My father looked up from behind his desk. “No, we’re just waiting for someone else to join us. You know it’s rude to sit down before all the guests have arrived.”
I gritted my teeth. Of course I knew it was rude. But I hadn’t known anyone else was coming. Sometimes, my father was a jerk.
The doorbell rang, and my father smiled.
He stood up and buttoned his suit jacket. “Let’s go, shall we?”
Henry was just opening the door as Simon came into the foyer. Curious as to whom the mystery guest was, I stepped forward to greet them. It was usually only my father, Simon, and me for Sunday dinner.
“Brandon?”
My ex-boyfriend stood on the other side of the door, clearly feeling uncomfortable.
“Come in,” my father said with sincerity.
I looked at him, wondering if he’d become ill. He didn’t hate Brandon like he had Maddox, but he’d never been a big fan of his either.
Brandon walked into the room.
I stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek. “This is a surprise.”
“For the both of us.”
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I think your father will explain, but I do need to talk to you about something after dinner.”
It sounded very ominous, but I could tell he didn’t want to tell me in front of everyone. I nodded in understanding.
We took our seats at the dining room table with my father at the head, Simon on his right, me on his left, and Brandon next to me.
As the food was brought out to us, I watched Simon eye Brandon with disdain. I felt like I was in some sort of twilight zone. I didn’t think Brandon and Simon had ever met.
I leaned closer to Brandon. “Do you and Simon know each other?”
He shook his head. “We just met earlier today.”
“Why does he look like he hates you?”
“I have no idea.”
It was strange, and I felt like I was missing something.
After our food was placed in front of us, my father spoke, “Addison, I have finally decided to move forward with the golf course development.”
I mentally rolled my eyes. Naturally, my father thought I didn’t know anything. It had been my idea in the first place, but he didn’t think to include me or that anyone else would either. He was incredibly sexist, but I’d learned that it wasn’t worth arguing about.
“That’s magnificent.” Feeding his ego got me a lot further in life.
“I’ve also decided that Brandon will be the head of the project.”
“You decided?” I couldn’t help but ask. Wouldn’t it be his company’s decision on whom they had direct the project? Did my father really think he had that much power?
“It was all part of our negotiation,” my father explained. “I would only say yes if Brandon agreed to take control.”
I looked at Brandon, and he shrugged. Last I’d heard, he was working on something else.
“And you agreed?”
“It felt like a stupid thing to say no to.”
“Of course it would have been stupid,” my father said.
But why?
I wanted to know. It was very weird that my father had requested Brandon for this. He had to be up to something.
We finished dinner with my father talking the whole time while Simon seethed from his seat, barely saying two words.
Toward the end, I could see my father was getting tired, although he’d never admit it. I wasn’t his biggest admirer, but he was still my father, and I loved him.
“Dad, why don’t you go finish up your work with Simon?” I offered. “I’ll see Brandon out.”
He tried to hide his relief, but I saw it all over his face.
Simon and my father left the dining room, and I took Brandon to the den.
“What’s going on, Brandon?”
“I have no idea, Addison. All I know is that I got pulled off the project I had been working on, and I was told to come here.”
“Isn’t that weird?”
“A little. Sometimes, it happens when we’re getting close to the end of one project and starting a new one, but I was in the middle of the last one.”
“So, your boss didn’t tell you why?”
“All he said was, your dad wanted me to head it up.”
“Are you okay with it?” I asked.
“I’m fine. I think it’s strange since your father never seemed to like me much.”
“I thought the same thing.”
“So, you admit your dad doesn’t like me?”
I threw my hands up. “I honestly have no idea. He sure seemed happy to see you today. But don’t feel bad. He’s never liked anyone I’ve dated.”
“I probably wouldn’t either if I had a daughter.”
“Yeah, except you wouldn’t like it because no one would be good enough for her. My father doesn’t like my boyfriends because no one is good enough for the Graham name.” I waved my hand in front of me. “But we’re getting off track. What did you want to talk to me about?”
Brandon rubbed the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable.
“What’s wrong?”
“He changed the land specs.”
“Why would he do that?”
The spot we had picked out was perfect. It wasn’t too far off two of the main highways that intersected in town. But it also wasn’t too close that the noise would bother the people golfing. And it had a beautiful view of a shallow valley that had a river running through it. A small river, but it was still a pretty sight.
“Where does he want to move it to?”
“He doesn’t want to move it. He wants to make it bigger. He wants to build a clubhouse with a tennis court, a swimming pool, and other things. He wants to make it a country club.”
“But where is he going to get the rest of the land?” The second the question left my mouth, I answer hit me. “He wants to get rid of the mobile home park, doesn’t he?”
Brandon winced. “Notices go out tomorrow that residents need to find somewhere else to live. They have sixty days.”
“Why? Why would he do this?” A lightbulb went off. Maddox. I swore. “I have to go. I’ll walk you out.”
Brandon looked confused at my statement. “Okay.”
“Where are you staying?”
“At the motel for now.”
Our little town had only one place for out-of-town guests to stay.
“Okay. I might need you for something else.”
“Whatever you need. I know you care about the people in this town, and I knew you would be upset by this.”
I put my hand on Brandon’s arm when we got to the door. “Thank you for warning me.”
We each got in our cars and drove away from my father’s house. I immediately picked up my phone and called Maddox.
No answer.
“Damn it.”
I just knew in my gut that my father was doing this because Maddox was back in town, and his mother lived in the trailer park. All that talk at dinner, pretending like I wasn’t part of the golf course project, was bullshit. My father had known it was my idea from the beginning, and he knew it could come back to me when Maddox found out his mother was going to lose her home.
I had never seen my father stoop so low.