Summer Escape with the Tycoon

by Donna Alward

  Charles went over and sat next to her, reaching for her hand. “God, no. What happened to him was an accident. Have you carried this around all this time? Sweetheart, you deserve to be happy and fulfilled. Don’t you ever think differently. And if we somehow added to any pressure, I’m so sorry.” He squeezed her fingers. “We love you...for you.”

  “Even if that means leaving the firm?”

  “Even then, though I’ll hate it.” He smiled tenderly. “I’m sorry for being a grouchy old bear about you going away.”

  “It’s not your fault, Dad. I just want to choose me for a while.”

  They all took a moment to wipe their noses and regain their composure. “Does that mean you’re leaving law behind?” Olivia asked. “What will you do?”

  Molly shook her head. “Not leaving it behind. The first thing I’m doing is helping out a new opioid center on the Cape. I learned about it at the charity event where I bid on the trip. It’s a good cause and I can be of use there.”

  “And after that?”

  “I don’t know. I thought I had another project, but it turns out it’s a conflict of interest. I’m going to take some time to figure things out.” She looked at both of them. “This vacation was the first one I’ve ever taken on my own, and I’m nearly thirty. I went from high school to college to law school to work with no breaks. I want to take one now. Really have a look at my options and go from there.”

  “You’re sure you can’t do that while staying at the firm? We can reduce your caseload.”

  She met her dad’s gaze and guilt slid through her. “Dad, I’m so sorry. I know this is hardest for you. And I love that you want me there and that you have so much faith in me. I feel like in order to follow my dreams, I’m crushing yours.”

  Silence dropped over them for a few moments, but then Charles straightened and put his hand over hers on the sofa. “You’re not crushing mine. I wanted to raise a daughter who was smart and successful and strong. You’re all of those things. I’ve been selfish for too long, Molly. You shouldn’t stay because of me. That being said, there will always be an office for you. Always.”

  “Dad,” she whispered, incredibly touched. “I thought you were going to be mad. You said on the phone you wanted me to come to my senses.”

  “And so I did. I would love nothing more than to have you work beside me, but I can’t make that choice for you. It sounds as if you already made too many choices based on what you thought we wanted.”

  Olivia leaned forward. “Sweetie, we never wanted you to try to fill Jack’s shoes. The only person you ever have to be is you.”

  Tears clogged Molly’s throat as she tried not to cry—again. The most “her” she’d ever been was on that trip, and that was the woman Eric had fallen in love with. That was the woman who’d fallen in love with him. And she’d played right into his insecurities. She’d known that people saw the money first and not the man, and she’d done exactly the same thing by asking him to abandon a business deal just because she’d asked him to.

  No wonder he’d been hurt. She’d taken their relationship and reduced it to dollars and cents and favors, all because she’d been all full of herself and her dreams.

  Tears spilled over her lashes and she gave a big sniff, chagrined at crying during before-dinner drinks. This wasn’t a delicate sniffle, but tears she couldn’t control that just kept coming.

  Charles got up and found some tissues somewhere and pressed them into her hand. “Don’t cry, sweetie. It’s fine now.”

  Olivia stood up and came to the sofa. “Charles, you’re a smart man, but this isn’t about a job. This is a broken-heart sort of cry, so maybe you can check on dinner.”

  Molly laughed even as she was crying. Olivia didn’t always speak up, but when she did it was with a dry, practical tone that bordered on sarcastic. Molly blew her nose in the tissues as Charles made a hasty exit and her mother sat down beside her.

  “So you met someone on the trip.”

  She nodded. “And I blew it. I mean, it was going to be hard anyway, but...yeah.”

  “Oh, I doubt you blew it all by yourself. Just about everything takes two. You should know that in your line of work.”

  It was true. There was the odd case where clearly one partner was entirely innocent in the breakdown of a marriage, but more often it was failures on both sides. She’d been blaming herself, but Eric hadn’t even given her a chance. She remembered what he’d said...something about leaving being hard but their fight making it a lot easier.

  Maybe she’d been foolish, but he’d been a coward.

  “It’s okay. It wouldn’t have worked out anyway. He’s based out of Montreal and I’m here.”

  “Here and unemployed. Still, you knew each other a week and a half, right? And there would be immigration things to work out. Big step for a relationship that young.”

  “Yeah.”

  “What’s he like?”

  For a moment, the words unreachable and stubborn came to mind, but then she remembered their long talks and the way he held her in his arms when he slept, tucked in against his body, as if afraid she’d somehow slip away.

  “He’s successful and confident on the outside, and gentle and funny on the inside,” she murmured, dabbing her eyes with the tissues. “His dad abandoned them when he was a little boy, so he and his brothers grew up looking after their mom. He used to help her through panic attacks, and worked to help with the family finances.”

  “And what does he do now?”

  “He’s got his own company and a bazillion dollars.”

  Olivia snorted. “Good Lord. We told you to aim high, but wow.”

  “That’s the problem.” The worst of the tears were over now, and she straightened a bit and gave another sniff. “I asked him for a favor because he has the money and power to grant it.”

  “And he gets asked that all the time and thought you were different?”

  Molly nodded. “How’d you know?”

  Olivia put her arm around Molly’s shoulders. “You know my mom and dad are old money. Your dad was working his way through law school. I was used to boys wanting to date me because I was the right kind of girl to take home to their mamas. I studied English and history and dressed the right way and my daddy had connections. Your dad didn’t know who I was and didn’t give a damn if I had money or not. I married him. Against your grandparents’ wishes, by the way. I didn’t bring any of the money with me, but I didn’t care.”

  “I never knew that about you guys.”

  She shrugged. “We fell in love. That was just it.”

  Molly sighed, the ache inside her growing. “I think I did, too, Mom. He’s amazing and handsome and wonderful and smart. Until I blew it.”

  “So try to fix it.”

  “He wouldn’t talk to me before I left.”

  “So? Good Lord, child. You are the most persistent, stubborn woman I know. Since when do you give up when faced with no?”

  Her mom was right. She hadn’t even fought for him. “I don’t know where to start.”

  “You could try calling or emailing. Open the channels of dialogue.”

  It was true. He still had all the pictures and video of their trip. It was a way in, perhaps. “Look at you,” Molly said, smiling a little. “Relationship counselor while Dad handles the breakups.”

  “We balance each other out. Now listen. Stay and have dinner and get your bearings again. Then think about touching base. If you really care about him, reach out. If it’s the end, it’s the end. But at least you will have tried.”

  Molly leaned over and hugged her mom. “I love you, you know that?”

  “I know. And we love you, too. Your father will get over your leaving, too. You just go be happy.”

  She would. If it was the last thing she did.

  * * *

  Eric pulled into the dri
ve in front of a small bungalow in Laval. Three other cars sat in the driveway; his made the fourth and filled the remaining paved space. It was Sunday and they were all here, just as he knew they’d be. Maman had always made a big deal about Sunday dinners and being together as a family.

  He hadn’t been to one in years.

  Taking a huge breath, he got out of his car, walked to the front door and, feeling incredibly awkward, pushed the doorbell.

  His mother answered, her dark hair showing streaks of gray, her eyes with crinkles at the corners and laugh lines at the edges of her lips. She’d aged, but she looked happy. And her face blanked when she saw him.

  “Mon Dieu! Eric. Vraiment?”

  “Oui, Maman.” He offered a small smile. “May I come in?”

  “Of course! The boys are here. And all the kids.”

  “Je sais. C’est dimanche.” He laughed. “Tell me it’s roast beef and mashed potatoes...”

  Her eyes lightened. “Welcome home,” she said simply and opened the door wider.

  The house was bustling with children a variety of ages, slamming in and out of the door that led to the backyard. His sisters-in-law were all in the kitchen, helping with the meal, the “boys” sitting at the table with beers, talking. An odd silence fell over the group when he stepped across the threshold.

  Adam, the youngest, cursed under his breath in surprise. And Robert—Bobby—lifted his eyebrows. “Eric. This is unexpected.”

  “I know. I should have called, but I was afraid you’d all tell me not to come.”

  The silence let him know that he wasn’t being afforded a hero’s welcome. Not that he deserved it, but this was no prodigal-son moment.

  Janette, Adam’s wife, twisted the top off a beer and handed it over with a small smile. He took it, gratefully, just to have something in his hands.

  “Something is on your mind, oui?” Robert asked and used his foot to nudge out a chair.

  “It is. I need to apologize. When Papa left us, I felt this huge responsibility to make sure we were okay as a family.”

  “You did a great job,” his mother said, patting his arm as she deposited a stack of plates on the table. “You took on so much, at such a young age.”

  “But I made mistakes. I was so focused on providing us with material...well, not even comforts. Necessities. I started to equate my role as provider with one of love. And as a result, I alienated all of you. I just want to say I’m sorry. You’re my family first.”

  Adam looked up. “When we started the dealership, you weren’t exactly supportive of our abilities. You offered us cash. Like we couldn’t do it on our own.”

  “I know.” He finally sat in the chair and let out a sigh. “Look, those early years after he left, they were really tough. You guys were small and maybe you don’t remember, but I promised myself that no one in my family would ever have to be in that position ever again. So my misguided way of showing I cared for you was also arrogant and self-serving. I can’t change the past, but I want to be a part of this family again. If there’s a place for me.”

  He looked up and saw his mother’s eyes brimming with tears. Robert cleared his throat, got up and slapped Eric on the shoulder. “Then you should have brought the beer,” he said, just before a broad smile spread across his face. He ruffled Eric’s hair before reaching for his wife, who was also smiling. “It’s about time.”

  His mother nodded. “I thank you for this house, and for all you’ve given us. But we really just wanted you.”

  It reminded him so much of something Molly would say that his heart gave a lurch.

  And as the family dinner was served, he realized this was a pretty good place to make a change.

  * * *

  Two days later, Eric tapped his fingers on his keyboard without actually pressing the keys. The email had come through this morning and he still hadn’t answered it. He didn’t know how. Truth was, he didn’t like how he’d behaved on that last day. She’d wanted to talk and he’d shut her down and walked away. Now, with a few weeks’ distance, he could put that last morning in perspective. Had she been wrong to ask him? Probably. But had her motives been calculated? He highly doubted it. Everything he knew about her—in his head and in his heart—said that she wasn’t the kind to take advantage of him over money.

  She’d been caught up in the idea and hadn’t thought things through. And boy, had he punished her for that. All because he was a coward and it had given him the out he hadn’t realized he was looking for.

  The words unlovable and emotionally unavailable came back to bite him, too, thanks to Murielle’s parting shots. The only good thing to happen since his trip was the visit to see his family. A bridge had been tentatively built. They were family, and that counted for more than anything.

  Which brought him back to the email on his screen. From Molly. She’d left the family firm after all and was taking time to evaluate her options. Meanwhile, she was wondering if she could have some of the pictures from the trip after they’d smashed their phones. And then she’d ended the email with “Best wishes, Molly.”

  So very polite. When all he could think about was their time together. He’d meant what he said at Butchart Gardens. He had been falling for her...was already over half in love with her. It had scared him to death and what happened that last morning had given him the excuse he needed to run.

  Because it wasn’t just her he hadn’t trusted. It was himself. And love in general. Time away from her hadn’t changed his feelings one bit.

  He told his assistant to hold his calls for a half hour and instead went through the pictures and videos he’d downloaded to the cloud. There were several of scenery and wildlife, but also many featuring her...on the river, in her kayak, laughing around the campfire. One at the museum and even in a few group pictures. The last few days they’d taken a couple of selfies; one in particular he liked in the double kayak, with his face up front and her behind him, looking like a goofy kind of photobomb. And another in Butchart Gardens, of her on the carousel, whimsically happy.

  The chances of them working out were slim, but he couldn’t stay angry at her forever, not when he’d acted—reacted—the way he had.

  So he shared the folder with her and told her she could have any of the photos and videos she wanted from the trip. That he hoped she was doing well.

  Once that was done, he turned his attention back to work. Now Molly was on his mind, though, so he made a call to a colleague in Boston and asked about her. If she were working to mount some sort of challenge to his acquisition of Atlantic Bionics, he wanted to know about it.

  Ten minutes later he hung up with a strange feeling in his chest.

  She wasn’t on the project at all.

  An email notification popped up on his screen and he clicked on it. It was a reply from Molly.

  Thanks. I really wanted to have some photos to commemorate the trip. I do hope things are going well for you, Eric. And want you to know that I did leave my practice and that I did not take on the Atlantic Bionics thing. It would have been a conflict of interest, and you were right. It was wrong of me to have asked that of you.

  He swallowed roughly and then typed back a response.

  I shouldn’t have reacted as I did, either. I was too harsh. I know I have my reasons but that doesn’t excuse my behavior. I’m glad we’re not leaving things as we did that morning in Victoria.

  Then he hesitated, wondering if he dare get more personal. Before he could change his mind, he added two sentences.

  I hope you’re on your way to being happier. You deserve it.

  Then he signed his name and hit Send.

  He didn’t receive a reply until the next day, when her name popped up in his inbox when he opened his email after lunch. His heart did this little flutter thing just from seeing her name there, and his finger hovered over the mouse button, wanting to open it, wondering
if he should.

  Nothing had really changed. He was still in Montreal and she was in Boston. Even if they were both committed to try a relationship, it would be incredibly difficult. And clearly, after his reaction in the seaplane that day, he was far from being ready for a commitment. He had a lot of trust issues to work through, going back many years.

  But it was Molly, and he couldn’t just delete it without reading. He could read it and not reply, right?

  He clicked on her name and brought up the message.

  Hi Eric,

  I went through all the pictures and the video and, wow! You got some great shots. Thank you for sharing them. And for everything, even helping me smash my phone. It helped to talk to my parents when I got home, and we’re all okay with me going in a new direction. Surprisingly so. I hope you’ve had a chance to see your family. I know you were thinking of doing that.

  I also want to say... I’m sorry. Sorry for ruining things on that last day when really the whole time with you was pretty magical. Even the first day when you walked in on my bath. You showed me that I had a sense of adventure just waiting to come out, and that I could let go and fall for someone. I know we didn’t work out, but those were both incredible gifts that I’ll always be grateful for.

  Thanks for replying and giving me a chance to say how I feel. I hated leaving things with anger and hurt.

  Love, Molly

  She was thanking him. Him! For giving her gifts that she’d had all along anyway. He should be the one thanking her. He’d never met a purer soul than Molly, and a hard ball of loneliness settled in the pit of his stomach. He missed her. God, he even woke in the morning hoping to feel her in the sheets beside him and she wasn’t there. He wanted to see her bright smile, or her flashing eyes, when she got irritated.

  He scrolled through his other messages, trying to put the thought of her to the back of his mind. They were close to closing on the Bionics deal, and once that was done, he’d...

  He paused. Once they closed this deal, he’d move on to the next deal, and the next.