Only Mom could talk about Dad like that and get away with it. Anyone else would leave with something broken for inferring that they were stronger or more powerful than him.
“What happened after that?” Elena asked, sitting on the edge of her seat.
“I gave him my money and left.”
Elena’s eyes went wide. The rest of us knew Mom was only pausing for dramatic effect. That was her favorite part of telling this story; the reactions of others when they hear that my dad almost let her walk out of his life.
“Oh my god, he let you leave?” Elena’s eyes snapped to Dad, who was chuckling at her expression: mouth open, eyes ready to pop out. I might have laughed if I hadn’t been so fucking annoyed at the reason for the retelling of the story. Dad loved Elena like a daughter, and just like Mom, she could say anything she wanted.
“I did,” he said, slight laughter still ringing from his lips. “I enjoyed living the bachelor life and the small part of my brain that wanted to keep that life let her go. Not once had I expected anyone like her to walk through the door. For so long I’d been single, telling myself that a wife and family was something I wasn’t interested in. Ronnie was the one who would give my dad grandbabies. Me? I had to learn the business and keep it running.”
Elena’s eyes darted back and forth between me and my dad. Probably seeing the same thing Mom mentioned earlier. While there might have been similarities between my dad and myself, I knew that was all they were . . . small similarities. I’d dated enough women to know that not one of them had ever affected me the way my parents did each other when they met.
“. . . knew she’d be back in a few days to pick up her car. I decided to make that day as memorable as possible. That way, when I wanted to take her out again, there would be no way she’d tell me no.”
“This is supposed to be my story.” Mom gave Dad the fake pout that always got her anything she wanted.
“Then please continue, my dear. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Most people would take his comment sarcastically, but that was the exact opposite of how he meant it. He genuinely wouldn’t want to upset my mom in any way. According to my dad, the sun and moon rose and set with her.
She winked at my dad and continued. “As I was saying, he let me leave, promising my car would be ready in a few days and that he’d give me a call when I could pick it up. About three days later, I got the call. When I arrived, Malcolm stood outside leaning against the driver’s side door. He handed me the paperwork and the keys. I looked down to make sure everything was in order, when I noticed that there were no payments listed. When I told him there was a mistake, he completely denied it and turned to the payoff page which showed the car had been paid in full. I threw my arms around him and before I knew what was happening our lips were locked in a kiss. I felt the—”
“Tingle all the way down to my toes,” Ashton finished, cringing. “We get it. None of us want to hear that part. Move on, please.”
He was right. I definitely did not want to hear about my mom sticking her tongue down my dad’s throat. There were some things you couldn’t force yourself to forget, but I tried to keep those thoughts at the back of my mind.
“Please, Ashton.” She rolled her eyes and continued. “Anyway, that night he took me to dinner. We spent the entire evening talking, getting to know one another. One date and I was hooked. The rest is history.” She gestured over at me with her eyes still on Elena. “Now you know why I think there is still hope for Miller. One day he’s going to meet the woman of his dreams and fall head over heels for her, like his father did.’
“That sounds exactly like Miller.” Elena smiled. “Now we need to keep helping him look for her.”
“Yes. Anyone working on the show?”
“Let me—”
“Goddamn it. Drop it,” I snapped, fed up with the conversation as a whole. Was no one listening to me or what I wanted?
Mom bristled beside me. “Drop it?”
“Yes! I’m done with this conversation. I don’t want a girlfriend, or a wife. I want to live my life the way I choose, without everyone interfering.” I jumped up from my seat, grabbed my coat, and turned for the door. A home-cooked meal wasn’t worth the aggravation.
“Miller, you better turn around and get your ass in my office before I drag it there.” The low tone made it clear that ignoring him was not an option.
With a groan, I tossed my coat back down and stormed down the hall to his office, ignoring everyone else in the room. Some days it felt like he was two different people. There were times he was my dad: the loving man who raised me, giving me and my brother everything we needed. Then there was my father: the head of the family business, who expected us to take over for him and do as he said, no questions asked.