“Guys,” Gabe said, holding up his hands in a plea.
His dad scoffed. “There will be plenty of time to travel later. I can’t just leave Gabe with a mess. What’s the point of leaving my kids the business if it’s in chaos?”
What was the point exactly? Gabe took a deep breath. “Dad, did you ever consider that maybe the legacy your kids would rather have is you?”
His dad’s face creased with bafflement. ?
??What are you talking about? You’ve got me. I’m right here.”
“None of us are married yet,” Gabe said. “None of us have kids. If we could trade the restaurants for another twenty years with you, all three of us would make that choice in a heartbeat. Sometimes it seems like you care more about MacKenzie’s than you do about time with any grandkids you might have.”
“Gabe,” his Dad growled. “That’s ridiculous.”
“I want you around to see my kids, Dad. I can’t imagine a better grandfather than you.”
“What’s all this about? Is Veronica pregnant?”
His mom stepped forward. “Gabe? Is that true?”
He laughed. “No, she’s not pregnant. She’ll be back in Wyoming tonight and I’ll probably never see her again.”
His mom tsked, but his dad shook his head. “That’s nonsense. She’ll be back. I could see in a second how good you were together. I haven’t seen you that relaxed and happy since you got home. You were like the old Gabe again.”
“Ha. Right.” He looked at his mom, the lines around her eyes tight with worry and resignation. She’d been waiting her whole life for the man she loved to stop working so hard and give her some real time together. And she’d keep waiting.
And his dad, so determined to make everything perfect and so sure of what was right for everyone that he couldn’t see how wrong he was. Even a brush with death hadn’t changed that. He was as stubborn as ever and Gabe was going to allow that to continue.
He looked at both his parents and stood up a little straighter. “We need to talk,” he said. He was going to have to tell the whole truth. The kind of truth that no one wanted to hear. And for once, he couldn’t try to cushion the blow.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
SHE WAS PROUD of herself. Truly, unequivocally proud. She’d met with her brand-new agent, recommended by a contact at her old paper, and they’d gone into that syndicate office with a strategy. Veronica hadn’t accepted a deal yet—waiting a week was part of the strategy—but she had an offer for fourteen newspapers, and she was going to take it. One more day and her agent would make the call.
Veronica could move out of her dad’s apartment. She might even take a few classes toward that degree in psychology she’d been considering.
And if she’d left a part of herself back in New York, well...there was nothing to be done about that.
Losing Gabe made her happiness bittersweet, but she felt thankful, too. Thankful she hadn’t had him longer. Just a few weeks of Gabe and she was already marked, as if her body were covered in memories. She wondered if she’d still be able to feel him on her skin a year from now. Ten years from now. She wondered if she’d want to.
She tugged on jeans and pulled on a tank top, hoping tonight’s crowd would accept a more casual Dear Veronica. Only slightly more casual, though. Her tank top sparkled with tiny black crystals and she added her blue half boots to dress the whole thing up.
If Gabe were going to be there, maybe she’d have worn a dress, but the thought of showing off her thighs to a room without Gabe made her sad.
Just as she was grabbing her purse to walk to the bar, her phone rang. When she saw it was her father, she almost didn’t pick up.
She finally answered after the fourth ring. “Hello?”
“I suppose you want me to come to the show,” her father said gruffly.
Veronica frowned at her door. “What?”
“Your show. I guess I should come and support you or you’ll accuse me of not caring.”
“Dad...” She shook her head in utter confusion. “I don’t think that would be a good idea. My show can get a little inappropriate.”
“Yes, I’ve noticed that from your columns,” he snapped.
She took a deep breath and braced herself for the lecture. But it didn’t come.