The Playboy

by Alice Ward

  It happened fast. I almost didn’t realize it, but somewhere along the way, I fell in love with Sean. He became the center of my world. Him and Paisley were the two people I thought about more than any others. I worried about them. I missed them. I loved them both.

  Paisley stood up and wrapped her arms around Sean’s waist. He and I both slid one arm off each other to hold Paisley, too. The three of us stood there, holding each other, waiting for the pain to subside long enough to move.

  It didn’t happen quickly. We held each other tightly without speaking. I thought about apologizing or saying something about how much Ray loved them both, but I knew my words wouldn’t mean anything. Not yet. Not now.

  Instead, I just held them both and hoped they would feel my love. I hoped they would know how much they meant to me. I would do anything to make them feel better. Sean’s grip on me tightened and I knew he could feel it, too. In that moment, we became bonded together. We were heartbroken by Ray’s death, but we were also in love with each other and with the little girl wrapped around our waists.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  Sean

  A week passed after my father’s death. Tara, Paisley, and I spent almost every waking moment together. Tara still had a job to do, but she took time off to be there for me and for Paisley. I wouldn’t have been able to make it through the loss without her. She was there for me in every way, and she even stepped up with Paisley.

  It was a hard week, but we all made it through. I rode the waves of guilt and sadness as they came, knowing I would feel better eventually. If I hadn’t said goodbye to my father, his death would have felt differently. I don’t know that I ever would have gotten past the regret. Having a chance for closure meant everything. I could let him go peacefully. Now, when I looked back on my memories of him, I could look back happily.

  That day, exactly a week after my dad’s passing, I sat outside of his lawyer’s office. Tara, Paisley, and I waited in silence to be called. It was finally time for the reading of Ray’s will and we were all supposed to be present. I knew that his will would dictate some very important things for the company, but I didn’t fully understand why I was there. Tara told me it was procedure. Since I was one of his living descendants, it was only right that I be present.

  Her words did little to comfort me, though, because we both knew my father had another living descendant. My brother. Zachary Yates: the bane of both mine and Tara’s existence.

  In the last week, Tara filled me in on a few things about my brother. After our fight in the conference room, he tried to fire Tara, but it didn’t stick. My father overruled him and ended up giving Tara Zach’s job. I couldn’t say I was surprised. I had only been working at Yates’ for a short time, but even I knew how little Zach did for the company. Tara did his job and her own without complaint. She earned the promotion, and I was thrilled Ray gave it to her before he died.

  While we sat there waiting for the lawyer, I glanced around us to see if Zach was anywhere in sight. He wasn’t, but that didn’t mean anything. There was still a chance that he would show up and cause a scene. My heart pounded at the thought of Zach being in the same room with Paisley. After what he did to her, I couldn’t even imagine how she would react to seeing him again.

  “Thank you,” I said to Tara, pulling myself back to reality.

  “For what?” Tara laughed.

  “I never got a chance to thank you for everything you did with my dad,” I said. “If it weren’t for you, we never would have spoken. He would have died, and we wouldn’t have had a chance to fix things. To forgive each other.”

  “I didn’t do anything,” Tara said. “All I did was pitch an idea in a meeting. I know how much he loved you. He always did. Even when you weren’t speaking, he loved you. Why else would he have kept that picture of you in his desk drawer?”

  I smiled, letting her words fill me with joy. Just as I was about to speak, the lawyer poked his out and called us inside. The three of us rose from our chairs and followed him through the door. As he was closing the door behind us, Zach pushed through. His face was red, and he panted like he’d just run a mile.

  “Sorry I’m late,” he mumbled, not looking at us.

  I tensed at the sight of my brother, and I pulled Paisley closer to my side. She, Tara, and I sat down on one side of a large table. Zach took the other side, still avoiding our eyes. I was glad he did. I didn’t know how I would react if he spoke to me.

  “All right,” the lawyer began. He sat down at the head of the table and shuffled a few papers. He pulled one to the top of his pile and cleared his throat. “So, as you know, you’re all here for the official reading of Raymond Zachary Yates’ last will and testament.”

  Tara and I both nodded. Zach cleared his throat and sort of jerked his head. The lawyer took that as a positive response and continued.

  “We’ll get right to it, then,” he said. “Raymond had quite a few assets in place when he died. Two homes. The business. And a couple vehicles. Now, he requested that the houses be sold and the money from the sales be used to create a college fund for Paisley. It would be more than enough money to set her up for undergrad, grad school, and even through a PhD if she wished.”

  My mouth fell open. It was an amazing gift.

  “Wow,” I said. I couldn’t find any other words to describe how I felt. Tara smiled and leaned down to whisper something in Paisley’s ear. Paisley grinned back at her.

  “I take it that’s satisfactory?” the lawyer asked.

  “More than,” I said with an earnest nod.

  “Then the next item is the company,” he said slowly. “Zachary William Yates is to retain the stocks he currently owns in the company.”

  “My stocks?” Zach asked quickly.

  “Yes,” the lawyer said without looking up. “And he left the company itself to his other son, Sean Andrew Yates.”

  The lawyer’s words hit my ears, but I didn’t register his meaning. It felt surreal. Paisley’s college fund was already more than I ever hoped for and now this. I couldn’t wrap my head around it.

  “Are you fucking kidding?” Zach snapped. “This is a goddamn joke.”

  “I assure you, it is not,” the lawyer said simply. “Raymond’s wishes were very clear. It’s all here in black and white. Signed by your father, two witnesses, and notarized.”

  “He left it to him?!” Zach roared. “There’s no way. He hated him!”

  “Apparently not,” Tara said with fire in her eyes. She fixed Zach with a menacing stare. She refused to look away until Zach did first.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Yates,” the lawyer said to Zach. “But the will is final unless Sean refuses the company.”

  Zach and Tara looked at me quickly. Zach grinned like he knew what was going to happen. To him, I had always hated my father’s company, and there was no reason in the world for me to keep it. To Tara, it was the last piece of my father I had left, and there was no way I could surrender it. Only one of them was right.

  “I won’t refuse it,” I said simply. “If this is what Dad wanted, then okay.”

  Zach let loose an infuriated scream and jumped up from the table. With a disdainful look at me, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him. I watched him go with amusement. When I turned back to Tara, she grinned from ear to ear.

  I thought about this day on and off for the past week, wondering what my father would leave me. I didn’t care if he left me everything or if he left me nothing, but I couldn’t deny that I was curious. If my father meant what he said about me and about Zach, then his will would reflect that. Deep down, I worried that my father’s regret was just an emotion inspired by his illness. If he never got sick, he never would have thought twice about me.

  It was a sad thought, but one I entertained often throughout that week. Now, I had to imagine a different scenario. One in which my father always loved me and thought the best of me. One in which he trusted me above anyone else, including my brother. Just as these tho
ughts entered my mind, a new question surfaced.

  “When was his will last changed?” I asked.

  “Six years ago,” the lawyer said simply. “When he got sick, I asked if he would like to make any amendments and he said no. He was happy with his decisions.”

  “So, the company,” I said. “He wanted to leave it to me all along?”

  “Yes,” the lawyer said simply.

  “And Paisley,” I said. “He always wanted to make sure she was taken care of?”

  “Yes,” the lawyer said. His voice was kind, and he waited patiently while I processed all this new information.

  After I was ready, he continued with the reading of my father’s will. There wasn’t much left to discuss, and we were soon on our way. I held Tara’s hand while we left the office, Paisley running a little ahead of us. I watched her closely but let my mind drift as we stepped outside.

  “I still can’t believe it,” I said. “He left it to me. Me.”

  “I can,” Tara said simply. “He always loved you and trusted you. He always knew that, between you and Zach, you were the right choice.”

  “He could have left it to you,” I said.

  “No.” She shook her head firmly. “He wanted it to be a family business, and I’m not family.”

  “He trusted you,” I reminded her. “He promoted you before he died.”

  “I know,” she smiled. “And I’m grateful. But now, I work for you.”

  She grinned widely without a trace of resentment. I knew her excitement was genuine and that she was just happy Zach didn’t get his hands on the company again. We walked hand in hand around the building. Paisley was dancing in front of us, her dress billowing out around her. She looked happy. Young and innocent. Exactly what I always wanted her to be.

  “What are you thinking?” Tara asked while I watched Paisley.

  “Nothing,” I said truthfully. “I’m just watching her.”

  “Do you think,” she began slowly. “Do you think you’ll get a paternity test done?”

  “What?” I asked.

  “Just to be sure,” Tara said. Her voice was low, almost as if she was afraid I might be angry at the suggestion. I wasn’t angry, but my answer came easily.

  I watched Paisley for a few minutes longer, enjoying the sight of her there in front of me. In all my life, I had never loved anyone as completely as I loved her. She was my entire world, and no piece of paper would ever tell me differently.

  “No,” I said firmly. “She’s my daughter. I’m her father. I don’t need a piece of paper to tell me that. She’s mine and she always will be. No matter what.”

  Tara’s smile widened even more, and she squeezed my hand. She leaned her head against my shoulder, and we watched Paisley together. She played in a stretch of grass, spinning in circles so that her dress flew up around her. I laughed and kissed the top of Tara’s head.

  “I’m glad you said that,” Tara whispered.

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Because it just proves me right,” Tara said. “It proves that I’m right about you.”

  “And what exactly are you right about?” I asked.

  “That you’re an amazing man,” she said simply. “One of the most amazing men I’ve ever known. Paisley is so lucky to have you, Sean. And so am I.”

  Her words filled me warmth, and I wrapped my arms tightly around her. Paisley was still playing, and I wanted to enjoy this moment for as long as possible. I held onto Tara, and we stood there in silence, letting the joy of the day wash over us. My father’s memory would live on inside of us forever, and our sadness was just beginning, but so was our happiness. With his will, my father gave all three of us a fresh start. We would never be able to repay him for that. In his death, he provided us with a life we never imagined we would have.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  Tara

  It took a while after Ray’s death, but things started to get back to normal. Work was back in full swing, and despite my insistence that he take more time, Sean was almost ready to get involved. I ran most of the day to day business and I loved it. Now that Zach was gone, my life at Yates’ Motorcycles was better than I ever thought it could be. The only thing missing was Ray. I missed him each time I walked past his now empty office.

  It was hard, but we were all determined to keep living our lives. So, in the spirit of getting back to normal, I met Niki on my lunch break. She was getting her nails done in town, and I knew of a great sushi place right next door. I planned to stop in and catch up with her before picking up some food to take back to the office.

  “I’m sorry,” Niki said for the hundredth time. “I know he was important to you.”

  “He was,” I said. “But you don’t have to apologize every time we talk, Nik. I’m okay. I’ll be okay.”

  “How’s work going?” Niki asked. “Now that he’s gone.”

  “Hard,” I admitted. “I miss him a lot and so does everyone else. His presence still hangs in the air, you know? When I walk past his office, I feel like he’s still there. Watching me.”

  “Creepy,” Niki chuckled.

  “Very.” I laughed. “But also kind of comforting? In a way. It’s like he’s watching over me, making sure I’m doing the job the right way.”

  “He doesn’t need to do that,” Niki said. “Even ghost Ray trusts you implicitly. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have picked you to run the damn thing.”

  “I know.” I smiled. “Still, I don’t want to fail him. He put so much faith in me. I don’t want to let him down. Him. Or Sean.”

  “Sean, huh?” Niki asked with raised eyebrows. “How’s he doing?”

  “He’s sad,” I said. “Of course, he is. His father just died.”

  “But they weren’t exactly close, were they?” Niki asked. She switched hands, letting the manicurist start on her left.

  “No,” I said. “They weren’t, but they put all that aside in the end. Remember, Ray left the entire company to Sean. You should have seen Zach’s face when the lawyer read that part of the will. I’ve never seen anyone look that pissed.”

  “Good,” Niki said. “If anyone deserves it, it’s that asshole.”

  “True.” I nodded. “He practically ran that company into the ground. The only reason it’s still afloat is because of Ray and me. Plus, Sean really deserves this opportunity. He doesn’t really have the business mind, but his heart is always in the right place. He’ll do the right thing, which is more than anyone can say for Zach. With Sean in charge, I really think the company will be better than it’s ever been.”

  As I spoke, I could feel my heart beating faster in my chest. Whenever I talked about Sean, I got butterflies. Even when he wasn’t around me, he had such a profound effect on me. In our short time together, we’d managed to bond so deeply that I knew we would never be able to leave each other’s lives.

  “You’re glowing,” Niki pointed out. “You’re happy.”

  “I am,” I admitted. “We’re all still grieving for Ray, but Sean makes me happy. Sean and Paisley.”

  “How are things going with you two?” Niki asked. “Really.”

  “Things are amazing,” I said. “I can’t think of a better word to describe it. After Ray died, I wasn’t sure if Sean would want me around, you know? I thought he might need some time to make peace with the loss on his own, but he didn’t. He and Paisley have both made every effort to see me and include me in their day to day lives. If we go even a day without having dinner together, Paisley gets upset. It’s nice to be missed that much, you know? To be cared about so deeply.”

  “Hey, I care about you,” Niki teased.

  “Ha. Ha.” I laughed. “You know what I mean. It’s like we’re becoming a real family.”

  “A family, huh?” Niki asked. Her tone suggested concern, but it didn’t bother me. Niki always had my best interests at heart, and I knew she only worried about me because she loved me so much.

  “Yeah,” I nodded. “A family. It’s amazing, Niki. It re
ally is.”

  “You know,” Niki began slowly. “When you first started seeing Sean, I was really skeptical. From everything you told me about him, he did not seem like your type. At all. Now, though… I can see how happy he makes you. And if you two can survive the death of his father, then you can probably survive anything.”

  “I hope so,” I said.

  “It’s nice to see,” Niki said.

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  “You in love again.” Niki smiled slyly.

  I opened my mouth to speak, but I didn’t know what to say. Did I want to argue? Did I want to confirm her suspicions? I hadn’t even told Sean that I loved him yet. Should I really admit that to Niki first? I looked in her eyes and knew that it didn’t matter. Whether I said it or not, Niki knew me too well. I couldn’t have hidden my feelings from her even if I wanted to.

  “He’s really great,” I said simply. The smile on my face said everything. Niki smiled back at me just as her manicurist finished her final finger. She leaned back in her chair to let her nails dry, and our conversation changed smoothly to another topic. We spent the rest of the hour talking about Niki’s job and her latest crush, but my mind never completely left Sean. I saw him the night before, but I already missed him.

  ***

  When I made it to Sean’s that night, he and Paisley already had dinner on the table. I grinned as I let myself inside and walked into the kitchen. Paisley jumped out of her seat to hug me quickly, and Sean leaned down to kiss me. We all sat down together and enjoyed our meal, talking about the day. When I told Niki that we were starting to feel like a family, I’d been telling the truth. Every time I walked inside Sean’s house, I felt like I was walking into my own.

  We finished eating and cleaned the kitchen together. Paisley was itching to go for a ride on Sean’s motorcycle, but he made her help with the dishes first. Her little body vibrated with energy as she hurried to finish her job. She loaded the dishwasher at lightning speed, almost breaking a few dishes in the process. Sean pretended to scold her, but I could tell he wasn’t angry. He loved how eager she was to spend time with him. It seemed that, after everything, Sean and Paisley had become the true definition of father and daughter. It was everything Sean wanted, and everything I wanted for him.