“So you’ll ignore what’s in your heart?” Shefolded her arms.
Chantelle sighed. “I can’t fall in love withhim.”
“You’ve always been in love with him. Yousneaking away to marry the boy proved that to me and your father.You were too young then, but you’re not a kid anymore. I think youknow your own mind now. Lance does too.”
Looking away, Chantelle mulled over hermother’s words. There was a time when she loved Lance with everybreath in her body. They would laugh and talk nonstop for hours onthe phone. Silly grins would dance on their faces whenever theyparted ways. He would even put his arm around her shoulder whenthey sat next to each other at the movies. What stole the show? Hiskisses. They weakened her knees every time.
Chantelle pulled her lips in. Despite thefiasco at prom, Lance made it worthwhile. He walked her to the doorlike the gentleman his father had raised him to be. Their fingersintertwined as they paced the concrete walkway.
“Have fun?” He had asked. “Besides the… youknow?”
She had giggled. “I did. It was fun.”
He shook his head. “I still can’t believe Idid that.”
She paused her steps and took his other hand.“It doesn’t matter.”
He raised an eyebrow with a smile. “Why’sthat?”
Parting her lips, her heart poured out tohim. “I love you.”
Lance’s face had slackened.
Chantelle squeezed her eyes shut. “Ishouldn’t have said that.” She rolled her shoulders back. Sheneeded to get inside before she further embarrassed herself. “Thankyou for a fun night.” She pivoted to the door, but Lance kept herhand in his, bringing her back to him.
“Don’t be sorry, you caught me off guard.”His eyes softened. “I love you too.”
She beamed. “It’s not too soon?”
He kissed her, silencing all her doubts andfears. Drawing back, he whispered against her lips. “I don’t wantthe night to end.”
She had cupped his face. “Me neither.”
Lance had looked back at his car. Then staredinto her eyes once more. “Come with me.”
“You know your father and I wouldn’t have letit happen, right?” Her mother said.
Tucking in her upper lip, Chantelle’s mindreturned to the present. “I know, Mom.”
“I wanted to believe the Taylors meant well,suggesting adoption for the baby, but…” Chantelle’s mother shookher head. “I couldn’t live with myself, and I knew you’d resent usdeciding for the both of you. Even if I had to raise the child asmy own, it didn’t feel right giving it away.” She faced herdaughter. “If you don’t think you should—”
“I can do it, Mom. I’ll be fine.”
Douglas entered through the back door. “Gotsome meat ready for me?”
Chantelle took her escape after acknowledgingher stepfather with a simple nod.
Chapter 20
Lance stared at the gold nameplate on hisfather’s desk. The bookshelf behind it carried books that hisfather had collected over the years. The clock ticked on the wall,and a potted cactus sat in the corner.
Shifting in his chair, he heard the creak.Then his eyes scanned the wall, staring again at the picture of hisyounger sister holding her first a medal as a swimmer. A twinge ofpain increased inside his chest.
“Want to bet I make it to the Olympics?”Amelia had beamed. Water glistened from her eyelashes.
Lance had bobbed his head. “I think you cando it.”
She then wrapped her arms around his neck.“Love you big brother.”
He peeled her arms away from him, but didn’thesitate to kiss the top of her head. “No more mushy stuff. I’m aman.”
“Not yet. You don’t even have a car yet,” shehad teased.
Rubbing his palms together, Lance expectedhis father’s response to the report he emailed him the nightbefore. His swallowing increased as he chewed on his bottomlip.
“I see you got here before I did,” his fathersaid.
Lance didn’t even bother to stand, but satback in his chair, bracing himself. “You wanted to see me, so Ishowed up.”
His father sat in his rolling chair. Hischarcoal suit looked pressed as he never entered the office lookingless than his best. “I’ll ignore that.” He then picked up a manilafolder on his desk. “I had my new assistant Louise print thisout.”
“What did you think?”
“You want to cut into twenty percent of ourprofits.” His father’s eyes scanned the paperwork.
“It’ll save a few jobs.”
His father sighed. “This is a business, not acharity. We’re looking to maximize this deal.”
Lance leaned forward. “You told me to go toNew York and make the best deal possible.” He pointed to thefolder. “I did the numbers again. This is the best deal. I knowwe’re used to profit and losses, but this is about people.”
His father’s expression turned pinched.“Didn’t I teach you to separate business from personal? You’ve gonesoft since volunteering at that community center.”
Lance’s stomach burned. “Maybe I grew aheart.”
“You’re letting it interfere with yourjob.”
“So you don’t want me to do the right thing?Even if it involves helping people avoid the unemploymentline.”
His father dropped the papers on his desk.“Why don’t you tell me what the real problem is?”
Lance rolled his eyes. “Why? It would onlyget personal and we know you don’t want that. You’re all business,aren’t you?”
His father’s eyes widened. “I’ve done nothingbut work to provide for you and your mother.”
Lance shook his head. “You can’t even say hername, can you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Thisis about your failure to do your job, and that is to make this dealas profitable as possible.”
“My failure?” Rising to his feet, he said,“You just made it personal.” He stepped away from his father’s deskand headed for the door. There was no reasoning with the man. Hewanted things his way. Lance couldn’t stand the pressure of tryingto live up to him and his ridiculous expectations.
Pivoting to face his father, Lance made eyecontact with the man’s gray eyes. “Consider this my two weeks’notice.”
His father jumped to his feet, forcing hisrolling chair to jump backwards. “Are you insane? You have a chanceat making partner.”
“You can have it.”
“Then why do it? Why put all this hard workin?”
Lance didn’t answer, but shut the door behindhim, leaving his father in obvious disbelief.
Returning to his office, he packed hisbriefcase and left
