“What changed your mind?”
His expression softened. “The blatant love my daughter has for you. She reminded me so much of her mother the way she stood her ground and told me off.” A flash of a smile appeared across his face. “She’s never done that before.”
I waited.
“Richard told me off as well. Plus, he told me what you did, Reid. You put yourself, your career, and your very freedom on the line to make sure Becca’s issue was resolved. You didn’t allow anything or anyone to stop you. She was your priority.”
“She always will be.”
“I know that now. I knew it the moment you left last night. You let me off the hook. You could have demanded she go with you, but you didn’t. I heard what you said about family and not coming between us.” He sighed, the sound long and slow. “I knew I had made a mistake, but I was too stubborn to do anything about it.”
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “Becca told me once that you trusted her decisions. You never interfered once her mind was made up. To me, that means you trust her judgment.”
He nodded, confused.
“Why didn’t you extend that trust to me?” I asked. “I was angry you dismissed her feelings for me as if they meant nothing—when, in fact, they are everything. The disrespect you showed for us both is what angered me the most. You should have known she would never believe in someone who was the kind of person you had decided I must be. You never even gave me a chance.”
I felt Becca tense beside me, waiting for his response. I lifted her hand, kissed the knuckles, and held it close to my chest.
Gerald met my eyes. “Because I was afraid I would lose her to you.”
“Daddy,” Becca whispered under her breath.
“And now?” I asked.
He tapped his cane on the floor as he mulled over my words. “Now, I think I was as much of a pigheaded asshole as Richard said I was being. I think you will care for Becca the way I have always wanted her to be cared for. And,” he added, “I think you understand the need for family. My worries were simply that. Given what I witnessed yesterday, I can put them aside.”
We stared at each other, neither breaking the gaze.
He finally spoke. “The question is, can we move forward, Reid? Can you put aside my behavior, accept my apology, and we go from there?”
I pursed my lips, looking down at my feet. I knew I could insist on a better apology. I could call him on so many of his nasty words and drag it out until I felt the slate was clean. I could refuse his offer of forgiveness and walk away, taking Becca with me, and let him suffer. Except, I thought of Rodney and the pain he felt with the separation from his daughter. His wish they could reunite. The grief and regret he felt daily over the silence between them. I knew what he would say to me. Would I want Becca to regret the last years of her father’s life, having to be caught in the middle between us? For Gerald to suffer meant Becca would as well. Regretting that would mean she would regret me, and I didn’t want that to happen. Rodney would want me to be the better person.
“I think we can do better than an apology.”
Gerald frowned. “Oh?”
I stood and extended my hand. “Hello, Mr. Holden. I’m Reid Matthews, Becca’s boyfriend. I’ve heard so much about you from her. It’s good to meet you, sir.”
His hand was shaking as he closed his fingers around mine. I could hear Becca’s stifled sobs behind me.
“It’s good to meet you, Reid. Please, call me Gerald.”
I winked at him. “Gerry, it is.”
Reid
We left soon after our talk. Gerald insisted we enjoy the day, the way we had planned. I was grateful since I wanted the day with Becca. We both needed the break. We agreed to come back on Sunday for the family brunch since Richard, Katy, and the girls would attend as well.
Becca showed me around Victoria. She took me past her old school, where she lived, and the place she waitressed on weekends and during the summer. She pointed out various attractions, and we had lunch with some of her friends. They were wonderful people, and I enjoyed hearing their stories about Becca when she was younger. It gave me ammunition to tease her.
We did a boat cruise in the late afternoon, with the sun shining on the water, catching the glints of gold and red in Becca’s hair as she leaned into me by the rail. The breeze picked up some strands, tickling my face. I laughed and gathered her hair into my fist, pressing a kiss to her neck.
“Okay, BB?”
She peered up at me, her shy smile in place. “Today was a good day, Reid.”
I kissed her again. “Yeah, it was.”
Emotion filled her voice and her eyes. “Thank you.”
I wiped a tear from her cheek. “You don’t have to thank me for anything.”
“Yeah, I do. You amaze me, Reid Matthews. Every time I think I can’t possibly love you more, you prove me wrong.”
“Then I hope to prove you wrong for a very long time, BB.”
She smiled even as another tear ran down her face.
“Hey,” I murmured, turning her in my arms. “No crying.”
“Okay.” She sniffled.
I laughed. “Why don’t we go back to the hotel? We can order in Chinese food, watch a movie, and snuggle on the sofa for a while. Later, we can go back to that place for another triple threat.”
“I’d like that.”
“Good.”
“Maybe we could get some extra chocolate sauce.” She kissed my chin, her fingers fluttering over my skin. “For after.”
“Oh yeah!” I grinned. “After. I’d like that.”
She snuggled in tight to my chest.
“Good.”
* * *
On Sunday, I watched Gerald with Richard’s children. Gracie climbed into his lap, patting his face and babbling away to him. I could see why Richard loved her lisp. There was no choice—you smiled listening to her. Heather was asleep on Gerald’s shoulder, his hand spread wide across her back. Veins protruded under the thin skin like a dull roadmap, his wedding ring loose on his shrunken finger, but his hold was sure. He was patient and loving, his voice soft and soothing. He listened and played. Teased and laughed. Offered kisses and cuddles to both girls. He was the perfect image of a grandfather.
That was the man I had hoped to meet while here. The caring man Becca told me stories about.
The man who would be part of my life.
It hit me right then.
My future.
I wanted to marry Becca, knock her up, and have babies together. Lots of babies. Gerald would be an awesome grandfather.
The table fell silent. Richard’s fork was partway to his mouth, frozen midair. Katy’s eyes were round with shock and Becca gaped at me.
Apparently, I had uttered that shit aloud.
Except, it wasn’t shit. It was what I wanted. More than anything. I wanted babies. A family. I wanted them with Becca.
Richard shook his head. “Reid, shut off the not-so-inner monologue. You’re digging your own grave, kid.”
Gracie bobbed her little head. “Wats notted up, Daddy?”
Richard threw Katy a pleading look. She shrugged as if to say, “You’re on your own.”
“It’s a game, baby girl.”
“Tan I pway?”
“No!” he almost shouted. “It’s . . . it’s like baseball. You hate baseball.”
“Otay,” she lisped with a frown. “Iz it, Mommy?”
“Yep. Just like baseball. Home runs and all. Only with smaller balls.” Katy smirked.
It was my turn to gape. I found the courage to peek at Becca, expecting anger. Her head was down, and she wasn’t looking at me. I stole a glance at Gerald, who was shaking his head.
“I’d like grandkids, Reid. But even given our friendlier status, I’d prefer to be kept in the dark about your plans to achieve them.”
Becca made a strange choking sound. Panicked, I turned in my chair. “Becca? BB? You okay?”
Her head fell
back, and she began to laugh. Peal after peal of loud laughter. Katy joined in, and Gracie clapped her hands in delight.
Richard and Gerald exchanged a glance.
“You warned me, Richard. The kid is gonna keep me on my toes. You were right—entertaining as shit, though.” He mouthed the word shit, but we all got it.
I leaned over. “Becca?”
She cupped my face, still laughing, and kissed me. “I love you.”
I grinned against her mouth. “Is that a yes?”
“We’ll talk.”
I settled back in my chair, letting them all laugh at me.
It wasn’t a no. I was good with that.
* * *
The flight attendant handed me a bottle of water, that I accepted with a thank you. I sipped as I stared at the screen of my laptop, not really seeing anything. I shut the lid, deciding not to try to work. Maybe I’d watch a movie instead. Becca had fallen asleep almost as soon as we got on the flight, tired from the weekend. As I scrolled through the list of movies, her sleepy voice startled me.
“Given up on work?”
Turning, I pressed a kiss to her head. “Yeah.”
“Anything good to watch?”
“Same ones as the way here. Maybe I’ll have a nap.”
She snuggled close, laying her head on my shoulder. “Okay.”
She was silent for a few minutes then tilted her head back up. “Thank you for yesterday.”
I grinned. “Your dad and I are buds now.”
“You certainly are.”
After brunch, Richard took his family home, and we spent the afternoon with Gerald. It turned out that he loved playing cards, so he and I got into a serious game of rummy. He told me how he often passed the time with solitaire, and I asked him if he ever played FreeCell on the computer. When he admitted he only used the computer in the lobby on occasion, I had shown him the game on my laptop. He loved it so much that while he and Becca took a walk around the garden, I slipped out and bought him a tablet, then loaded it with a bunch of games I thought he would enjoy. I showed him the messenger feature so he could keep in closer contact with Becca. I laughed when he asked if I was listed in his contacts, and I added myself.
“Wait until I show everyone this beauty tomorrow!” He grinned. “They’re all gonna be so jealous of my technology. Tom is always bragging about his tech-wiz son and all the computer stuff he does, but he doesn’t have anything this slick.”
“Glad to be of service.”
“So I can send Becca a message anytime?”
I met Becca’s pleading eyes across the room.
“Ah, no, there’s a limit. You can send her five a week, and she can reply.”
“Oh, like a phone plan.”
“Yes.” I nodded seriously. “Just like a phone plan.”
“Well, hey, five is good. You too?”
I threw her a grin. “I have a bigger plan. You can send me seven.”
“Great.” He tapped at the screen awkwardly. “This is going to keep me busy for a long time,” he muttered, not looking up. “Thanks, son.”
The whole weekend was worth those two words.
Becca squeezed my arm. “You were amazing.”
“Your dad is pretty cool when he isn’t being such a jerk.”
She sighed. “I know.”
I nudged her gently. “Kidding.”
She smiled, dropping her voice. “And what about you, Reid? Anything you want to say about your revelation you dropped during brunch?”
I feigned forgetfulness. “Which one?”
“About getting me knocked up and marrying me?”
“Ah, the baseball conversation.”
She laughed. “Yes, that one.”
I turned in my seat to face her. “I didn’t know I had said my thoughts out loud, Becca. I meant them, though.” I tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, caressing the tender lobe with my fingers. “I want to marry you. Have a family.”
“I see.”
“Is that something you might want one day?” I paused and looked into her eyes. “With me?”
Her gaze was warm and soft. She slid her hand over mine. “I want everything with you, Reid. But I want us to know each other more. I want you to be sure you want to marry me because you love me, not simply because I was the first girl to give you a blow job.” She winked, letting me know she was teasing.
I leaned my forehead to hers, chuckling. “Well, you are pretty stellar at that. That’ll keep me interested for at least fifty years. We can figure something out after that is done.”
She giggled. “Sounds as if you have it all figured out.”
I kissed her fast. “That didn’t even make my list of why I want to marry you. There are a hundred and one other reasons.”
“Why don’t you tell me what they are over the next few months? When you’re finished, we can discuss it again.”
I lifted her hand and kissed her wrist. “Sounds like a plan. The first and most important is I love you. Every single thing about you.”
Her smile lit up her entire face. “That’s a great start.”
“So we’re hedging toward a yes?”
She leaned her head on my shoulder. “So far, so good.”
I grinned. “Okay.”
* * *
I arrived at work early the next day. I knew Becca had a meeting first thing outside the office, and I was anxious to get into work. I wanted to catch up on what I had missed.
I hadn’t heard from Aiden or Maddox again after I had texted them and said I’d handled the situation. I knew they weren’t pleased with what occurred, but I was sure once I sat down with them, and they understood why I did what I did, everything would be fine.
A text from Aiden appeared as I was going through emails. It was short and to the point.
Bentley’s office. 5 minutes.
I stared at the words, anxiety beginning to tighten my muscles. If Aiden had called me into Bentley’s office and hadn’t dropped by to tell me, it wasn’t going to be good. I groaned as my head hit the back of my chair. Bentley was probably going to give me shit about what I did on the weekend. I knew he had spoken to Richard.
I walked down the hall, stopping at Sandy’s desk. She studied me with a serious expression.
“Should I be scared?” I asked, trying to get her to smile. It didn’t work.
“You took a big risk.”
“It was one I had to take.” I drew in a big breath. “How angry is he?”
“Enough you should be prepared.”
“Even though it all worked out?”
She shook her head. “That isn’t the point, Reid.”
“I know.” I met her eyes. “I had to, Sandy. I had no choice.”
Her gaze softened. “I know. But there are consequences to our actions, even if they are done with good intentions.”
“Okay.” I squared my shoulders. “I’ll go in and take it.”
She squeezed my hand. “Good luck.”
I knocked before stepping into Bentley’s office. All three of them were there, their faces grave. I swallowed at the sudden thickness in my throat, wondering if I was as prepared for this as I thought a few minutes ago.
I sat down in front of Bentley’s desk. He studied me for a moment.
“You had a busy weekend.” His tone was cold.
I shifted in my chair, uncomfortable. “Yeah.”
“If your plan had gone awry and you’d been detected, a multitude of problems would have arisen. The implications of all of them disastrous. If you’d been caught, you’d be back in jail.”
“But that didn’t happen. I was careful.”
He carried on as if I hadn’t spoken. “You would have ruined your life, embarrassed the company, and ended up in the one place you swore you would never go back to.”
“I had to do it, Bentley. I know how these hackers work. By the time the bank got to it, they’d have sold Becca’s information and debts would have been racking up against her. It would have tak
en years for it to all get sorted! I knew I could shut it down. I had to do it.”
“That wasn’t your concern.”
I reared back, shocked. “What? How the fuck can you say that?”
“Reid,” Aiden admonished.
I ignored him.
“Not my concern? Becca is my concern!”
“Your concern should have been your prison record and staying clean. What were you thinking? If you’d been caught, Reid, I don’t know if we could have helped you!”
“I wasn’t caught, and I knew I wouldn’t be. I took the necessary precautions—extra, even. Technically, nothing I did was illegal. I didn’t touch the bank’s site. I only used it for a reference point. I went directly after the people causing the issue. I shut them down. Nothing I did can be traced back to me, BAM, or The Gavin Group.”
Bentley ran a hand through his hair and glared at me. “You were still hacking. As for The Gavin Group, that’s another thing. Involving a business associate. I’m not happy about your doing that.”
“Richard gave me permission. He said he spoke to Graham.” I huffed, my anger starting to build. “At least he trusted me to know I wouldn’t do anything I wasn’t supposed to.”
Bentley leaned on his fists, fury rolling off him. “What you were supposed to do was let the bank and their people handle it. You can’t break the law every time it suits you, Reid. This needs to stop.”
It hit me. The whole maelstrom of emotions from the weekend. Too much had happened, and I was done with reacting calmly to it. I was furious, the words out before I could stop them, my voice louder and more abrupt than I had ever used when speaking to my boss.
“So, what are the rules, then, Bentley? I can break the law, use my talents, when it suits you? The company? It was fine when you needed my help to find your girlfriend. Or when Maddox needed my skills to stop his past from ruining your company. Let’s not forget how thrilled you were when the system I built brought the company accolades, or the reports I created made you all look good with your new business partners.” By the end of my speech, I was almost snarling in anger. “So it’s fine to bend the law for you or Aiden or Maddox? But not for the woman I love? Not without your permission?”
Vested Interest Box Set Books 4-7 Page 23
