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“Okay. I like the sound of that.”
“Good.” He pecked my lips. “Just let me know when you’re ready for the transition.”
A part of me wanted to tell him I was ready; the other part of me was glad he wanted to wait for me. I was confident we’d be together forever, but there was still that part of me that couldn’t believe this was my life… my relationship. That part of me that wanted to take things slow in case things went wrong. But that was fear, and I’d never operated out of fear. I was determined not to start now that I was in the best relationship of my life.
The Following Wednesday
Chandler and I had taken Papa to The View for lunch since it was one of his favorite restaurants. I was happy with how their relationship had progressed. Their bond was genuine, and now that I was spending time with them both, I saw even more similarities.
“I must admit, I had an ulterior motive for this lunch,” Chandler admitted.
“What is it?” Papa asked, looking between us.
“I know you take care of Cheyanne’s expenses, but I’d like to relieve you of that responsibility.”
Papa sat back and got a bit more comfortable in his seat. A slow smile curved his lips.
“My Belle is not a cheap woman, Chandler. I know you have the means to provide, but having it and wanting to spend it are two different things. Many wealthy men have gotten there because they are stingy. Belle has personal stylists for her hair, makeup, and clothes that I pay a yearly salary. She has a nail technician as well, along with a travel agent. Not to mention her chauffeur subscription, personal chef, housekeeper, and accountant. That’s just the expenses I can think of off the top of my head. I spend about a million dollars a year on her, including a six-figure allowance she receives monthly.”
With that cocky chuckle I’d grown to love, Chandler wrapped his arm around the back of my seat. “One million a year… that’s all? I know the kind of woman Cheyanne is and the lifestyle she’s accustomed to. I promise you I will not take her from you and not be able to provide better.”
Papa sat up in his seat, extending his hand in Chandler’s direction for him to shake. “I’ll have my accountant reach out, and he will go over the process of switching everything over.”
“Thank you, sir, and thank you for trusting me with your granddaughter.”
Chandler excused himself, leaving me and Papa alone.
He was looking at me with a goofy smile that made me chuckle. “Why are you looking at me like that, Papa?”
“I’m just happy that you’ve found someone who looks at you, after you, and treats you the way Chandler does. I believe he really does love you.”
“I love him too. He um…” Squeezing the back of my neck, I looked toward the ocean. “He wants us to move in together, but I want to wait.”
“For what?” My eyes returned to his. “Are you waiting for marriage?”
“Not necessarily. I know we’re going to get married, so it’s not that.”
“Then what is it?”
I shrugged, finding it difficult to articulate the fear I was working through still. I knew, eventually, that I would agree, but there was still a bit of resistance. Perhaps as an act of self-preservation. While I wished all things were easy with Chandler, sometimes them or him being too good actually made things hard.
“I’m just scared, Papa. I went from thinking there was a chance I’d never marry or have kids to being with a man that offers both. Sometimes, it feels unreal.”
“Ah, I see.” He reclined further in his seat. “That’s how you know you’ve found the one. That’s how it was with your grandmother and I, God rest her soul. Things were so good and easy with her, I found myself trying to mess things up just to prove she was real. Now don’t get me wrong; we had our disagreements and issues, but they never outweighed the good and the peace, and we were always partners against the problem instead of each other. I almost lost her, waiting for things to get bad between us. I’m just grateful I wised up and realized she was a gift from God, and what we had was very much real.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’ve been struggling with. Hearing that makes me feel better and safer, making that move. Thank you for sharing that with me, Papa.”
“Always, Belle. Now I’m not saying do anything you’re not ready for, but if you are, don’t let fear stand in your way. Even if things don’t last forever, take full advantage of the beauty you have with him right now. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”
He took a sip of his tea as Chandler returned to the table. He dropped a kiss to the top of my head before taking his seat.
“What did I miss?” Chandler asked.
Before I could respond, Papa said, “My Belle was telling me you two are moving in together.”
Chandler’s perplexed expression tickled me. His brows were wrinkled as he stared at me briefly.
“Are you sure?” he asked, looking from me to Papa, then back to me. “There’s no rush, beautiful. I told you I can wait.”
