Page 5 of Billionaire's Accidental Marriage
She heaved a heavy sigh. “Those businesses were always number one to him. They came before everything, and sometimes that even included me. He was always wrapped up in something. Always devoting his time to something that was wrong, or had to be fixed, or needed to be changed. He worked himself to the bone over those damned places, and I know the stress is what killed him. I know the stress is what induced his heart attack.”
It was shocking how alike we were. “I felt the same way when my father died.”
Shock rolled behind her eyes. “You did? Seriously?”
I smoothed my thumb against her soft skin. “Yeah, seriously. For probably the first year, every time I ran into a roadblock, I kept telling myself that it was simply another reason why I needed to sell. Why I needed to liquidate and find my path.”
“So, how did you make things so damn successful while still keeping your life in shape?”
I smirked. “You hittin’ on me, Mags?”
She giggled softly. “Lord, no.”
I quirked an eyebrow. “You sure? Because that sounds an awful lot like you calling me hot because I go to the gym all the time.”
She balked before a smile finally crossed her face. “You’re insane, you know that?”
I pointed at her. “That wasn’t a ‘no,’ though. Maybe I do still have a chance with the most beautiful girl in the world.”
She rolled her eyes. “Flattery gets you nowhere right now.”
I paused. “What about food? I could totally cook my way into your heart.”
“Michael!” she exclaimed through her giggles.
The sound made me smile. “You know I’m only joking. But I’m glad you’re smiling a bit. You can’t forget to smile, okay?”
Her gaze met my stare before she nodded her head. “Okay.”
“Promise?”
She nodded softly. “I promise I won’t forget to smile.”
“Good. Thank you. I want you to know something else, too.”
“What is it?”
I released her hand, picked up my chair, and sat down in front of her so I could make sure she was listening. “After my dad died and I was saddled with this business I knew nothing about, I wished to God many, many times that I would’ve had a mentor come out of the woodwork to help me through all the tough shit I encountered. So, I want you to know that I’ll be available anytime you need me for questions or consultations on issues or if you simply want to pick my brain. I’ll answer anything and everything I can, and if I don’t have an answer, I’ll help you find one. Deal?”
Her eyes watered over. “You really mean that?”
I placed my hands on her knees. “One hundred percent.”
Her hands settled on top of mine. “Would you help me look over the financials and figure out where in the world to pivot from there? The last thing I heard from Dad was the fact that he was about to remodel some of the stores, and for all I know, he had already initiated that process before, well, all of this.”
I turned my hands up and held hers tightly in my grasp. “Whatever you need, I’ll make sure it’s done. I can even have my accountant take a peek at things, my treat.”
“Michael, you don’t have to—”
I cut her off. “I’m serious. Don’t worry about it, okay? He’s a great guy, he’s got a keen eye for things, and he’ll be able to help discern the pennies from the quarters, for lack of a better phrase.”
She blinked. “My father used to say that.”
I chuckled softly. “Where do you think I got it from? Your father was a wealth of knowledge, and I regularly picked his brain during our monthly lunch outings.”
She sighed. “I can’t believe he’s gone, Mike.”
I leaned forward, placing my forehead against hers. “But no matter how it feels right now, I swear you’re not alone. Not when you have me. Okay?”
