Page 60 of Can't Get Enough

“You don’t know what you’re—”

“You’re right, Dad. I don’t know, so let me find out. Pop let you figure things out, defer a year. Do different things. Take some chances. Let me follow in your footsteps.”

“That’s just it. Thereareno footsteps. Just a whole bunch of false starts and stumbles and risks that I don’t want you to have to take.”

Over Tamia’s shoulder, I spot LaTanya walking past. The hell if I’m navigating this alone.

“LaTanya!” I call. “Could you come here, please?”

One of my best friends and the mother of my only child steps into view. Long braids flow down to her waist. Her honey-brown skin, theexact shade of Tamia’s, is flawless and unlined even as she just hit her forty-eighth birthday.

“You summoned?” she asks dryly, leaning over Tamia’s shoulder to catch my eyes on the screen.

“Have you heard your daughter’s plan to delay college?”

“I have,” she answers. “And can’t say I’m surprised. Why are you?”

I’m momentarily at a loss for words, but that doesn’t last long. Never does.

“What do you mean you’re not surprised?” I demand.

“She’s your daughter, Mav. What’d you expect, raising her the way you have? Letting her sit in on meetings, traipsing all over the world, giving her a front-row seat for all your business ventures and not expect it to shape who she is? What she wants from life? Of course she wants to invest in something like this.”

“Invest in…” My eyes ping between my daughter and LaTanya. “What investment?”

“Thanks, Mom,” Tamia mutters, rolling her eyes. “I hadn’t quite gotten to that part yet.”

“What investment?” I repeat.

“There’s a few pieces of property here I’m interested in buying,” Tamia says. “Just some housing projects that—”

“Shit, Tam.” I huff out a breath. “Are you kidding me? You’re only eighteen.”

“You were only twenty-two when you launched True Playahs,” she points out.

“She’s right.” LaTanya smirks. “I was there.”

“The two of you are ganging up on me.” I shake my head. “I knew it was a mistake to let you spend the summer with your mother. She’s a bad influence.”

“Let?” Tamia asks. “I’m eighteen, Dad. The days of letting are done.”

“At least send the specs over,” I sigh. “Let me get Bolt on it. I want to know this is a good venture before you sink money into it.”

“Already have the figures pulled,” Tamia says. “Mom said you’d ask for that.”

“I’m that predictable, huh?” I ask, yielding a small crease of a smile.

They both laugh and I give up trying to dissuade Tamia from the course she’s set. She is like me. Once we have something in our sights that we want, good luck convincing us we can’t have it.

For some reason, Hendrix Barry invades my thoughts, like she has so often since the night we met. The pull between us was even stronger at the Vipers game. With my rational mind, I know pursuing something with Hendrix would be awkward, but that same obstinate glint I see in my daughter’s eyes, I know it’s always in mine.

I’ve built my fortune on risks everyone told me weren’t worth taking. It’s honed my instincts so I know a good thing when I see it.

And Hendrix Barry is a good thing.

CHAPTER 18

HENDRIX

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