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“I guess you got my message,” he says, dryly pushing to a sitting position to rest against the headboard.
“You want to go at the DA on the morning I tell you I have a stockholder meeting for an important project? No. You wait.”
“Good morning, sunshine,” I say, sitting against the headboard next to Cole.
“Sunshine, my ass,” Reid snaps. “You wait, Lori. We do this when it’s time and it’s not. I’ve left the DA squirming for a reason. I want him to come to me. I want him to wonder why I haven’t taken a piece of his ass. I’m close to getting you four times the deal you wanted. He cannot believe that you’re willing to back off. Not yet. You want to make nice with him, you do it after I finish making him suck his damn thumb.”
“I take it you want us to wait,” Cole says dryly.
“Finally, one of you gets the point,” Reid says.
“I’m daring to challenge you on this,” I say. “I think if I go in there and tell him how much I just want this over, how much I want to make peace, he’ll be more likely to settle.”
He’s silent a few moments. “I’ll think about it. After my meeting. Don’t screw this up in the meantime.” He hangs up. Cole and I look at each other.
“I think we need to do this sooner than later, before the DA makes a move that burns the firm.”
“Agreed, but an extra day won’t matter,” he says. “Let’s give Reid room to breathe so that he can focus and talk objectively about our next move.”
My cellphone rings now. I grab it to find my mother. “Hey, mom,” I answer quickly. “Is everything okay?”
“Of course. I’m at work and I knew you’d be getting up to start your day. I just wanted to see if you’re okay. You haven’t called me since your attack.”
“I’ll make coffee,” Cole whispers, standing up in all of his naked glory before he pulls on his pajama bottoms and heads for the door.
“It wasn’t an attack, mom. He was grieving for his sister—it’s complicated. I got emotional because I felt his pain. That’s all.”
“I see. I’m sure you did. Can you help him?”
My stomach knots. “He tried to kill himself. He’s okay though and I can only hope that the good in this is that it helps ensure he gets real help.”
“I suddenly really need to see my daughter. I know you’re very busy but can you and Reid do dinner with your mom and her very special man?”
Her very special man. I still can’t get used to her with anyone but my father and yet, after the way my father left her to struggle, she deserves happiness. “When?”
“Whenever you can. I’m off Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday but we can always go to breakfast if needed.”
“Let me talk to Cole and I’ll let you know our schedule so we can coordinate with yours, but I’m looking forward to it.”
“I want you to come to our place. I want you to see how good this man is to me.”
I swallow hard. “Yes. I’d like that.”
We say our goodbyes and disconnect right when Cole walks into the bedroom with two mugs. “Why are you frowning?”
“My mother wants us to come see her new home and how well her man takes care of her.”
He sits down and hands me a cup. “Again. Why are you frowning?”
“I shouldn’t be. I want her to be happy, but…”
“It’s stirring up feelings about your father.”
“Yes. They were in love. I do know this. In the end, he wasn’t all he should have been to her, but they were in love. I suddenly feel sad that my father is just forgotten when a few months ago, that’s what I wanted.”
“Maybe, just maybe, this means you’re starting to forgive your father for his mistakes. Therefore, he’s human again, not a monster who betrayed you.”
I sip my coffee and consider this. “Do I want to forgive him, Cole? He gambled. He left us in debt. He left us desperate as my mother had a stroke.”
