Chapter 64

sixty-four

DANIEL

The following weekend, I took a deep breath and knocked on a gray wooden door. Sweat trickled down my spine as I focused on what I wanted to say to Ben's father. For the last few weeks, I'd thought about calling Tony and apologizing for what had happened. After last weekend, I didn't have a choice.

When Ben told me his family had been homeless, I felt ashamed of what I'd done. Apologizing to Ben's father would never make up for all the hurt and humiliation my company had caused, but it was the only way I could try to make amends.

But how did you apologize to a man whose life you'd destroyed?

The door opened, and I stared into the face of the man who'd lost so much. For a split second, all I could do was stare into a pair of eyes that were almost identical to Ben's.

I cleared my throat and held out my hand. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Mr. Harper."

"It's been a long time." Tony shook my hand. "Come in. Did you have a good flight?"

"I did." I followed Tony into a spacious living room. Sunlight poured through the large picture windows overlooking the backyard. "You have a lovely home."

"Ben helped me find it last year. Would you like a cup of coffee?"

I shook my head. "I don't want to interrupt your weekend for too long."

Tony's eyebrows rose. "A cup of coffee won't keep me away from much. Would you like cream and sugar?"

"Cream with no sugar would be great."

"Have a seat. I'll be back soon."

While Tony made the coffee, I stood in front of one of the windows lost in thought. I'd never spoken to Ben's dad, but I'd seen him at the trial. At the time, I'd been surprised at how calm he seemed. It wasn't until near the end, when the media reports became vicious, that Tony had broken down.

No one, including the attorneys representing Emanuel, knew that Tony's wife had cancer. Not having any family present at the trial had made Tony more of a target. What person, the media argued, would go through an entire trial without the support of at least one family member? The media had used Ben and his mom's absence as a way of belittling Tony's character. I could only imagine how that must have felt.

I picked up a framed picture of Ben and a woman who must have been his mom. With their arms wrapped around each other, it was easy to see how much alike they were. They had the same oval-shaped face, the same pixie nose, and similar mischievous smiles that would light a room.

"Ben was fifteen when we took that photo," Tony said from the doorway. "Ruth wanted to do something special for Ben's birthday, so we went to San Francisco for the weekend."

The noose around my neck tightened. I took the cup Tony handed me and sat on the edge of a chair. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. You've come a long way to see me."

I nodded. "I want to apologize for what happened four years ago. The allegations against you should never have gone to trial."

Tony placed his cup on a table. "I foolishly thought the case would be dismissed. I'd never met Emanuel Ricardo, let alone visited his studio. I was extremely lucky the jury saw through his lies." Tony sent me a piercing stare. "Why are you apologizing now? As you said, it's been four years since the trial."

"I didn't realize the impact it had on your life. Ben told me about being homeless and losing everything."

Tony's eyes narrowed. "It was a difficult time."

That was the understatement of the year. My heart pounded. Nothing I'd ever done had been as hard as sitting here, trying to find a way to make up for everything Ben's dad had lost.

"Ben also told me about your wife. I'm sorry for your loss."

Tony glanced at the photo I'd been holding. "We had a wonderful life together. She was incredibly proud of Ben."

Sweat beaded on my forehead. "Has Ben told you anything about us?"

"He said you'd visited Sunrise Bay a few times."

There was no flicker of emotion, nothing that told me how much Ben had said. My heart plummeted. What if he hadn't told his dad he loved me? What if the most he'd said was that I'd rented Acorn Cottage?

With a trembling hand, I left my coffee beside Tony's. "While I was in Sunrise Bay, Ben and I became friends, and then I fell in love with him."

"That was quick."

I frowned. Of all the things Ben's dad could have said, that wasn't what I was expecting. "I've never loved anyone as much as I love Ben. I want to spend the rest of my life with him. But I also know how much you mean to him." Now the hard part, the words that could strip away everything I felt and wanted. "I'd never hurt Ben or stand between the two of you. If you have any concerns about my relationship with him, I'd appreciate hearing them now."

"What would happen if I said I don't want Ben to have anything to do with you?"

I thought I was going to be sick. "I'd walk away." Just saying the words brought tears to my eyes. "It's the last thing I want to do, but Ben would be miserable without you in his life."

"I have a feeling he'd be worse if you left."

A flicker of hope rose in my chest. "Are you telling me you're happy for Ben to be part of my life?"

"It depends on the type of relationship you have in mind."

I wiped my palms on the legs of my trousers. "I was going to ask…" I took a deep breath. "Mr. Harper, I'd like to ask your permission to marry Ben. I know this is unexpected and you probably think I'm completely crazy. And I am. I'm crazily in love with him. I want to spend the rest of my life showing him how much he means to me."

Tony leaned forward. "Ben has already told me he loves you. I wouldn't stand in the way of him finding happiness, not when his mom and I had a wonderful life together." Tears filled his eyes. "Just promise me you'll always take care of him. That no matter what, you'll be his soft place to fall."

Relief swept through me, leaving me light-headed. "I can do that, Mr. Harper."

"And Daniel?"

"Yes, sir?"

"You can call me Tony. ‘Mr. Harper' and ‘sir' make me feel ancient."

"Thank you. I'll do my best to make Ben happy."

"You already have," Tony said as he shook my hand. "Welcome to our family."

"I still have to ask Ben."

Tony smiled. "I don't think he'll say no."

With all my heart, I hoped not.