Chapter 61

sixty-one

BEN

I glanced at Acorn Cottage, wondering why Daniel had gone inside. Hopefully, it wasn't to reply to a phone message he'd forgotten or to answer a work email.

"Don't worry about my grandson," Patrick said. "Tell me about the land where the tiny home village will be built. It looks as though the groundbreaking is about to start."

"It is. On the weekend, a team of volunteers are removing the last of the fences between the properties. The bulldozers arrive on Monday. Did you like helping the apprentices?"

Patrick handed me the salad. "It brought back a lot of good memories. We had an apprenticeship program when I started my first construction company. I'd forgotten how rewarding it is to help young builders."

I'd spent some time watching what was happening in the construction area. The students from Colorado State University enjoyed seeing their plans come to life. And from the looks of things, the apprentices welcomed the challenge of creating a tiny home.

"I feel the same way when I'm showing students around my studio. It doesn't matter whether they're nine or nineteen years old, it makes you feel proud of what you've achieved."

Patrick's eyes twinkled. "I enjoyed the tour of your studio the other night, and I'm a little older than the students. The judges couldn't have chosen a more deserving recipient of the Wilson Award."

"Thank you." I bit into a spare rib and sighed. "This is incredible."

"Daniel has hidden talents." He looked over my shoulder and smiled. "And talking about my grandson…"

I turned around and stared at the huge bouquet in Daniel's arms. Daisies, roses, snapdragons, and lilies were a rainbow of color and texture against his white shirt.

He sat beside me and handed me the flowers. "These are for you. I want you to know how much you mean to me. Will you give me another chance to show you how wonderful our lives could be together?"

I held the flowers against my chest and inhaled their sweet fragrance. "They're lovely." The uncertain frown on Daniel's face made my heart squeeze tight. "You don't need another chance, because I've never stopped loving you."

Daniel's eyes filled with tears. "I thought you'd given up on me."

I shook my head. "I wanted to call you, but I didn't know what to say. When I saw you this afternoon, I realized I want our relationship to work. It wasn't fair that I held you responsible for what happened."

Patrick cleared his throat. "There's something Daniel hasn't told you."

"No, Granddad."

I looked at Daniel, then at Patrick. "What is it?"

Daniel scowled at his grandfather. "It won't make any difference."

"It will make me feel better," Patrick said stubbornly. "Besides, there have been enough secrets between us. If you and Ben are starting a new life together, he needs to know what happened before the trial."

I had no idea what Patrick was talking about. I'd talked to my dad, reread the trial notes, and devoured all the articles and social media posts about the court case. If there was anything left to uncover, I didn't know what it could be.

Patrick pulled the napkin out of his shirt. "Daniel wasn't the person who made the attorneys press charges against your father. I was." He held up his hand when Daniel started to speak. "I told Daniel we needed to make an example of your father. Too many designers were breaking copyright and reproducing jewelry using cheaper materials. Something had to be done. The board of directors agreed with me. Daniel couldn't have done anything to stop what happened."

I turned to Daniel. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm responsible for the decisions my board makes. It doesn't matter whether I agree or disagree with them."

"What did you want to do?"

Daniel glanced at his grandfather. "Emanuel wasn't meeting the targets we expected from him. When he told my staff someone had copied his designs, they believed him. I wanted an independent panel to assess the two designers' work. If they could prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that your dad had copied his designs, I was happy to take the matter further."

"Did you appoint a panel to look at the designs?"

"I did. The designs were similar, but there was a discrepancy in the timeline Emanuel gave the panel. They couldn't verify who had created the designs first."

I dropped the flowers to my lap. "Emanuel copied Dad's designs, but he couldn't prove it. By the time the case went to trial, everyone assumed my father was guilty."

"Emanuel knew how to use the media to his advantage." Daniel shook his head. "Even well-respected jewelers were fooled by his bravado."

Patrick leaned forward. "We didn't know Emanuel was lying until we were nearly at the end of the trial."

"You could have apologized after it finished."

"I didn't think your dad would want to talk to anyone from Wilson Enterprises," Patrick said. "There were too many stories appearing in the newspapers. When they stopped, I tried to find your dad, but you'd left Los Angeles. I kept searching for you, but it was like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"We didn't do that intentionally," I told Patrick. "After Dad paid the attorney, we had no money. Mom was struggling with her treatment, and we needed to find somewhere quieter to live."

"Why did you go to San Francisco?"

"Dad was offered a job. The salary wasn't large, but it included a small apartment above the jewelry store. When the owner realized my father was the person everyone was talking about, he didn't want anything to do with him." I looked at Daniel, unsure about his reaction to what I'd say next. "We could only afford to stay in a hostel for a couple of weeks. After that, we didn't have anywhere to live. We were homeless for six months."

I studied Daniel's face. His mouth was set in a grim line, but at least he didn't look too appalled.

Patrick sat silently on the other side of the table, waiting for me to continue.

"By that stage, Mom was really sick. Dad looked after her while I worked. Even with two part-time jobs, we couldn't live on the money I earned. We relied on food donations from the local church and the kindness of strangers to survive. It was worse after Mom died. If it weren't for Steve, Dad's friend, I don't know what would have happened to us."

Daniel's hand trembled as he held mine. "I'm sorry that happened to you."

I thought about Mom and my eyes filled with tears. "That's why I volunteer at The Welcome Center. I know what it's like to struggle to find money for food, to not be able to pay rent or buy clothes. It messes with your mind and makes you think you're less worthy than everyone else."

Patrick wiped the tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry, Ben. If I'd known what was happening, I would have helped."

I took a deep breath. "I know you would have. I'm just glad I went home to look after Mom during the trial. At least we were together when all this was happening."

"You shouldn't have gone through any of it." Daniel's voice shook as his gaze shot to his grandfather. "The board assured me Tony's family was okay."

I squeezed his hand. "It's not Patrick's fault. We're okay now. Dad enjoys working with Steve, and my jewelry store is doing better than ever."

"I'm surprised you spoke to me," Daniel said with more control. "I'm not sure I would have been as forgiving."

"I didn't know who you were when I first met you." Forcing a smile, I looked at the food on the table. "It's easy to take what you have for granted. I'm looking forward to spending more time with both of you and enjoying the yummy dinner you've cooked."

Patrick picked up his glass of wine and raised it in a toast. "To good friends, new loves, and open hearts."

I touched the rim of my glass to Patrick and Daniel's. "To good friends."