Johnson Family 2: Perfect (10 page)

She let out a deep breath and nodded her agreement to the compromise. “Do I have your word?”

“I’ve never lied to you, Dani. You have my word,” he said. “I expect you to move in right away. I’ll give you the number to my assistant. He’ll help you.” He’d have Shaun move her in quickly, before she had a chance to rethink her decision.

“Fine.” Daniella walked toward the door.

“And Dani?”

She turned around to face him. “Stay away from Roland DuBois. Let that phone call be the end of your contact with him.”

She opened her mouth as if to respond and then changed her mind. She walked out of his office, and after the door closed, Cyrus reclaimed his chair and looked at the disorder of his desk. He ran his hand over his hair and closed his eyes to relive the past few moments.

He
had
to get her back. He was in love with her. The realization had sneaked up on him unexpectedly three years ago when she left. The gut-wrenching pain he’d experienced when she’d walked away had been almost unbearable, but he’d thrown himself into work to get through it.

Once she came back, they could start over. She was the only woman he wanted, the only one he could imagine spending the rest of his life with, and the only one he wanted to be the mother of his children.

No matter how much acrimony existed between them, he didn’t want Daniella back for six months, for a year, not for any limited period of time.

As far as he was concerned, she was coming back for good.

Chapter Ten

“Thank you. It was a pleasure doing business with you.”

Daniella shook hands with the president and vice president of the software company she’d spent the last hour reviewing prints with. Today she was in Bellevue. The suburb had seen major growth in recent years as more and more start-ups and small businesses set up shop in the Seattle area. The city was emerging as a rival of Silicon Valley as tech companies took advantage of the affordable office space and attractive tax incentives.

The meeting had been successful. The company had recently leased office space in Bellevue and wanted the decor to reflect their young staff and the president’s love of music. She’d taken several catalogues, as well as some prints by local artists whose work she thought was a good fit. The president had liked one of the artists so much, they’d discussed framed originals for his own home. Once in the car, she called one of her salespersons, gave her the details, and instructed her to get in touch with the artist’s agent to get the ball rolling on brokering a deal.

Driving across the bridge that spanned Lake Washington, she was on her way back to Seattle. While she should be excited about the pending deal, tonight would not only be her first night back at home with Cyrus, they would attend his sister’s engagement party as a couple. Apprehension settled in her stomach and wouldn’t go away.

Packing up her belongings and moving them into the mansion hadn’t taken long at all with Shaun taking care of the details. He’d promised to have her unpacked by tonight, and she didn’t doubt he could do it.

She drove to Viva on Broadway Avenue, a popular coffee shop many Seattleites considered had the best coffee in Seattle. She didn’t pay much attention to the few patrons at the tables before walking up to the curved bar and placing an order for two one-pound bags of her favorite blend.

On her way back out the door she paused at the familiar stride of a man coming toward her wearing a golf shirt and tan slacks. At the sight of her father, Daniella’s lungs ceased to function. She hadn’t seen him in so long, she temporarily froze. Tall and handsome, with a dark bronze complexion—partly compliments of a Spanish mother and black father, and partly from being exposed to the sun’s rays year round at his home in Miami—he turned heads though well into his sixties.

Pretending not to see him, Daniella ducked her head and hurried to the door, but he’d seen her. “Daniella!”

She didn’t want to speak to him, but there was no way she could behave as if she hadn’t heard him call her name. Taking a deep breath, she swung around and transformed her face into an uninterested mask.

“Carlos.” A long time ago she’d started calling him by his first name. He didn’t deserve the title of father.

Despite her unenthusiastic greeting, he looked happy to see her, his brown eyes bright and eager. He looked her up and down, smiling as if they had a good relationship. “What a surprise,” he said. “It’s good to see you. I didn’t think I’d be able to see you while I was back in town.”

“If you wanted to make sure you saw me, you could have called and set up a meeting,” she said a cool voice.

“Would you have met with me?” he asked, his voice hopeful.

“No, I wouldn’t have,” she said with a tight smile, and was satisfied when she saw the smile waver on his lips.

“Of course not.”

“Did you want something?”

“Yes, I…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Do you think we could sit and talk for a few minutes?”

“About what?”

“I have something to tell you.”

She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall behind the cash register. “I only have a few minutes,” she said, even though she had no other pressing appointment.

He nodded his understanding. “I only need a few minutes.” He glanced around the shop and motioned with his hand. “How about we sit over there?”

Sit down and talk to her father. She couldn’t remember the last time that happened, and all of a sudden she was frightened of the situation she was placing herself in. But why should she be fearful? He couldn’t hurt her anymore.

“A few minutes,” she repeated.

“No problem.”

He led the way to a two-top table against the window. Located at the back, it lent an air of privacy.

Daniella set her purse and coffee purchase on the table. What could her father possibly have to say to her after all this time?

“You look so much like your mother,” he said softly.

She stiffened. Wrong start to the conversation, and he realized it right away, too.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—”

“No, you shouldn’t have. What do you want?”

He took a deep breath. “I came back here to close on the house,” he said.

Daniella shrugged. “I figured as much.”

The house he referred to was the property he’d purchased years ago when he and her mother first married. He’d allowed her and Daniella to live there after their divorce, but his name remained on the deed. After her mother passed away, he rented the property to long term tenants who’d moved out over a year ago. It had take over a year on the market before the property finally sold.

Her mother had lived there until her death from colon cancer. The disease had metastasized, spreading throughout the tissues of her body at an alarming rate. The chemotherapy treatments left her so weak she could no longer work, could barely even walk most days. Even with the aggressive treatments, the cancer had plowed through her cells and ravaged her body until she’d been so withered she was unrecognizable, only a fragment of former self.

“The reason I’m glad we were able to see each other today is because I have something to tell you.” He rubbed his hands together, apparently finding it difficult to tell her his news. She wished he’d get it over with. “I’m leaving the country. I’m selling the house in Miami, too, and moving to the Caribbean at the end of the year.”

Moving? For good? The shock of his words left her temporarily speechless. Daniella swallowed. “I see.”

“I was hoping—”

“Don’t you mean we?” she interrupted him. Hurt, anger foamed inside of her. “You said ‘I’m leaving the country,’ but what you really mean is
we’re
leaving the country. You and your wife. Are your sons going, too?”

“No, the boys aren’t going. Just me and…my wife.” He leaned across the table. “Before I go, I want…I wanted to see if we could patch things up. I want you to have my address, in case you ever need me.”

“I haven’t needed you before. What makes you think I would need you now?”

He appeared crestfallen. Did he really think she’d jump at the chance to stay in touch when they hadn’t for years?

“Daniella—”

“Oh, wait, you
did
pay child support.” While his sons had his love and affection, she hadn’t received even a birthday card from him since her eighth birthday, after he married the woman he’d been having an affair with behind her mother’s back. “So I should thank you for that. I should also thank you for covering my mother’s medical bills after she died, but I was more than capable of doing it.” It would have been a financial strain. She would have covered the bills, though, but he beat her to it.

“I wanted to,” he said. “It was the least I could do.”

“Do you think it somehow makes up for the way you discarded her?”
The way you discarded
me?
she wanted to scream.

“No, I don’t.”

He looked pitiful, and she didn’t want to feel sorry for him. “Goodbye, Carlos.” Daniella rose from the table.

“I never deserted you,” he said hastily. “No matter what you think.” His voice halted her with her back turned to him.

She whirled around in anger. “Don’t you lie to me,” she hissed. “You had your new wife and your new family, and that’s all that mattered.” His sons had gone into business with him. Since he’d sold the business and moved to Miami, what were they doing now? No doubt living off the millions of dollars her father had earned over the years. Twiddling their thumbs as they chased women around the globe. From what she understood from other family members, her younger siblings were quite the playboys. They’d taken after their father. She lifted her chin and looked down at him with disdain. “I don’t need you for anything. I don’t need your money, your time, nothing. You didn’t want me, but it didn’t stop me from being successful.”

A pained expression crossed his face and he reached a hand to her but only caught air. “That’s not true. I wanted you, and I’m so proud of everything you’ve accomplished.”

“Why would you be proud? You had absolutely nothing to do with my success. I’m successful in spite of your rejection.” She should be quiet. Otherwise she’d say too much and he’d guess how much his absence had truly affected her. How devastated she’d been for years when she realized he was never coming back. She would never get another piggyback ride. He would never introduce her to another person as his favorite girl and the best thing in his life.

She could never treat her own child in such a cruel manner. She knew the pain of rejection, and her child would not grow up doubting the love of either of its parents. She’d already taken steps to ensure that didn’t happen.

Carlos stood. “I know you don’t need me, but I’m your father, and no matter what you believe, I loved you. I still do.” He paused, then reached into his pocket. “My contact information, in case you ever change your mind and want to get in touch.”

He tried to hand her the card, but she didn’t take it. The truth was, she couldn’t move. The memories that had tormented her flooded back like a burst dam, and she was afraid if she moved a muscle she might collapse completely. Then he’d know the truth.

Very carefully, he placed the card on the table. “I’m staying at the Four Seasons Hotel until Saturday if you want to meet up again and talk.”

“I won’t.”

He nodded. “I understand. Goodbye, baby girl.”

He had no right to call her that. The softly spoken endearment pierced her cold armor, but fortunately he’d already started toward the door.

She bit her trembling lip and blinked to fight back the tears. A man at a nearby table openly watched her, and she lowered her gaze, blinking rapidly against the tears flooding her eyes. When her blurry vision cleared, her eyes focused on the card he’d left behind.

Simple and white with black letters, it listed his name, address, and cell phone number. She stared at it for a long time. She didn’t know how long she stood there, lost in her own world, remembering how every birthday came and went. Christmas came and went. Every holiday, every summer,
every single day
, passed, and she never heard from her father.

Maybe if she hadn’t known how wonderful having him in her life could be it wouldn’t have hurt so much. But she’d been eight years old when he disappeared, and she still remembered all the fun times they’d had. He’d taken her fishing, and he even took her down to the work sites with him and put a hard hat on her head so she could safely walk through the buildings he renovated. She’d been a daddy’s girl for sure.

Then he disappeared, as if he’d fallen off the edge of the world. When he’d divorced her mother, he’d divorced her, too. He hadn’t broken one heart. He’d broken two.

She picked up the card and tore it into tiny pieces. Then she took the pieces and walked over to the trash receptacle and tossed them in. Nothing had changed, and she’d turned out fine. She didn’t need him then and she certainly didn’t need him now.

Chapter Eleven

One of the drawbacks to his position in life was the number of events Cyrus had to attend. Political functions, charity functions, fundraisers, and all manner of social engagements. The list seemed endless. He’d cut back in recent years, but he still showed up to quite a few on a regular basis. At least this event was different. His sister was happy and getting married.