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A line formed next to the hostess stand, and once a couple stepped aside, I saw a familiar face behind them.
My father stood there dressed in slacks and a collared shirt, his assistant at his side in an evening dress. The hostess spoke to him, but his eyes were on me like there was no one else in the room.
I was frozen in place, caught off guard that he had decided to come to my restaurant for dinner. I hadn’t expected that, but I should have, because it seemed like exactly something he would do. Unable to recover myself, I only met his look.
Axel approached him but didn’t greet him with a handshake. “I hope you have reservations because we have no availability for walk-ins. It’s a packed house tonight.”
“I made reservations as soon as the system was open.” He looked at Axel briefly before his eyes switched back to me. “Congratulations, sweetheart.”
I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know what to do. So I turned around and headed to the bathroom.
When I came out moments later, Axel was nowhere to be found. He was no longer greeting our guests at the front.
When I looked into the dining area, I found his muscular back facing me. He sat at a table across from my father, the two of them locked in deep conversation under the mood lighting. My father’s assistant looked at her phone like the conversation didn’t concern her.
I was annoyed my father was there. But I was more annoyed that Axel had chosen to sit with him rather than stand with me. I looked out the double doors and did my best to pretend I didn’tfeel betrayed. Greeting people and forming connections out of thin air wasn’t my strongest suit. With me, it would just look awkward and forced, so I chose to stand there and stay quiet.
Moments later, Axel came back to my side. “It looks like your father and his assistant are an item.”
I ignored him.
“Baby?”
“We’re having our grand opening right now. Why are you talking to him?”
His playful eyes suddenly hardened. “Just saying hello.”
“Hello to the man who threatened to kill you?”
“Baby, he’s your father.”
“He’s an asshole for showing up here on my big night. Instead of letting me have this moment, he had to make it about himself.”
“I think he just wanted to support you.”
“He could have supported me when I asked for a loan—but he hesitated.” I looked out the window again.
His arm moved around my waist. “Baby, it’s okay.”
“We’ve had such a nice night together…and then he ruins it.”
“He didn’t ruin it. He just wanted to have dinner and support you.” He moved in front of me, blocking my view of the window and the guests who were waiting for their tables. “Forget about it, alright? It’s done. He’s over there having dinner with what’s-her-name, and you’re here with me.”
“You weren’t here with me when you walked over there.”
His eyes flicked back and forth between mine. “I just wanted to say hello. It’s called manners.”
“You owe him nothing, and you know it.”
“He’s my father-in-law. While I don’t hold him in the highest regard, he’s your family, and he’s still important to you, whether you admit it or not. I don’t want you to have this hate in your heart. It’s the same hate my parents carry—and it’s aged them decades. The past is gone. It’s been resolved. Try to let it go.”
Chapter 17
Axel
Scarlett was angry with me.
I could tell because she wouldn’t make eye contact with me. When she got to our bedroom, she dropped her clothes and immediately washed her face, as if removing her makeup would somehow deter my desire.
