LOREN
Ismoothed down my dress, nerves skyrocketing as I waited for my father to arrive. Despite hating having to dress a certain way for my mother in the past, I’d taken extra care to pick out my outfit. It was something new I’d gotten with the girls, and as I stood in the white dress, I felt confident and mature. This was a big moment for me, and I wanted to look the part—pearls and all.
I’d been pleased when my father had responded to my request quickly, not even blinking when I asked for him, and only him. Perhaps things were starting to deteriorate in their relationship more than I realized. It made me curious, but only in the sense of how it might play out. This would be a critical move against my mother, and I had high hopes for my dad, despite his previous reluctance in my life. I think I mostly didn’t want to have two awful parents.
Looking around the room, I felt pleased with how everything looked in Atticus’ formal dining room. We’d come back this morning, feeling it was safe again. All the little details stood out, and I realized it was the first time I felt pride about setting a table.
Atticus had helped me meet with the staff to plan the meal, pick out the linens, and flowers. The lengths he’d gone to make me happy made my breath stop when I thought about it. His care was woven throughout, and I could see the minor effects he made on things in our everyday lives. Even from the very beginning, when I thought he hated me, when he’d pushed me away, he’d been protecting and caring for me.
Atticus and I had both been blind to our feelings, too scared to look at them closely. With the blinders off, I was learning so much about the man behind the suit.
Stepping away from the table, I was surprised when strong arms wrapped around me, and a masculine cologne full of seduction and darkness wafted over me. Sinking into his embrace, my heart sped up when he rubbed his nose along my neck before whispering to me.
“You look beautiful, Bellezza, and this room looks perfect. It's going to go well. But no matter what, you have us; we're here. Don't forget who you are.”
“And who is that?” I asked, a smile playing at my lips.
“Lady of the manor, of course.” I could feel his lips move against my neck, and I wondered if he was giving me one of his rare smiles. I almost wanted to see it, but it felt too lovely in his arms to move away. So instead, I turned, wrapping my arms around his neck, getting the benefit of both.
He gazed down at me, his face open, and I lost myself staring into his eyes. Remembering I had a question, I whispered, “Oh, and what benefits does the Lady of the manor get exactly?”
“Hmm,” he purred, dipping his head lower, his breath fanning against my cheek and setting off my nerves in a new direction. “Well, for starters, she gets to—”
“Sir, your guest has arrived.”
The words stilled the air around us, a reminder of what lay ahead for us today, and I watched as Atticus went into Boss mode. His hands flexed on my hips, but he leaned down, brushing his lips delicately against mine. It was a reminder that while he might be cold on the outside, he burned for me, and I realized he didn’t lose too much of himself with me there. When he let go of me, he straightened his tie before grabbing my hand, and together we walked to meet my father.
We approached as a unit, which strengthened me and gave me the clarity I needed. As we drew closer, I tried to look at my dad with different eyes. He looked well, dressed nicely, and no one would know anything was different on the surface. But if I looked closer, I could see the small changes I hadn’t ever paid attention to. There were stress lines around his eyes, his skin seemed to have lost some of its glow, and I wondered if perhaps he’d missed his weekly golf game with his club memberships being canceled, as Atticus had stated at the benefit. His hair was thinning, and he looked like he’d lost weight as well. It shocked me. However, more confusing was whether I was finally seeing my dad as a person and not an extension of Jaqueline, or if the past year really had taken a toll on him.
Maybe money really did buy youth, and now that they didn't have any to buy the things that kept him looking young, it made all the cracks in his appearance visible? It was a lot to ponder and not something I wanted to think about at the moment.
“Dad,” I greeted, calling his attention to me. Kenneth Hanover looked up, meeting my eyes, and I saw a genuine smile there. Letting go of Atticus’ hand, I walked over and embraced him. It was quick, but for us, it was more than I’d gotten in a while.
“It’s good to see you, Loren. I was pleased you reached out.”
“It’s good to see you too, Dad. Come on, let’s chat over some food.” We walked together, Atticus waiting for me ahead, dropping next to me as I neared. I had my dad’s arm in mine, but it felt nice to have Atticus close if I needed him.
“How did you manage to get out of the house?” I asked curiously.
He grunted, displeasure in his tone. “Not as difficult as you might think.” I could hear the dissension in his words, and I peeked over at Atticus. He grimaced, hearing it too.
“Well, that’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about,” I said as we entered the dining room where the rest of the guys were waiting, quieting as we walked in. “But first, I want to introduce you to some people.” I watched as my dad took in the men who’d become my world, watching for any sign of disgust. He seemed shocked, but didn’t look at me the way my mother would have, giving me some hope again.
“Welcome to our home, Mr. Hanover. I’m Atticus. Please, have a seat.” My father nodded, doing as he was told. As I sat next to Atticus, I nodded at Monroe, who introduced himself.
“I’m Monroe Miller. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Hanover.” My dad smiled, but seemed overwhelmed as the others went around. Wells and Sax basically grunted out their names, leaving Nicco to finish. Despite his tattoos on display, I wasn’t shocked when he displayed manners.
“I’m Nicolai. It’s a pleasure to make the acquaintance of the father of such an amazing woman.”
“Show off,” Wells muttered, Sax agreeing with a grunt. Nicco just smiled wider, not disturbed. I’d seen him emerge over the past few days in a way I hadn’t known he’d needed, and it had been beautiful to watch. Smiling, I turned back to my dad, assessing him again. I wondered what he thought about all these men here. Did he think I was a slut? The fear he would think less of me wanted to rise, but I kicked it away. I hoped my dad would be able to accept me, but I didn’t need his approval to be happy.
Kenneth nodded at my guys, swallowing as he looked around the table. They were an intimidating bunch, excluding Monroe, but I’d learned not to discount him. “It’s an honor to meet you all as well, but I’m afraid I can’t take credit for the woman Loren has become. She’s done all of that on her own.”
It was the first compliment I could remember my father giving me that wasn’t connected to something my mother had forced me to do. I swallowed, willing the burning behind my eyes to go away. The door swung open, offering me a moment to collect myself as the food was placed down in front of us. The silver trays were lifted almost in unison, and wonderful smells greeted us. I breathed it in, smiling.
“That never gets old,” Monroe chuckled, making me smile.
“Shall we eat?” Atticus asked, picking up his fork. The other guys waited, but my father wasn’t privy to mafia boss etiquette and picked up his own, nodding as he took a bite. He greedily ate the meal, and I worried things were worse than we’d known.