“Do not tell me what to do, and get your hand off me,” Dad grunts.
I try to peek around Calvin, but I can’t see anything from my position.
“Sit down now or I’ll take you down to the station and book you for the fuck of it.”
“I forgot you’re a police officer. It would be interesting to see what might happen if I make a couple phone calls while I’m here in town.”
“You don’t scare me.” Calvin moves slightly, and my dad makes a sound while my mom whimpers. “But you should be scared.”
“Do you know how many people are witnessing you accost me?” Dad asks, sounding like he’s slightly in pain.
“You’re not in Chicago. These aren’t your people. They’re mine,” Calvin informs him. “Your name might hold some weight there, but you don’t have any control here.”
“I can’t believe you’re spending time with a man like him, Anna,” my mom whispers, sounding horrified, and I’m sure if I could see her face, it would look twisted.
“And I can’t believe you two are her parents,” Edie says, then looks at me. “Maybe you were switched at birth. I think you should have a DNA test done.”
“You gave up your life to spend time with people like these?” Dad asks, sounding disgusted.
I stand and bump into someone, but I don’t look to see who it is behind me. “If you mean caring, considerate, loyal, and accepting, then yeah, Dad, I did. Though I didn’t have much of a life to give up, and I honestly wouldn’t trade what I have now for any amount of money, because you can’t put a price on happiness.”
“I’ll give you five million to come home.”
I snort. “Did you not hear me? There is no amount of money you could give me that would make me change my mind.”
“Tell her.”
I spin, knowing the voice behind me, and when I see Lance, anger makes my stomach clench.
“Why are you here?” I hiss, glaring at him.
“You think I didn’t love you, Anna, but you should know I did,” Lance says, looking devastated, and my stomach twists for a different reason.
“Lance.”
“I lied. I was pissed and hurt. What I said about the reasons I asked you to marry me wasn’t true, but I was mad enough to make a few phone calls after I left, and I found out—”
“Shut up!” Dad shouts, cutting him off, and I turn to see his face is red.
Calvin puts his hand in Dad’s face, then turns to Lance. “Say what you need to say.”
“Who are you?” Lance asks Calvin.
“Young man, now isn’t the time for a pissing contest. If you have something to say, then say it,” Edie says with a sigh.
“Is everything okay here?”
I look over at Gaston, and I notice Tyler is with him as well, along with Chrissie and Leah, standing slightly behind their men.
My cheeks warm with embarrassment, and I wonder if we could become any more of a spectacle. Then I know the answer when Pearl and Dixie join everyone else standing around the table.
“This is ridiculous.” My dad tosses his napkin on the table, then looks at my mom. “We’re leaving.”
“You own seventy percent of the shares in the McAlister Corp. Your grandfather put them in your name when you were born, because he didn’t trust your father not to sell off the company,” Lance says.
“What?” My question is barely audible.
“That’s why he told me he’d give me half the company when we got married. There was a clause that stated if you were married, your husband, then eventually your children, would be given equal shares of the company. That’s why he and my father got together and hatched a plan to get us together.”
“Jesus,” Calvin growls.
I swallow as I look at my father. “I never wanted anything to do with your company. I would have signed it all back over to you if you’d asked me to.”
“That’s because you’re an idiot.” His nostrils flare. “You don’t understand the value of money.”
“No.” I shake my head. “I understand the value of money. I just know money doesn’t make you happy.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
My heart sinks. “I feel sorry for you. For both of you.” I look between him and my mom. “I hate that you believe that.” I look at Lance. “Thank you for being honest with me.”
“Can we talk?” he asks. He tucks his hands in his pockets, looking as nervous as he did the first time he asked me out.
“No,” Calvin says before I can answer, and I hear women, young and old, burst out laughing.
I want to smile, but I hold it back and shake my head. “I don’t think we have anything to talk about, but I really do wish you nothing but the best.”
“I had the best, Anna, and for what it’s worth, I’m sorry I didn’t look into this. I should have looked into why he made me that offer.”