Both Heston and I stared at him.
“I gave them the recipe for the coconut chocolate cake your mom used to love. She ate it every day when she was pregnant with you and I… I don’t know… I thought with your mate being pregnant it might be a nice idea.”
She did love that cake. I remembered sitting on the stoop with her on a hot summer’s day and stuffing the cake in my mouth. I also ate it with a cup of cocoa in the winter. Even when she was at her sickest, it was one thing she still enjoyed.
“Thanks.” I choked up a little. I hadn’t expected him to be so… nice. It was a little odd that we’d come for lunch and were getting cake instead but who cared.
“There are some things we need to talk about.” Father emptied his satchel containing a laptop as well as a thick file folder.
I hated that this wasn’t about us spending time together but rather a business meeting.
“What’s that?”
“I was thinking I could train you both so you could take over what’s left of Heston’s dad’s real estate company. What do you think?”
I looked at my mate. It was up to him. It had been his father’s, not mine. He squeezed my hand hard.
“I’m not going to school for real estate.” And currently he wasn’t going at all, but he had plans to go once the baby was born andwe had settled into a routine. I’d never ask him to give up his dream of being a lawyer to run a company just because Father wanted us to. “I don’t think that’s the direction I want to go.”
“Okay, I understand.” Father closed the laptop. I wasn’t sure if he did, but he was being nice about it. “And you, Devyn?”
“And you know my true love… I want to be painting.” Sure, I filled in for Dean at the motel on days he needed the help, but that was because they were short-handed, not because I was looking for a job outside of my art. What I really wanted was to paint.
“Is this because of the commission you just got?” That took me aback. I’d suspected he’d been a part of it. I’d just been hoping I was wrong.
“How do you know about that?” I’d only gotten the offer the day before and hadn’t fully agreed to it yet. But something about it didn’t quite feel right. So, I was thinking it over. “Did you arrange it? Is that why I got it? Because if it is, I don’t want it.”
“I played a part in it only in that they saw your piece here and they fell in love with it. I gave them your information so they could contact you. That’s it. I promise.”
“So, you didn’t call in favors?”
“Nope, I did not. If you had asked me to, I would. But I’d never do that behind your back. You’ve had enough family backstabbing.” Wasn’t that the truth. “I wouldn’t want you to think that I didn’t have faith in your skills.”
“And that’s exactly what I’d have thought.”
“If we say no, what happens to the company?” my mate asked in almost a whisper. “It was my father’s and I don’t want it to disappear, but also it would never be my passion.”
“I can take it over.” I brought Heston’s hand to my lips and gave it a kiss. “Problem solved.”
“But you?—”
“Someone from my company will run it.” My father cut me off. He was in business mode. “I have people who live and breathe real estate. They’ll make sure that it becomes profitable again. You shouldn’t have to change your life for someone else’s dream.”
The server came in with a tray filled with cake.
“Looks like business time is over.” He slid everything away. “It’s time for cake and family.”
Cake and family. I liked the sound of that.
Chapter 35
A New Beginning
Heston
“No. No, Sebastian, go away. I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Heston.”
