He’d always wanted me at Gold Moon by his side, hoping I’d eventually take over and run it myself. I’d wanted that, too.
I still did, and that hurt. I’d never get the chance to properly join Dad in the way I’d always wanted. I hadn’t wanted my future to turn out like this.
I wanted to have the time to take back the past.
I’d run. Shame about trusting the wrong non-shifter people and somehow not having the correct shifter instincts to know better. It had driven me away from my parents for good. I absolutely should have known I was heading down the wrong path, that I’d chosen an inappropriate person to put my trust in, right?
But I hadn’t wanted to face my failure, and I’d taken the first job that accepted me. Still, it hadn’t turned out too badly. I’d worked my way up.
And to appease Dad, I’d still helped him out with the end-of-year accounts. I hadn’t separated myself entirely.
I referenced that now. “I’ll still keep things as they are. Besides, Dad said he’d get an operations manager in, right?” It was something I already knew about, but if I made Mom tell me, she’d work her way around to my point of view that perhaps I wasn’t necessary at Gold Moon.
I just needed to let her take it step by step. She’d get there without too much prompting.
“Hmm.” She shrugged. “I’ve met her a few times.” She looked at me again, her gaze pointed. “She’s not you.” Then she shrugged again. “She seems like a great fit for the role she does, and I think you should keep her on, especially as you’ll have more important things to contend with. The things your dad had to do each day.” She narrowed her eyes again. “You know, when you start work as CEO.”
I concealed my small sigh. Apparently, she was slower to see my side of things than I’d expected.
I’d never met Charmaine, so I couldn’t share Mom’s appraisal of her. And Dad leaving Gold Moon to me was more of an inconvenience right now than anything else. I wanted to grieve, not plan the next steps for a company I’d run away from and wasn’t ready to return to just yet.
I glanced between Mom and Agatha, unsure why I was even here. “You seem to have everything in hand, anyway.” The words were meaningless, yet Mom glanced down at what she held and laughed.
“I suppose you could put it that way,” she said and laughed before wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.
My heart squeezed and I wrapped an arm around her. “Do you need anything from me?” She didn’t seem to need any physical or emotional support.
She shook her head. “Actually, I don’t think I do. Agatha was incredibly helpful.”
Agatha’s laugh tinkled from the other side of the room, the melodious sound almost soothing. “It’s what I’m here for, dear. Trying to make a difficult time easier.”
Mom stood, her usual smile back in position. “And I very much appreciate it. Let us know if you need any more information or to settle any accounts.”
Agatha glanced at me, and I nodded. I was definitely here more for the financial arrangements than for any support reasons. Today at least, Mom seemed very strong about this whole process. I reached into my purse for my wallet.
As if she could read my mind, she turned to me. “Your dad and I had a lot of good years,” she said. “Years I’m so grateful for. I couldn’t have been happier.”
My heart tightened again and I blinked behind my glasses, trying to hold my mouth still, to keep it from twisting and revealing my pain. She was right — the years had been incredible. I just wasn’t ready for them to end.
“We’ve been very lucky, Jo. My wolf chose his wolf, and his wolf chose mine, and…” She laughed. “I don’t want to suggest we had no choice, but it’s been the best possible way. We’ve been able to do things many people only dream of in the life we’ve created, too.” She paused for a moment. “I mean, yes, we had our moments. Any marriage does, but overall, we lived our lives in exactly the ways we chose. I have no regrets about any of it.” Her face fell before brightening again. “Only the world trip, but we’re still going to do that part together now.”
I clutched my wallet tighter, my knuckles whitening against the black leather. “Can we…?” I held it up slightly in a silent signal, and Agatha nodded swiftly in response, making efficient work of running my card with minimal fuss.
She was like some sort of magician, keeping the ugliness of finance away from the sorrow of today.
As Mom and I walked toward the door, Mom patted my shoulder. “We’ll all be okay,” she whispered.
The little bell sounded again as I let us out and Mom glanced into her hands.
“Oh!” She turned and walked back toward Agatha, the urn outstretched in front of her. “I don’t believe I need this yet.”
I stepped outside, my movement hurried, like I needed to escape. But I caught sight of Wes and stopped.
“What are you doing lurking in the shadows?”
“Thought you might need to see a friendly face,” my personal assistant murmured. “And it looks like I might have been right.” He brushed the backs of his fingers over my left cheek, wiping away a stray tear that had leaked out unnoticed. “How was everything?” His face creased with concern and his tone became hushed.
I barked out an unexpected laugh. “Do I look disturbed?”