I shrugged. “Maybe I did and do, but she thinks it was a rebound, so it doesn’t really matter.”
Lydia rolled her eyes again. “Don’t be a typical man. At least let her know how you feel. It can’t get any worse. She’s already gone.”
“I’ll think about it,” I said just as Lydia’s phone rang in the waiting area to my office.
“Well, think fast.” She turned and pulled the door closed behind her.
“Damn, I do love shrimp and grits,” my father said as he leaned back and patted his stomach. Of late, he’d made a show of his aging, but he was still fit and didn’t even have a belly to pat. It was completely flat.
“Always good,” I agreed as I pushed my plate back and set my fork down.
My father cocked his head to the side. “What’s up, Nash? You look a bit down.”
I trusted my father completely, yet it still didn’t feel natural to talk about this. But I’d invited him to lunch for the sole purpose of asking his advice. With that in mind, I took a breath and forged ahead.
“How did you know?”
My father’s brows hitched up. “Know what? I think I’m missing part of the conversation here.”
“That Mom was the one for you?”
“I didn’t. Not at first. I knew I liked her an awful lot. I knew I missed her when she wasn’t around. There were other factors, but I’ll leave those to your imagination,” he offered with a wry chuckle.
“Dear God, Dad. Spare me the details of your sex life, please.”
My father shrugged. “You and your sister wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for that, son.”
“Okay. Point taken.”
“Is this about your Mari?”
“My Mari? I don’t know if she’s mine.”
“Maybe not yet. But you two had that quality. Look, the fact you’re asking me about this should give you a good hard push toward your answer. When you’re wondering that much, that’s a pretty strong clue. Unless you’re wondering why you don’t like someone very much, that’s another major clue. Your mother and I just want you and your sister to be happy. We haven’t had to worry as much about you because you’re a man.”
“Huh?”
“Men can be real assholes. If you know what I mean.”
“Right,” I replied, thinking of Brett and how he’d treated Mari.
“Your mother really liked Mari.”
“She only met her for like a minute,” I countered.
“She’s a good judge of character. Over the years, I’ve found she’s almost always right.”
I interjected, “Because she is, and you’re smart enough to stay on her good side.”
My father winked before his gaze sobered again. “I can’t tell you what to do, son. But I can tell you that I think maybe you don’t wanna let Mari slide by. You just might come to regret it.”
After I left the café—the very place I’d taken Mari to lunch the day she’d showed up at my office looking for Brett—I decided to do the next uncomfortable thing. Somehow I thought this would definitely be more challenging than my chat with my father.
“How’s it going, Nash?” Max said the moment he picked up his phone.
“All right. You?”
“Busy, but that’s my life all the time. Something else come up? I thought we were all done with that mess Brett made.”
“We are. That’s not why I’m calling.”
“Oh, okay. Then, what can I do for you?”
“Do you happen to know where Mari is?” I asked, jumping straight to my point.
Max was silent for a few beats, and I could’ve sworn his tone was cooler when he spoke again. “I do. She’s in Alaska, but she’s flying to meet us here in San Francisco this afternoon. Harlow and I just flew back the other day. Did Mari leave something there?”
“Uh, no. Look, I’d really like to talk to her, and I thought I should let you know she means something to me.”
I wasn’t a man who experienced trepidation often, but just now, my heart was kicking against my ribs.
“Excuse me?”
“I like your sister.”
Oh, fuck. Like didn’t even come close.
“You like her? I like her too, but you’re gonna need to clarify a little more than that.”
“It’s safe to say we definitely don’t like her in the same way.”
Jesus, this conversation was a fucking disaster. I didn’t usually have trouble explaining anything. About now, I felt like a ten-year-old called to the front of the class when I forgot to read the assignment.
I forged on because I didn’t see any other way. “Look, Mari will give me hell if I get into the details. But I respect you. I’m coming to find her, and I hope you don’t feel the need to kick my ass.”
Max was dead silent on the phone, just long enough that I wondered if he hung up on me. “Max? You still there?”
“I’m still fucking here,” he muttered. “Mari is coming to stay with us, and I wish I hadn’t told you that.”
There was a sound in the background, and then Max’s voice became muffled. “For fuck’s sake, Harlow. Don’t—”
Next, I heard a female voice come on the line. “Nash?”
I presumed this was Harlow, but I’d only met her once and couldn’t say I recognized her voice. “This is Nash.”
“This is Harlow. I know Mari’s not taking your calls. Here’s the plan. Fly to Seattle. I’ll send over Mari’s itinerary, and you can meet her at the airport there.”
Now, Harlow’s voice got muffled before it became louder. “You can’t tell me what to do. You told me yourself Nash was a great guy. Mari likes him, and apparently, he likes her, so I’m interfering. Just try and stop me.”
I choked back a laugh when Harlow came back on the phone, her tone calm and smooth. “So, can you make that work?”
“Is Max okay?”
“He’s completely fine. So?” she prompted.
I certainly wasn’t going to argue with Harlow. “Hang on. How about you give me your number, and I’ll text you once I confirm my flight?”
“Perfect.” Harlow quickly recited her number, and I added it to my contacts.
“I’m gonna send a text message right now. Just reply to let me know you got it.”
In a matter of seconds, her reply came through. Text me as soon as you know your plan.
After I finished my call with Harlow, I sat at my desk for a moment. My heart had started to kick up to a steady beat. It felt as if a ball was rolling down a hill and, truthfully, I didn’t want to stop it. Now that Harlow and Max knew, I needed to see this through.
For the most part, life had been easy for me. I had parents who loved me and taught me the value of hard work and respect. In high school, I hadn’t been a rich kid, but I’d been handsome and also a football star. Not good enough to go pro, but plenty good enough to get the girls. In short, I’d lead a charmed life, and that charm gave me the confidence to scrap into a real estate empire and make a ton of money even though I started with very little. I didn’t mind taking risks, and I’d learned to take only smart ones.