Page 116 of Honeymoon Phase
My mouth goes dry instantly as I struggle with where to start.I practiced what I was going to say to him on the drive over here, but now my mind is blank. A void of nothing. Robyn... something about Robyn. God, I hate saying her name.
Clearing my throat I mutter, “Um... it was made aware to me this week that the potential buyers for Monroe Lumber are Robyn and Matt Whitaker with Precision Construction?”
John wrinkles his nose at me. “Yeah... what of it?”
I nod now that he’s confirmed it. “Well, I know them. Kind of. And I thought you should know that my family doesn’t have the best history with them. It dates back to a beef between my father and Matt over a bidding war on a new development here in Boulder.”
John twitches his gray mustache and waves me off. “Oh, that’s just business.”
“It gets worse,” I state quickly, an edge to my voice over the fact that I know I’m going to have to share more than I wanted to with him in order to get him to fucking listen. “My brothers and I were... involved with Robyn.”
John’s face twists in confusion.
Can’t blame the guy.
“It was over a decade ago, but it wasn’t pretty. I’m not proud. In fact, I’m fucking ashamed, and I’d really not like to discuss the particulars. I hid this past from your daughter because of how disappointed in myself I am over it, but I’m here to tell you that if you sell Monroe’s to the Whitakers, you are letting a world of darkness into your life.”
“What are you talking about?” John shakes his hand in front of me, clearly not absorbing the gravity of what I’m saying.
“They’re horrible people,” I state firmly, refusing to let him slag me off. “They don’t live by normal rules of society, and that’s saying a lot when my brothers and I chose to live on a secluded mountain to get away from society.”
John exhales harshly. “So, what are you saying? Their moneyis no good? They doubled their offer to me.Doubled.Signed a letter of intent and showed proof of funds. Do you know how much money we’re talking here?”
“I’m saying that if you sell to them, you will be without a doubt extricating your daughter from that business. She will not want to work for them and if she does, they will figure out a way to make her life miserable so she quits.”
“What, ya still got the hots for his wife?” John huffs, wrinkling his nose.
“I love your daughter, sir,” I state firmly, my eyes laser focused on the man I refuse to let make me feel small in this moment. “I love her with everything I have and I’m telling you that what you’re doing is wrong.”
“Now, listen here,” John barks, stepping forward and forcing me to take a step back. His eyes are slits as his jaw works back and forth. “I know I came and helped you boys with some business when Steven passed, but that doesn’t give you the right to come over and tell me how to run my business. You got it?”
“But—”
“This conversation is over.” He turns around like he’s going back to his target practice, and I can’t help but step forward and place a hand on the barrel, forcing him to lower it and listen.
“You’re selling your daughter short,” I snap, and my eyes widen when John’s face fills with rage. My teeth crack as I grind out, “And if you can’t see that, then you don’t deserve her.”
“You think you deserve her?” he snarls, stabbing a finger into my chest. “From what it sounds like, you and your brothers are a bunch of perverts up on that mountain. How do I know you’re not all fucking with my daughter in the same way?”
My lips thin as I look away. “We made bad choices, but we’ve learned from them. Have you learned from your mistakes?”
“What is that supposed to mean?” His eyes flare and I haveto swallow down the pit in my throat to stay strong. He’ll never respect me if I back down now.
“I mean, unless you’ve been a perfect father and a perfect husband and a perfect business owner, maybe extend a bit of grace to someone before you judge them.”
“Bullshit.” He waves me off and turns away. “You should be happy about this deal. It means you guys no longer have to keep the charade up. My daughter will never have to work another day in her life.”
“She likes to work!”
“I don’t give a shit,” he thunders, the veins in his temples bulging angrily. “I know what’s best for my business and selling for this kind of life-changing money is what’s best.”
I shake my head and eye my supposed father-in-law harshly. He looks tired and old and, if I’m being honest, painfully insecure. He gives the illusion of control and confidence, but there’s a hitch in his stance that reveals a weak spot.
My voice is grave when I ask, “Why don’t you believe in her?”
“I do believe in her,” he snaps, his eyes wide and urgent.
“Then why not let her have this?”
