Page 60 of The Roadie
He smiled and tweaked her nose with his thumb and index finger. “Let’s hope so.”
Randolph answered the door, as usual. Naturally, she had a key. She’d lived here for 21 years. But she respected her father and stepmother’s privacy. Plus, she didn’t want to walk through the rooms looking for them, although her father almost always could be found in his home office or the library. It was just easier for the butler to announce her arrival.
They waited in the parlor, which was the go-to room in the house. She always found it amusing that her father still referred to the room with such an outdated term, especially since it contained the most modern and up-to-date entertainment equipment on the market.
Brett refused to sit, so Kira stood at his side and tried to reassure him until her father entered with Claudia.
“This is a pleasant surprise,” her father stated, warmly. He looked at the vintage Rolex on his wrist that had belonged to his father. “I wasn’t expecting to take a lunch break this early in the day, but I can always make time for one of my girls.”
Claudia rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Ron. Do you really need to work every hour of the day? Isn’t it about time you take the weekends off? At least a Sunday, for God’s sake.”
Her father let out an exhausted breath, having had the same conversation with Claudia a million times. “The day I stop working is the day I die. The business keeps me going.”
Kira knew the truth of her father’s statement. She was his daughter, and she shared his dedication to the family business and his unstoppable worth ethic, but she still wished he’d slow down a little.
Keeping her left hand hidden, Kira invited them to sit down so they could talk.
“Is something wrong?” her father asked, his face suddenly filled with concern.
“Nothing’s wrong, Daddy.” She was about to explode the news. Wave her ring in their faces. Jump up and down and scream from the pent-up excitement racing through her veins. “I have something very important to tell you. Please just sit down.”
The four of them sat in the wingback chairs set in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows that faced the tree-lined street. Her father and stepmother were staring at her, waiting for her to speak, but she was gazing out the window.
Images from her childhood suddenly played in her head. She saw herself outside on the sidewalk with Audra. Their mother was between them, holding their little hands, waiting for their father to come home from work, as they often did. The long black limo pulled up to the curb, and Kira and Audra started jumping up and down. Their father didn’t wait for the driver to open his door. He flung it open himself, stepped onto the curb with his arms open wide and squatted so he was down at their level. Both Kira and Audra ran to him and hung onto his neck so he could lift them in a hug. That’s the way they greeted him for years. Until their mother died. It was a memory that she hadn’t thought about in a very long time, and it brought tears to her eyes. She wondered if it was because she would be leaving New York. No. She realized that the memory was triggered by family and the feeling of togetherness it brought. For a brief second, the vision morphed, and it was Kira on the sidewalk with her children waiting for Brett to come home.
“Kira,” Brett called her softly, in order to get her attention.
“I’m sorry. I was just thinking about . . .”Mymother. I was just thinking about my mother.“About how happy I am.” She looked into her father’s eyes and smiled. “We’re engaged. Brett asked me to marry him, and I said yes. I’m thrilled. I’ve never been happier.”
Claudia immediately hugged both Kira and Brett. “Congratulations. You make a lovely couple.”
Kira thanked her stepmother and waited for her father’s reaction. His expression was unreadable, and it worried her. “We’ve talked about it,” she said. “And we want a long engagement.” She waited, but her father still didn’t respond. He just sat there, looking at her, as if she commented on the weather instead of making the most important announcement of her life. “I hope you’re happy for me, Daddy.”
He slowly stood up and took a step toward her. Taking her hand, he pulled her to her feet and kissed her cheek before offering her a hug. “I’m very happy for you, sweetheart. Congratulations. You deserve everything. I’m just not ready to lose my youngest daughter. You’re moving to the West Coast, aren’t you?”
She let out a breath that she wasn’t aware she was holding, relieved at his well wishes. “Thank you for being happy for me. About California . . . after a lengthy discussion, we decided that we’d live half the year in New York and the other half in California. It was a compromise. It was actually Brett’s suggestion. I thought I could work out of the L.A. office when I’m there.”
The corners of her father’s mouth curled up. “That’s a wonderful idea. It’ll give your stepmother and I the opportunity to use the Palm Springs estate more often.”
Kira flew into his arms and hugged him tightly. “I’d love that. Thank you, Daddy. I can always fly back at a moment’s notice too. It’s really not that far. Only a few hours by plane.”
Claudia held her hand flat against her chest, eyes wide with surprise. “Does this mean you’ll be taking some time off, Ron?”
“Well, perhaps it wouldn’t kill me to take off a few days here and there.”
“I can’t tell you how long I’ve waited to hear you say that,” Claudia replied. “I’m going to hold you to it. I love Palm Springs. I’m looking forward to spending some time there.”
“Speaking of living arrangements,” Kira’s father said, folding his arms across his chest. “The L.A. penthouse does nothing but collect dust and increase my real estate portfolio. If you and Brett would like to live there, even if it’s just during the week to ease your commute, the apartment is yours. Consider it an engagement present.”
Shock made Kira intake a gust of breath, and her fingertips flew to her lips. She loved that apartment. It was chic and trendy and had a magnificent view of the city lights. She wrapped her arms around her father and kissed his cheek. “Thank you so much, Daddy. I would love to take the apartment.”
She turned toward Brett, realizing she hadn’t consulted with him before accepting the apartment. He had a home with his brother, and she assumed that’s where they’d be living in California, but spending a few weeknights in L.A. sounded perfect, if needed.
Brett’s mouth hung open as he stared at Kira’s father. “That’s incredibly generous of you, sir. Thank you very much.”
“You’re very welcome.” Her father nodded curtly. “That being said, I would like to speak with you alone, please, young man.”
“Of course, sir.” Brett squared his shoulders, masking the anxiety that was fluttering in his chest.
