It was a deep and passionate exchange that ended too soon. He lowered her to her feet. “You’re welcome. See you tomorrow.”
She cocked her head to the side in confusion. Had he asked her out and she’d missed it?
“At work,” he added.
“Yes. Of course. See you there.”
Feeling dazed, Angelina slid into the back seat of the car. Just as she was about to close the door, he asked, “Are you free on Saturday?”
“I can be.” Oh, yes.
“Great. Now, be honest, do you want to spend tonight wondering how I feel or should I call and gush about how much fun I had today?”
Angelina smiled as her heart thudded wildly. “Call.”
He leaned in, gave her a quick kiss, then closed the door and waved.
As they drove away, the driver said, “Holy shit, was that Connor Sutton? I should have asked for his autograph.”
Angelina settled back and gazed out the window as they sped along the busy streets. “It was and he would have been okay with it because he’s a really nice man.”
I have no idea how any woman could think that’s a bad thing, but I’m so glad they did.
Later that night, Connor nursed a beer on his penthouse balcony. It still didn’t feel like his. Claire had found the apartment for him. The building had the tight security celebrities required and a helipad. Never in his life had he imagined either would be a criteria for choosing a place he’d live, but since Kade Barrington had married a woman with her own air transportation company, calling for a helicopter was often quicker than having his car brought out of valet and fighting traffic.
One thing he’d learned about the rich—they didn’t like to be kept waiting. That was a downside to privilege. When a person’s needs were anticipated and seamlessly fulfilled, it skewed the way they looked at life. Connor hadn’t updated his family about Angelina because he doubted the Barringtons would understand his desire to take things slowly. His father once told him, “Patience is like fertilizer. You can grow something without it, but it won’t be nearly as impressive.”
There was no one Connor admired more than his dad. He could have moved to Boston, but instead had kept his house in Upstate New York and encouraged Viviana and Grant to raise their children there.
Missing his father, Connor pulled out his phone. “Hey, Dad.”
“Connor? It’s late. Anything wrong?”
“Nope. Finally right. I have a date with Angelina on Saturday.”
“That’s fantastic. Everything I’ve heard about her has been positive.”
“She’s amazing. You’ll really like her.”
“I look forward to meeting her.” There was a pause in their conversation that was eventually broken by his father asking, “Why does it feel like you have a question you’re holding back?”
Connor downed a good portion of his beer. “I do have something I want to ask you.”
“Anything.”
“Were you happier before we met the Barringtons?” He rushed to add, “I’m not saying I don’t like them, I’ve just been thinking about all the changes we’ve made. Is my closet back home still full of my old clothes?”
“I haven’t thrown a thing of yours out. You looking for anything in particular?”
Not sure how to articulate how he was feeling, Connor didn’t attempt it. “But you’re happy, right, Dad?” That mattered more to him.
“Happy? I don’t know if I’ve been truly happy since I lost your mother. That doesn’t mean I’m unhappy. I have a good life—a good family, good friends. I can’t complain.” It didn’t surprise Connor that his father hadn’t mentioned the recent success of his construction company. Money had never mattered much to him.
“You really loved Mom.”
“I still do.” His father’s voice was thick with emotion.
“Dad, if you don’t want to talk about this, it’s okay.”
“No. Your mother would have loved the people her babies became. The more years that pass, the more I regret not talking about her. It hurts to remember, but I’m becoming more afraid she’ll be forgotten because I didn’t say her name.”
“No one will forget her, Dad.” Connor settled himself into a chair on his balcony and propped his feet up on the railing. “Tell me something about her. Did you know right away that she was the one for you?”
There was a smile in his father’s voice when he said, “You’ll think I’m crazy, but I did. She had a boyfriend, some guy with a flashy car and perfect teeth. You know those teeth that are so white they don’t look real? That’s what I remember most about him. Anyway, I was working at a gas station to pay for college and they pulled up—asked for full service, and I fell in love the first time she smiled at me. Her boyfriend went inside for cigarettes so I gave her my number. I told her to call me if she was looking for a good man who could imagine forever with her.”
“Whoa. What did she say?”
“Nothing. But she pocketed my number before he returned. I didn’t know her name or where she was from, so there wasn’t much I could do after they drove off. I told my friends about her. I said I’d met the woman I was meant to marry. They couldn’t believe I’d let her go, but I knew I’d see her again. We felt destined to be. Six months later, she called. We met for lunch, then dinner, then spent every day together after that. I’ve dated some amazing women since your mom passed away, but none have touched my heart the way she did.”
Hearing his father talk about his mother with love warmed Connor’s heart. He’d always hoped there’d been happiness before her illness. “Do you have any regrets?”
“Every argument we ever had where I let my pride stop me from apologizing when I was wrong. Also, we got married quick, started having kids right away. Things happened so fast my focus was on work and providing for my family more than it was on you kids. That changed when she got sick. I realized then that none of this is forever. It changed how I looked at everything. At the end of the day, the people you love and the ones who love you are all that matter.”
“Are you missing us, Dad? Because you’re starting to sound like a Hallmark card.”
He chuckled, but when he spoke his tone was serious. “I am missing you. When are you coming up to see me?”
“How about tonight? I have a pilot on call and a need to kick your ass at darts. You pick the bar, I’ll pick the beer.”
“Your own pilot on call? Fancy.”
Connor swung his feet to the floor and joked, “Not all the changes in my life have been bad. Did you know they make helicopters with passenger sections so quiet you can make a business call from it? After you’ve ridden in one there is no going back.”
“Oh, Lord. Yes, I know about the soundproof ones. I get flown around too, you know. I don’t want to brag, but as Viviana’s father, I bet I get better door to door service than you do.”
“What? Oh, we will talk about this again. Hanging up now. I will need to fly back tonight, but I’ll be at the house in about an hour and a half.”
“Sounds good. Are you coming in hungry?”