Foolish Hearts

by Synithia Williams

  “No. Not just no, but hell no. I am not getting tangled up with Ashiya again just to get on Elaina’s good side. I’ve got enough entanglements with that family as it is. If I’m going to get anywhere with Elaina, then I have to prove it at work.”

  “Bruh, don’t you know half of success isn’t what you know but who you know? You want that new CEO position, right?”

  Russell nodded. He wanted the position. Not just for the job, but for the money and power that came with it. His family had been helpless after his brother’s disappearance. No one had cared about a Black kid from a lower-middle-class family disappearing on spring break. Fifteen years later, even though Russell had garnered money and connections, they weren’t enough to get answers about his brother’s case. People like the Robidoux family had the wealth, pull and network to get the answers to whatever questions they had. Russell wanted that kind of pull.

  “Then use your connections. Ashiya finally dumped her ex, and you said she’s making puppy dog eyes at you again.”

  “I didn’t say that. I said she acted jealous when I dated India and wanted to talk.”

  “She wants you. Use that to your advantage. She used you, so I have no sympathy for her.” Isaac finished, as if that was more than enough reason.

  She still smelled fucking delicious. Like cinnamon and honey. Just that small touch reminded him how soft her skin was. Then there was the way she looked at him. As if she really were sorry, she really wanted a second chance, she really cared about him. The idea of being with her again was tempting even without the potential benefit of getting closer to her family.

  But he also remembered how she’d hurt him. The lies she’d told. The promises that she was over her ex and ready to be with him. He’d be a fool to sign up for that again.

  Russell took a long swallow of his drink and shook his head. “I’m better than that. I can get the CEO position without Ashiya’s help or influence. I was dumb enough to get caught up with her once. I’m not about to sign up to be caught up with her again.”

  * * *

  ASHIYA USED HER key to enter her parents’ custom-built home in the neighborhood adjacent to the Jackson Falls Country Club. Seeing India before coming to face her mom had been the right thing to do. She still didn’t think she could handle being left with the majority of shares in a large corporation, but India’s insistence that she could handle anything thrown her way had soothed her frayed nerves. India wouldn’t say any of that if she didn’t truly believe the words. Her cousin always saw potential in Ashiya that she rarely saw in herself. Her mom would push her to take the inheritance to further the Robidoux family goals even if she doubted Ashiya’s capabilities. Sometimes Ashiya still felt like that scared eleven-year-old waiting for someone to come find her.

  Ashiya crossed the threshold into a too-quiet interior. “Mom?” she called. She dropped her keys in her purse and walked down the hall toward the downstairs living area. The thick carpet runner over the hardwood floors muffled the sound of her heels.

  Her mom should be home by now. Elizabeth worked for the Robidoux Foundation overseeing the company’s philanthropic endeavors. Though the position kept her busy, her mom hadn’t mentioned having anything scheduled for this evening when they’d spoken the night before.

  She passed the living room on her way to the stairs and froze. Blinking twice to make sure her eyes weren’t deceiving her; she took two steps backward to get a better look in the room. “Dad?”

  Her father slowly turned away from the fireplace to her. The corners of his mouth lifted. “Hey sweetheart.”

  Ashiya’s cheeks hurt from the smile that lifted her lips. She hurried across the room and gave him a hug. “What are you doing here? Mom didn’t say you were coming to town.”

  Her dad hadn’t been in Jackson Falls for almost a year. Her parents hadn’t filed for divorce, or officially separated, but in the twenty years since the blowup with her father’s family, the two rarely stayed in the same place together for more than a few weeks at a time. Her father had left her mom the house since, in his words, she’d wanted it so damn much, and traveled. His job in banking kept him busy enough that her parents could claim the frequent separations were due to her dad’s job. Ashiya was pretty sure everyone in the family knew the frequent travel had more to do with the strained relationship than any banking emergency.

  “I surprised her today,” he said when he pulled back. Her dad had the same honey-brown skin and hazel eyes she did. He was only a few inches taller than her own five-foot-six and he’d gained weight since she’d last seen him.

  Ashiya was about to ask why he was there when realization struck. She frowned and grabbed his hand. “I’m so sorry about grandma.”

  Pain flickered across his face before he nodded and patted her hand. “I’m sorry about that, too.”

  Regret filled his voice. The blowup that imploded her parent’s marriage was also the last time Ashiya remembered seeing her dad and her grandmother together. Even though they’d fought, Ashiya knew her father had cared. She couldn’t imagine the pain he must feel knowing any chance of a reconciliation was over.

  “When was the last time you...” She didn’t want to ask the rest of the question, because she didn’t want to make him feel worse.

  “A year ago,” he answered, surprising her.

  Ashiya’s eyes widened. “Did you two make up?”

  He shook his head. “My mom was very stubborn. Even until the end. We made peace with each other, but I wouldn’t say we made up.”

  Ashiya let out a breath. The tightness around her heart eased a little knowing that her father at least had found peace. Still, that wouldn’t dampen the sorrow of losing a parent. “I’m sorry, Dad.”

  He tried to smile, probably to reassure her, but his lips formed more of a crooked line instead. “It’s not your fault. I was just as stubborn as she was. Despite knowing I’d made a mistake, I couldn’t admit that to her.”

  Ashiya forced herself not to flinch. The mistake her dad spoke of was marrying her mom. If it weren’t for her, would he have admitted his mistake? She was their only child, his only tie to Elizabeth. One night when her parents had fought, her mom asked why he stayed. His answer: he wouldn’t leave Ashiya without a father.

  He’d lived with them until she’d gone to college, then traveled for “work” frequently afterwards. She’d never ask because she knew he’d never confess it, but she was the reason he’d never admitted to his mother he’d married the wrong person, the reason he hadn’t gotten the inheritance promised to him, the reason he’d been stuck in a loveless marriage for years.

  “How did you find out about your grandmother?” he said before she could ask more about his estranged relationship with his mother.

  He walked over to the sofa and sat. Ashiya followed him. “I got a call from Grandma’s personal assistant. I didn’t know she was still working.”

  Her dad leaned back in the couch. This time his smile actually curved the corners of his lips. “She wasn’t working at the company anymore. She had a personal assistant to keep up with her correspondence, help her manage the estate, and basically be a companion.”

  “Oh,” Ashiya tried to imagine having a person whose sole job was to handle personal things for her, but she couldn’t. She valued her independence too much to leave personal details of her life to someone else. How did her dad know so much about his mom’s life? She guessed his making peace with his mother probably meant he’d had more contact with her in her final years than he’d let on to Ashiya or her mother.

  “So, what did Brianna have to say?” he asked.

  His use of Brianna’s name confirmed her suspicions. Could he have known the call from Brianna, the promise of an inheritance denied to him, would come her way?

  “She said I need to come to Hilton Head for the reading of the will.” She watched her father closely as she spoke for any signs of s
urprise or shock. There were none. “I told her I didn’t need to do that. I haven’t seen Grandma since I was a kid. I’ll go to the funeral, but there wasn’t any reason for me to attend the reading of the will.”

  “Except there is a reason,” The words were a statement and not a question.

  “She left me everything?”

  Her dad took a long slow breath, smiled and nodded. “Good. At least she did one thing right.”

  “You knew about this?”

  “I asked her to do it. It was the only thing I asked her to do. My family made it very clear they wanted nothing to do with me, and I’m happy with the life I have now. But that company was built by my grandmother, was passed down to my mother, and should have been passed to me. Since it’s not, I’m happy it’s coming to you.”

  The sureness in his voice, the confidence that all was right in the world, knocked her speechless. Of all the people in her life, her dad was the one she would have considered least likely to get involved in her life. He’d always supported her in her quest to not be a part of the power plays in the Robidoux family. Was that only because he’d always planned a bigger play? To give her everything her mother always wanted?

  Ashiya stood up from the chair. “But I don’t want it.” Nor did she want to be a part in another attack in the war between her parents.

  A shocked scoff came from the door. “How could you not want this?” Elizabeth Robidoux Waters’s smooth, cultured voice didn’t hide her disbelief. Or maybe that was disappointment.

  Ashiya spun around toward the door. Her mom stood there, eyeing Ashiya with, yes, that was disappointment, from the threshold. Elizabeth was taller than Ashiya and in heels could tower over her husband by a few inches. Her skin was the color of dark honey and she wore her thick salt-and-pepper hair in a tapered style. Since there was no event tonight, her mom was in her usual loungewear of silk pajamas, tonight the color of deep purple.

  “Why would I want it?” Ashiya said, ignoring her mom’s eye roll. “I’ve tried to stay out of all of the Robidoux family fighting for money and power. What in the world makes you think I want to fight Dad’s family for the same thing? Besides, I didn’t do anything to deserve it.”

  Her mom crossed the room with a smooth, almost regal air. She sat primly on the edge of the chair across from Ashiya and her father. “You’re his daughter. That’s why you deserve it,” Elizabeth spoke as if that were enough to erase the years of neglect and animosity between Ashiya and her dad’s family.

  “If I wasn’t good enough to acknowledge as her granddaughter, then I don’t deserve it. It’s a headache that I didn’t ask for. I’m going to figure out how to get out of this.”

  Elizabeth raised one manicured finger. “No, you’re going to take this, and you’re going to use this to the family’s advantage.” She didn’t raise her voice as she spoke, but her tone hardened with the reprimand.

  Her dad grunted and stood. “Still trying to get your hands on my family’s company, Elizabeth.”

  Her mother’s chin rose. “What would you tell her? You wanted her to get the company. Now she has it. Of course she should use it to her advantage.”

  George pointed to Ashiya. “Her advantage. Not yours or Grant’s. This is for Ashiya to break free and live her own life without interference from you or anyone else.”

  Elizabeth shot to her feet and glared at her husband. “This is for Ashiya to finally get what is rightfully hers and take her place as the head of that family as she should.”

  George shook his head and scoffed. “You’re always concerned about getting more wealth, more power. Do you ever think you’ve gotten enough?”

  “No,” Elizabeth said without a hint of a regret. “I don’t have enough and never will. I haven’t forgotten where my family came from. Descendants of slaves and sharecroppers to what we have today. I will not apologize for accepting every red cent anyone in my family can earn.”

  Her dad scoffed and shook his head. “You try to make it sound noble. Hard to do when I know you don’t have a heart.”

  Pain flashed across her mom’s face. She’d never admit it, not after all these years, but her mom loved her father. Ashiya believed that every time she’d overheard her mother crying whenever her dad left, or saw how Elizabeth stalked him on social media when she thought no one was looking, or stared at George longingly whenever he was in town. The rift between them was so big after all these years. Her dad’s love dried up after the heartbreak her mother had caused. Ashiya let go of childish hopes they’d reconcile, but she still hadn’t figured out how to stop playing peacemaker between them.

  Ashiya stepped between them and held up her hands. “Both of you stop. Please.” They turned towards her. “I don’t care what you think is rightfully mine.” She looked at her dad. “Or your need to get a hold of what you’ve always wanted,” she said to her mother. “This is exactly why I should turn it down. The will hasn’t even been read yet, and you’re both already making plans for me. In case you haven’t forgotten, I have a life. A pretty good life and a successful one. I’m going to the funeral, and I’ll go to the will reading, but after that I’m calling my lawyer and finding out how to sell everything she gave me.”

  She turned and walked out before they could stop her. Footsteps followed. She spun, expecting it to be her mom, but was surprised to see her dad. He held his hands in front of him in a hold up gesture.

  “I’m serious, Dad. I don’t want this.”

  “I get it. You’ve watched the fight for power and money tear the family apart. I don’t blame you, but don’t make plans to toss out your legacy before understanding what you’ve got.”

  “I can give it to you.” It was really his legacy. He was the one who was denied everything. She should give it all to him.

  He shook his head. “From the moment you were born, my one regret was giving up what my grandmother built and not being able to pass it to you. The Robidoux family has a legacy, but so does my family. You’re part of that. Understand it. Maybe you’ll have better luck with my family than I did. Learn about them before you turn your back on them the same way I did.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  RUSSELL OPENED THE door to Just Drips, the coffee shop not far from the Robidoux Holdings office, and breathed in the rich scent of coffee. His latte-a-day habit was one he knew he should break. Especially since he had a fancy machine at home that mixed up everything from a basic cup of coffee to the most intricate expresso. He didn’t like using his machine. It was the last gift Ashiya had given him right before their relationship imploded. He didn’t have the heart to throw it away, nor could he bring himself to use it. Therefore, Just Drips got his money.

  He’d ordered ahead using the store’s app, and his large vanilla latte with an extra shot of expresso should be waiting for him at the counter. He made his way through the thick wooden tables and past the long line of patrons toward the pickup location.

  “Good morning, Beta,” he called out when he reached the counter.

  Beta, his favorite barista, lifted a hand and waved. “Morning, Russell. I just finished your drink.”

  “My girl,” he said, grinning.

  She chuckled and put a lid on the top of his drink. She picked up another cup read the label. Glancing up, she called out, “Ashiya!”

  Russell’s body stiffened. No. Seriously? He’d just run into her the other night. Fate couldn’t be messed up enough to have him bump into her again.

  “Right here,” Ashiya’s sweet voice called from behind him.

  Her voice was one of the things that had gotten him from the start. Soft, and teasing. Like the caress of cotton or silk across his skin whenever she laughed or spoke his name.

  He sensed her coming up next to him before seeing her in his periphery. The sweet and spicy scent of her perfume barely drifted to him. Not enough to overpower, but tempting enough to make him want to lean in
closer.

  “Excuse me,” she said softly.

  Russell realized he was blocking her access to the pickup counter. He quickly shifted to the side. “Sure.”

  Beta’s friendly smile turned into a look of concern when Ashiya stepped forward. “Here you go, Ashiya. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  As much as he knew he should avoid looking at her—looking at her only made the stupid part of his brain long for her—he still glanced in her direction. The clench of his gut at the sight of her in a blue-and-white sundress that clung to her full breasts and flared out around her waist was exactly why he shouldn’t have looked. A white jacket draped her shoulders, and her wavy hair was pushed back by a pair of white-and-gold shades that gave off a sixties vibe.

  Ashiya stiffened and hesitated before answering Beta. “Um...thank you,” she said quickly, as if she wasn’t sure how to respond.

  Beta held out the drink. “I put an extra squirt of chocolate and whipped cream on this for you. Please know that you’re in my prayers.”

  Ashiya nodded awkwardly as she took the drink. “I appreciate that.”

  Beta’s words of comfort were so unexpected that despite his efforts to pretend as if Ashiya Waters didn’t exist, he faced her fully. Her eyes darted in his direction, then glanced away. A flush appeared beneath her smooth brown skin. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and though she smiled at Beta, her lips were stiff.

  “You be safe on the drive, okay?” Beta said.

  Ashiya took a long deep breath. A move he remembered meant she was measuring her words before speaking. “I will.” She lifted the cup. “Thanks again.”

  Ashiya darted one more quick look his way before turning and heading toward the door. Russell frowned after her. Sorry for her loss? What had happened? Surely nothing with her mom or dad. He would have heard about that.

  “Here you go, Russell,” Beta said, holding out the cup with his drink.