Page 20 of Love Off-Limits
“Could that be part of what’s going on here?” Lennox asked. “Maybe Dad doesn’t want to have to worry about you shaking things up while he’s still recovering.”
“It’s not like I’m talking about the restaurant all the time,” I said. “I haven’t brought it up to Dad...” I hesitated. That wasn’t entirely true. “Fine, I have. But only once or twice.”
“You’re passionate, Liv. Creative. Literally brimming with ideas. But with what Dad’s got going on right now, maybe that all feels a little...overwhelming?”
“You just made innovation sound like a bad thing.”
“You know I don’t feel that way. I’m just saying. Right now? It might not be your time.”
“So what do I do?”
“I’m sorry, can you repeat that one more time? I wasn’t quite sure I heard you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Stop it.”
“Sorry, I just wanted to clarify that my brilliant baby sister is actually asking for my advice.”
“I called you, didn’t I?” I said haughtily. I possibly had a reputation with my brothers for always knowing exactly what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it.
“I’d say just don’t rock the boat. Lay low. Do your job. Shut up about the restaurant for now and show Dad that you’re capable. Serious. Ready to run the farm the way he ran it.”
“I’malreadydoing that. I’ve been trying to convince Perry for weeks that he can leave things to me.” In a way, I was relieved to know that Perry didn’t actually think I was completely incompetent. Though that hardly compensated for discovering that apparently, Daddid.
“Then keep doing it. Do your part and see how things play out. But play by the rules, Liv. We’re talking about Perry here. And Dad. You have to do things their way or you’re just going to make things harder for yourself.”
I suddenly thought of the decision I’d recently made—without Perry’s approval—to renovate the loft of the carriage house into an additional bunkhouse suite for wedding guests. That decision was possiblynotwhat Lennox had in mind.
“I get what you’re saying.”
“But you don’t like it?” Lennox asked.
“Of course I don’t. I’ve been planning to do this my entire life, you know?”
“Sure. But your plan never involved you starting fresh out of grad school, did it? If not for the stroke, Dad wouldn’t have retired for another ten years. You aren’t allowed to be impatient about this. That’s not fair to Dad.”
“No, I know. You’re right. It just stings that he picked Perry over me.Perry, Lennox. You know what he’s like. I’d always imagined myself working alongside Dad. Not...Mr. Grouchy-pants.”
“Your name-calling game needs some work.”
“Shut up. I’m a little emotional right now. My brain isn’t sparking like it normally does.”
“Grouchy or not, Perry thinks you’re brilliant. I’m sure of that. And if you show him you’re capable of handling things, of working together respectfully, I think he’ll step back a little and give you room to do your thing.”
“As long as my thing doesn’t have anything to do with the restaurant?”
“Baby steps, Liv. Baby steps.”
As controlling as Perry had been the past couple of months, I wasn’t so sure. Though that could very well be a reaction to Dad’s stroke. None of us had truly figured out how to act. How to handle the changes that were happening.
“Listen, I’m almost to work, but I have one other suggestion.”
“Okay.” I’d take anything I could get at this point.
“While you’re working hard like a good little worker bee, maybe we try to find someone for Perry to date.”
I dropped the leaf I’d been shredding between my fingers. “Mom was just talking to him about that, actually. About him getting back out there. And he needs to. I don’t think he’s left Stonebrook property since I got home. ”
“How did Perry respond?”
