"Are you?"
"A good businessman?"
"No, ruthless." Sydney wished she could take the words back. They'd just popped out. The boy she'd loved was no longer here, but the man he'd become still intrigued her. For years, he'd been held under his father's rule, until his ambition turned into a ruthless need to escape everything he'd once loved. Including her.
"When I need to be."
She believed him. "Did New York teach you that?"
His grip tightened on the wheel. They were in new territory. Since his return they hadn't discussed his time in the city or anything that could lead them back to their past relationship. But now, with their working truce, she admitted to being a bit curious about those five years when he'd grown into his own man.
His answer reflected no hidden tension. "Yes. I needed to go to New York and find out who I was without my family. Dad would never have allowed me to explore real estate. It was difficult at first, but I hooked up with a decent firm and began learning. In my spare time, I took some extra home-design courses and built my skills. After two years, I was ready to step out on my own. I recruited a small clientele and kept growing."
"Did you enjoy living in the city?"
She didn't ask the question she really wanted to know:
Did he regret coming home to stay?
"The city is a beast. It's big and powerful and tries to devour you whole. But if you work hard, take your punches, and fight back, the rewards make it worth it. I found my niche. Sometimes it was brutal, because this business is cutthroat and you have to be able to make some hard decisions. There are people who get right in your face and say you'll fail. You have to get past the negative junk." His voice held a bit of self-mockery. "Dear old Dad helped me with that."
She smiled. Christian had been hard on him, but like with everything else, Tristan was able to take the bad and change it into a life lesson. "He did have a way with words," she said drily.
He smiled back. The bitterness and hatred toward his father had softened over the two years since his death. In a way, Sydney wondered if Tristan was able to see him more as a man than as a father. Diane had eventually left Christian for another lover, only to die in that fateful car crash. The events had trapped Christian in such bitterness, he alienated his family one by one. It was as if he ended up only punishing himself, and Tristan had finally moved past it.
"I loved the cultural benefits in New York. Great restaurants. Theater. Opera. Museums. Endless opportunities to meet interesting people and have unique experiences."
A pang hit her. She'd never traveled. Sure, she'd been to the city for a few events. She'd visited Boston, and Philly, and even taken a short ski trip to Vermont. But that was as far as she'd gone. She'd never longed to see beyond the borders of Harrington and used to look at it as a lack within herself. Especially compared with Tristan's burning need to see the world and flee his home. After birthing Becca, she'd learned more about herself and refused to apologize any longer for her own dreams. She'd been lucky to be raised by grandparents who loved her, but knowing her parents never cared about her broke something deep inside. She'd always felt . . . needy. Needy for love and security. For comfort. For assurances that everything would work out.
When she was pregnant with Becca, Sydney had needed to provide a home and security for her daughter. She'd known Jason for years, as he worked construction for a competitor, but when he seriously began pursuing her after Tristan left, he seemed like the answer to everything. He was kind, happily settled in town, and wanted a wife and family. When he learned of her pregnancy, he didn't run but offered a future they both seemed to want. It was a whirlwind courtship so they could be married quickly. Unfortunately, it didn't take long to discover that friendship and good intentions did not make a marriage. How badly she'd wanted to lay a strong foundation of home for herself and Becca. They'd tried so hard to make it work, but when Becca turned six months old, Jason was offered a unique opportunity to move overseas to do underwater construction, and everything fell apart.
Besides refusing to move her daughter to a new country, they realized there was too much missing in their marriage to endure a long-distance relationship. Their decision to part was painful, but there'd been no resentment. Just a sadness they weren't meant to be together. Becca still retained her ex-husband's name, but Jason was no longer a part of their lives. Becca was truly, solely hers. One day, she intended to explain to her daughter the details of her past, but Becca was still too young to understand. One day, questions would be raised and answers demanded.