels that way about me.” I can’t afford to let myself think he might. To get my hopes up.

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