Page 98 of The Surrender
He’s back to sheepish. “He mentioned it one of the first times we met.”
“Are you joking?” He’s been holding out on Nick because he thought he’d get me chained to the kitchen sink and pushing out babies, therefore keeping me close by?
“I’m not,” he sighs. “All this ambition of yours, your dreams, what if they take you away from me?” He squeezes my hand, and all frustration for my father leaves my body, making it shrink.
“You foolish old man.” He’s done the exact opposite by cutting me out of the family business and pushing me away.
“Or not so foolish. Now you’ve met this Harrison bloke, you’re in another county.”
“But it’s not ambition that has brought me here, Dad.”
“Then what is it?” His eyebrows rise in interest.
This is it. No more skirting around it to save feelings. “Love, Dad. I love him.”
“I feared as much.”
I laugh at the irony. “I feared as much too.”
“You did?”
“Yes, because it was unexpected and, obviously, it crept up on me at the trickiest time.”
He hums, amused. “Nick.”
“Nick,” I confirm. “But more you, Dad. I don’t want to hurt Nick’s feelings, of course, but I’ve always been more concerned about you.”
“You have?”
“Yes, because I can’t dump you, can I?”
He chuckles, and it’s the sweetest sound. “No. No, you can’t.”
“And I wouldn’t want to.”
“Oh, my girl.” He hooks his arm over my neck and tugs me into him for a hug. I feel his lips on the back of my head. “You’ll never know how blessed I feel to have you.”
“I feel blessed too. Most of the time.” He nudges me, and I smile. “I have no plans to leave London.”
“You don’t?” he asks, sounding hopeful as he releases me.
“No, I don’t.”
“What about Harrison?”
“Will you please call him by his actual name?”
“Jude,” he grunts. “I’m sure he expects you to move here.”
“It’s new,” I say. “We’ve not talked about long-term, Dad. I’m just going with this.”
“But you love him?”
“Deeply,” I admit.
“So youmightmove to Oxfordshire?”
“I don’t know.” I laugh. “And you’re talking like it’s another country. I’d be across a couple of county borders.”
