Page 24 of River
“Hmm… yes. It was an accident.”
“Thanks.”
For the first time, I saw a small smile on my father’s lips. “I’m glad you came, Noah.”
Emotions rushed through me because in those words and his soft smile was the message that I’d been longing to hear all along. That I mattered, and that he cared.
“Yeah. Me too.”
To shake off the memories, I got up from my chair on the porch, stepped down to the sand, and walked to the water.
I was financially independent now but more confused than I’d been before my father died.
I’d always been convinced that he would donate all his money to some obscure foundation to make sure his name wouldn’t die with him, but he’d surprised me and left me more money than I could spend in this lifetime.
I hadn’t told anyone but simply taken a leave of absence to travel and think things through.
Having this type of money presented a wide range of challenges for me. The biggest one that I didn’t want to end up like my father. He’d been a lonely workaholic who hadn’t trusted any woman to get close to him.
My mom had once told me that she loved him but that he’d accused her of being a gold digger in a heated argument. After that, she’d broken off their relationship and later gone on to marry my stepfather, Eric, who was a carpenter.
I didn’t want to end up as paranoid, bitter, or lonely as my father.
My argument with River from earlier today made me kick at the water. That woman drew me in like no one else, but I couldn’t figure her out. If I cut my hair, bought some fancy clothes, and told her I had inherited a fortune, would she want me? Maybe, but if she wanted me because of those things, she was the kind of superficial woman I didn’t want.
My hands went to my hair. It had been a while since I got it cut, and maybe it was fair enough that she wasn’t attracted to the hobo look, but would it even make a difference if I cut it?
Heaving in a deep breath of fresh salty air, I decided that I would give it a try and see what happened.
