Only with You

by Lea Coll

“So, this isn’t going to go well.”

  “I’ve been telling him I don’t want to come back here and work for him, so if he’s expecting anything else to come out of my mouth, he’s going to be disappointed. But you know how he is, he assumes we’ll go along with him eventually. He just has to find the right motivator.”

  Colin rubbed his chin. “That’s what I’m worried about.”

  “What can he take from us at this point? We have a solid plan for Kids Speak. You’re independent with your college and your living expenses. We don’t need him.”

  “We don’t need him for material things, but what about as a father?”

  “It would be nice to have a loving father, but—” I shrugged at a loss for words. Over the last few months, I’d realized I couldn’t force something that wasn’t there. If Dad changed his ways, I’d give him a chance, but not until then.

  “It’s never going to happen.”

  “I don’t think so. If it comes down to it, we’ll be firm. Say what we have to say and leave. We don’t need to sit there and listen to his manipulations.”

  I looked up the staircase leading to the front porch. “Thank you for coming, Colin. I thought I could do this on my own, but I feel better with you here.”

  “I’ll always be there for you.” He smiled, and an image of his five-year-old face at our mother’s funeral, came to mind, lined in sorrow and pain. The one thing I’d cultivated over the years was a strong relationship with Colin. I wasn’t alone.

  “Let’s do this,” Colin said.

  We pulled open our doors at the same time. I took a deep, steadying breath before we headed up the steps and knocked on the door. A butler quickly answered as if he’d been expecting us. This was a new one since I’d been here last. Dad was difficult to work with, so he frequently hired new staff. It was another source of instability when we were kids.

  “Right this way. He’s waiting for you.”

  If he was surprised Colin was with me, he didn’t show it.

  “Mr. Winters, your children are here to see you.”

  His reference to us as children made me feel five years old again. I straightened my spine, squaring my shoulders before I entered.

  Dad glanced up from his papers. “Colin, what are you doing here?”

  Colin filled the small space of the room. His shoulders were so much broader than I remembered. Even his face had filled out. He was a man now. “I thought we’d both come to see you at the same time.”

  “Whatever for? Do you need money or something?” His voice rose with each word.

  Colin laughed without any humor in his voice. “No, Dad. I’m working now, so I don’t need anything.”

  Dad paused, raising his brow. “You always need something.”

  We sat in the chairs in front of his desk. Did Dad know how to interact with us without having to dangle something we wanted or needed in front of us? “Dad, I wanted to tell you in person, so there’s no question. I’m not going to work for you. Now or ever.”

  “That’s nonsense. I paid for your law school tuition. You were supposed to work for a few years and then work for me. That was the plan.” He turned his attention to his paperwork as if he’d finished the conversation.

  The usual frustration when I dealt with him crept up my spine. I straightened in my chair knowing this time would be different. I wouldn’t let him ignore my wishes. “No. That was your plan.”

  He slowly lifted his head. “Excuse me?”

  “I live in Annapolis. I’m a partner in a law firm. I’ve invested my life savings into my business. I have no intention of leaving.” I spoke slowly, enunciating each word so that it was clear.

  Colin shifted, so his elbows rested on his knees. “If your response is to threaten my tuition payments, let me stop you.”

  Dad’s eyes narrowed on him.

  “I’m paying for my senior year. I have my apartment and car. I’m paying my way.”

  Dad laughed. “You have no idea what you’re saying. You’d have to take out student loans. Why do that when you could start debt-free?”

  Colin chuckled without any humor. “I’d rather start in debt than go to school for a major I’m not interested in.”

  Dad shook his head in disgust. “Is this about baseball? For God’s sake, it’s a game—a fun way to pass the time in high school, but you’re an adult now. It’s time to grow up.”

  “Taking responsibility for myself is being an adult.”

  My chest swelled with pride.

  “Isn’t that what you want?” Colin asked carefully.

  It was a loaded question. Parents want their kids to be independent and responsible, but Dad thrived on our continued dependence on him.

  “I want you to take care of your family and the family business. This could all be yours someday.” He lifted both hands as if referring to the home.

  “I don’t want the house. It holds too many memories and I’m not interested in the hotel business.” Colin shook his head, his lip tipping up in a sneer.

  Darkness passed over Dad’s face. I felt sympathy for the man he used to be. He was strict when we were younger but nothing like this. I could track the changes to when Mom died. I spoke softly, hoping he’d listen to what I had to say. “When Mom died, everything changed. Maybe you felt out of control and to get it back, you needed to exert control over everything and anything else—including Colin and me.”

  “That’s ridiculous.” He waved me off.

  “It’s not though, is it?” I asked gently.

  Dad refused to look at me. “I don’t have time for this.”

  “We want to have a relationship with you because you’re our father, but without all of the strings attached. We’d like to help you with your business out of love for you, but not because you manipulate me into working for you. Colin would love you to watch his games or be interested in his life even if you don’t want him to play.”

  Dad’s eyes clouded over, but he remained quiet. Maybe he wasn’t ready to hear what we had to say. I exchanged a look with Colin. He nodded slightly and rose. “Think about it, Dad. We’ll be here for you, but we won’t do your bidding anymore.”

  My chest felt tight, but at the same time, I felt lighter than I had in years. I needed to prove to myself that I could stand up to him.

  We turned, starting toward the door when Dad said, “You’ll be there tonight.”

  He wasn’t asking—he was telling us to be there and on our best behavior. We represented a brand—our family name and business. Why had I thought the reasons for his actions were born from grief? Or he was a selfish person. It was his way or no way.

  I paused at the doorway before turning to face him. “Of course. It’s my program.”

  “Good. Don’t forget Winters Hotels will no longer be backing it.” His eyes were hard.

  I laughed. “I don’t think we’ll need it anymore. Colin gave me an amazing idea to expand Kids Speak. One that will fully fund it.”

  I walked out without waiting for an answer. He wanted the last word, but he wasn’t going to get it this time.

  Colin squeezed my shoulder. I used his support to keep walking out the door to our childhood home. If Dad lost the business, it might be the last time we were here.

  I waited to speak until we were driving down the drive away from our father. I blew out a breath. “Well, that went well.”

  “It could have been a lot worse.”

  “You’re right. There was no shouting.” I watched the scenery as we drove—luxurious homes, gardens, and expensive cars.

  “Only demands.”

  I shifted in my seat to face him. “Do you think he believes us?”

  Colin shook his head. “No. Not for a minute. He expects us to change our minds as soon as things get hard.”

  “Nothing is free. Everything comes with a price.” One that wasn’t worth paying. “Our dad is supposed to say this, but I’m proud of us.”

  Colin smiled at me. “I am too. It felt great to stand u
p to him.”

  I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. “I know I already said this, but thanks for being there for me.”

  “I did it for both of us. I had things to say too.”

  He’d grown up to be a man—one I helped raise. I let the road noise relax the tension in my muscles. I hadn’t realized how tightly strung I was.

  “Want to get lunch?”

  “Yes, I need all the energy I can get to deal with those people tonight.” The snarky people I used to call my friends. I could just imagine the whispers, questions, and judgment from my refusal of Layton’s proposal.

  “The public proposal is on him. There’s a risk of refusal, especially when you’d barely dated and you hadn’t even discussed marriage ahead of time.” He looked pointedly at me. “And I think most people would agree that Layton is not a catch. Smart people anyway.”

  “You’re right.” I laughed. Now that I’d been with Cade, the difference between the men was apparent. Cade was a man who took responsibility for his actions. He learned from his mistakes and he wanted to live an honest life.

  “What do you care what those people think? We aren’t part of that circle anymore. We work hard and make our own way. We don’t align ourselves with the right people to get the right job or marriage. It’s a chess game for those people.”

  I let out a long breath. “You’re right. That’s what it is. Since I moved to Annapolis, things are simpler. It’s easier to see what life’s about. It’s not social standing, money, and your job title.”

  “You went and grew up on me.”

  “I guess I did.” It was Cade who’d showed me how things could be different. I pulled out my phone to check for messages.

  “Have you heard from your boyfriend?”

  “Yeah, he messaged during the meeting to make sure everything went okay. He wanted to be here, but he had that big reveal for his charity. I wonder how it went.”

  “You should call him before lunch.”

  It was 11 a.m. “I think the reveal is now. I’ll text him.”

  Hadley: It went as well as expected. Colin had an amazing idea for Kids Speak. I’ll share it with you when we talk later—going to lunch now. I hope your event went well