Page 42 of Heart Thief

My heart hurts for him. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, I’m fine. Stop worrying about me.”

“Why’d you leave the family business? If you don’t mind my asking.”

“I was away from the situation for quite some time when I went off to college. Got my MBA. I had every intention of working with my father, taking my rightful place in the business. It was what my father wanted, and it was what I wanted too. So, I pushed forward and I did it. But the state of affairs with Debra and Ryker... got out of hand. Debra was always trying to thwart me in some way.” He stares into space and lets out his breath. “She couldn’t really influence the workplace, but she made Dad’s life miserable by constantly complaining about me. She made Ryker watch my every step. If I took an hour lunch or was ten minutes late in the morning, my dad got an earful. It was a constant barrage. It got worse and worse, the accusations more and more serious. Leaving was the right thing to do.”

He doesn’t mention being accused of stealing from the company. I imagine it’s a sensitive subject. I’ll leave it alone for right now.

“So, you joined the Army?”

“I did. Specialized in explosive ordnance disposal and I’ve never looked back.”

“Do you plan to return to the business one day?”

“Yes, I do. When the time is right.”

“What makes the time right?”

“When the queen mother isn’t screamingoff with his head.”

My entire body goes still. “Zane, the way she treats you isn’t right. Don’t let her control your life.”

“I didn’t do it for her. All of my choices were made with my father in mind. Too much stress over the situation was making his blood pressure shoot through the roof. Like I said, it was the right thing to do.”

I’m not so sure about that. I hate that Debra chased him out of the family business. It makes my blood boil. “Why did your father stay with Debra?”

“Good question. He was always a shrewd businessman. But when it came to family, he was the one who always tried to keep the peace. He couldn’t bring himself to give up on Debra and Ryker.”

“Even though it chased you away?”

“We made the decision together. It was something I had always wanted to do. Dad loved my Army stories and lived his adventures vicariously through me. It all worked out in the end.”

I know he’s feeding me a positive slant. But it’s more than that. He really believes the rhetoric he’s fed himself over the years. He’s convinced he did the right thing.

Maybe he did. Maybe the situation was intolerable. It probably has been his entire life and escaping was a relief. I can’t blame him. He needed to get away.

He looks down at the table. “Why am I talking about my father in the past tense? He’s not gone yet. He’s a fighter.”

I observe him as he continues to eat. I wonder who this man really is. Is he the unpleasant and competitive man Ryker and Debra accuse him of being? Is he a thief? Or is he the laid back, easy-going man I see? Is he putting on a show just for me? If he was as competitive as Ryker says he is, wouldn’t he be trying to steal his brother’s girl? I feel his friendliness, his interest, but then I feel the brick wall he slams between us. Like when he released my hand earlier. Or the way he won’t hold eye contact with me right now. Little nuances that scream NO, nothing can happen between us.

Okay, message received. Loud and clear. He’s just being friendly. He’s not trying to pick me up and he’s not being forward.

I’m a horrible person for entertaining the possibilities with Zane. I’m human and he’s... gorgeous. Shame on me.

It’s just that... a voice inside me is persuading me to end things with Ryker. My crazy interest in Zane is proof that my feelings for Ryker are not as strong as I’d once believed.

A sobering thought.

A group of college students begin to couple up in the small open area in the middle of the restaurant, deciding to make it their dance floor. They steal our attention as they laugh and goof around with silly dance moves to the beat of the lively Chinese music now playing over the restaurant speakers. Until this moment, the traditional music has been soft and soulful, emotion evoking.

Now the music is light and energetic, almost parade-like with its heavy downbeat, inspiring the rowdy group to get up and dance.

All at once, Zane’s hand is in front of my face. “C’mon, Mila. Let’s dance.”

I look up at him and I’m met with his huge smile. How can I resist? Zane is all about fun. There’s nothing intense and brooding about him.

Hand in hand, we join the group. Other customers join in the fun too as we attempt to interpret the music into physical movement. We receive odd looks from the staff, but we ignore them. I’m sure they think we’re all crazy.

---