“He said he wanted you to find the right man.”
“You were talking about me?”
Silas nods. “He told me he supported you wanting a family. But he’d have to be the right man. How can I be that man after what I did? After pouncing on you like that in the office? After not telling him first?”
“It’s not like it was one-sided in the office,” I reply. “Let’s face it. We both knew what we were doing, undressing in front of each other. There was something between us.”
“Right away. I know. But it doesn’t make it right.”
“Do you regret it?” I ask.
“I can’t regret anything that brought us here, agreeing on the future we want. We should tell him today.”
I shake my head, and he meets my eyes, doing the same, sharing in recognition of how difficult this is going to be.
“Wehaveto do it,” Silas says firmly.
“I know. But it’s…it’s Wednesday. Let’s wait until Saturday, at least. He always takes Saturday afternoon and Sunday off. You know how committed he is to work. We can’t drop this on him in the middle of a work week.”
It’s a delaying tactic, and I can tell Silas knows it, but he doesn’t contradict me.
“We can’t see each other before we tell him,” he says. “I don’t trust myself.”
“Neither do I,” I whisper. “Before we started getting…you know….”
“Yeah,” he says, glancing around.
“I never thought I could be confident in that way. I never dreamed you’d look at me how you do.”
“How?” he asks, staring like he’d do anything for me.
“Like that,” I say. “Like you….”
Love me.
“Like you never want to let anything bad happen to me.”
“I won’t,” he says. “Ever.”
* * *
“Did you have fun with Casey?” Mom asks as I walk into the kitchen to grab a soda.
She’s at the counter, chopping herbs, the air filled with their aroma.
It’s difficult to outright lie to Mom, so I mumble yes and head for the door.
“Don’t disturb your father. He’s in his office.”
“His home office?” I turn. “Why?”
“It’s all very secretive,” Mom says. “But I think he wanted to be here in case the deal is finalized today. There’s lots of activity.”
He likes working here when he needs more focus, with nobody demanding meetings or causing problems.
The deal explains Silas’ phone lighting up in the helicopter and his repeated apologies when we were forced to leave each other. Unfortunately, the driver was standing right there, making it impossible to kiss goodbye.
“Your father wants us all to go out for dinner when the deal’s done. The family, Silas, and a few of his business contacts. Won’t that be nice?”