“Where is all this coming from? She’s Oz’s sister. You remember Oz? He’s the one marrying your daughter in a couple days. You don’t have a problem with him, so why would you have a problem with his sister?”
His father piped up again. “We might be financing this wedding, but that doesn’t mean we entirely approve of who your sister has chosen to marry. But at least he’s gainfully employed and has a clean background. Your sister has always been somewhat of a free spirit, so we’ve been able to downplay this enough that it hasn’t totally destroyed our standing in the community. Every family has one child who doesn’t toe the line. But you are my only son. You will carry on the family name. What you do, who you spend your time with, matters. It’s time to grow up and start being a little wiser with your choices.”
The slow fire burning its way through Elliot’s gut spiked a few more degrees. If this kept up much longer, he wasn’t going to be able to keep his fury from leaking out.
“If that’s your only criteria for being trustworthy, then you shouldn’t have any problem with Lena. She’s very gainfully employed. She’s the hardest working woman I know. She not only works her ass off, but she’s an amazing mother, too.”
His mother released a very unladylike snort. “She’s a no-class nobody who got knocked up by some loser, and now she’s looking for a nice rich daddy for her offspring.”
Elliot’s mouth dropped open. “That is one of the most hateful things I’ve ever heard you say. You have no right—”
“I have every right,” his mother said, her face flushing with her anger. “You are my son. You’ve always been immature and spoiled, Elliot, but you’ve generally been careful enough to keep your conquests discreet and at least somewhat worthy of you. But this? This girl? What will it do to the family’s reputation if this got out? What about your future? Your father and I have worked our whole lives to make sure you kids had the best of everything, always. I don’t know why you and your sister are so determined to throw that all away. It’s too late for her, but it’s not for you. I will not allow you to destroy everything we’ve built for you.
“You might think it’s just some island fling, but what if she thinks it’s more? What if she ends up pregnant? Are you even taking precautions against that? I’m sure there’s nothing that girl would like more than to have a child by you. Then she’d have a lifetime claim on you.”
Elliot’s hand clenched the back of the couch, stunned and infuriated at his mother’s accusations. “You actually think that she would try to get pregnant on purpose to trap me into some settlement?”
“We know her type, Son,” his father said.
Elliot shook his head. “You don’t know anything about her. I invited her over here last night so she could help me put together some ideas for our foundation.”
His mother’s lips puckered. “You’ve proved my point.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You invited her over here to help you with a business matter, something she can’t possibly know anything about, and somehow you ended up in bed. Did you actually do any work last night? Who made the first move?”
He couldn’t answer that without playing right into his mother’s hands. Yes, Lena had made the first move, sort of. But if she hadn’t, he would have. She was not some sort of manipulative gold digger.
“As I thought.” His mother gathered up her purse, and his father stood to follow her. “Your partying ways have gone on long enough, Elliot. Get rid of this girl. Get your head on straight. It’s time to grow up and show some responsibility.”
“I’m trying to do something meaningful with my life, our foundation, but you two have shot down every idea I’ve come up with.”
His father gave him the look that made grown men piss their pants. For once, it had no effect on Elliot. There wasn’t room for anything but the anger burning its way through his veins.
“Take something seriously for once in your life, and it will be easier for us to take you seriously.”
It was all Elliot could do to keep from shouting right in his dad’s face. He refrained, barely. Somehow, screaming like a child that his daddy was being unfair didn’t seem the best way to prove that he was a responsible adult.
His dad opened the door for his mother, but she wasn’t quite finished with him. “It’s time to grow up and get your life in order, Elliot. You can start by keeping your distance from that girl. She is not the kind of woman you need.”
He shut the door on his parents, the urge to slam his fist into something so strong he finally turned and slugged the couch. There was just enough wood in the structure to make a satisfying crack and make his fist throb, though not nearly enough to purge the rage eating him up.
His parents had never believed in him. And yes, he could admit that he might not have given them much reason to in the past. But this foundation, it was important to him. And he was going to see it through, no matter what they thought. They’d put him in charge of the family charity. They didn’t have anything to do with it other than writing a check once a year. And he was going to make something of it, whether they liked it or not.
As for Lena, well, they were wrong about her, too. No, he hadn’t known her very long. And he didn’t need to. No one had ever made him feel so alive. She was the smartest, kindest, most genuine person he’d ever met. She made him laugh. Made him give a shit about something for the first time in his life. Made him envision a better life for himself.
He shook his head at the walking cliché he’d become. Because damn if she didn’t make him want to be a better man.
His parents were so wrong. Lena was exactly who he needed in his life. And he was going to do whatever it took to make sure she stayed there.
Chapter Ten
Lena managed to avoid Elliot until lunch. It was pure torture to do it, but she had to consider what was best for Tyler. She and Elliot would never work out, but since her body didn’t seem to agree, avoidance was her only option. But there was no escaping him when the whole family was expected to meet. They had plans to eat together to get the schedule for the rest of the week ironed out. The dress rehearsal was the next day, and the following day, Cher and Oz would march down the aisle and make everything official. And then… It was back to real life.
Lena sighed and leaned back in her chair, sipping on her lemonade. Elliot had been seated near his parents, so while he’d spent the entire meal staring at her, they hadn’t been able to talk. Tyler had gone off with the other kids for a little buffet the hotel put together for the children. They should be about done.
Elliot’s parents finally dabbed their dainty mouths with their fine linen napkins and excused themselves from the table. Once they were out of sight, it was like the whole table let out a sigh and everyone relaxed. Elliot stood, his eyes intent on her. Reprieve was over. He headed her way.
“Elliot!”
Tyler came barreling around the corner, and Elliot leaned over, visibly bracing himself for the hug that Tyler flung at him. He laughed and scooped the boy up, giving him a big squeeze while he jostled him around and then gently “dropped” him back to the ground.
“How’s it going, big guy?”
“Great! They had chicken nuggets shaped like sharks and mac and cheese with noodles that looked like fishes. And this huge fountain that had chocolate in it that we could dunk krispy squares and marshmallows in!”
Elliot laughed but Lena groaned. Sweet heaven, the sugar rush her son had just described would take hours to burn off. She needed to find him someplace to run until he dropped.
“Can we go to your room and play video games again?” Tyler asked.
Elliot looked over at Lena, his eyebrows raised in question.