Chapter 11

"I hopeyou've returned focused and ready to work."

Hunter gazed at his father, wondering when his stern presence stopped being able to intimidate him. His entire life, he ached to be the good soldier and please. To be looked upon as the dutiful son able to take on a leadership role and step into his father's shoes. To finally make his father proud of him.

Now, as he looked at the man before him, sitting like a king behind his desk, Hunter realized he was just a man himself. Giovanni Barone didn't have all the answers either. He'd fought his way out from his own grandfather's shadow to make a name for himself in the restaurant business, instead of getting a secure job and providing for his family in the traditional way.

Giovanni would have had to make a decision to break away from his past and go on his own. Hunter was positive his grandfather would have fought him every step.

And now, it was Hunter's turn. It was time to change the vision he had for the company and take it on his own route, in his own way.

He took the chair opposite the desk and crossed his ankle over his knee. "Actually, I am. But we need to talk about some things, Dad. Things you may not agree with or like."

Giovanni's narrowed his dark eyes, his heavy brows creased in a frown. "I don't have time for this. During your little vacation, I've had to put out dozens of fires and I need help."

"I've decided to open up a restaurant in the Hudson Valley." Hunter slid the file across the polished walnut desk. "The prospectus is there with all the numbers. I'm going to be in charge of this one myself and assign my current managerial duties to Carlos. He's fully capable of doing all the admin and I'll work closely with him on the transition."

His father flicked open the folder and glanced at the thick packet of pages. "I hope this is a joke," he said roughly. "I need you by my side helping me run the business, not dicking around with one restaurant."

Hunter took a deep breath and stood his ground. "Dad, it's time I tell you what I need. I'm happier digging into the mechanics of the restaurant rather than pushing paper in the offices for hours on end. I want to start my own line in more rural areas that will benefit, and the Hudson Valley is booming. Market demand for food service has had steady growth with no limit in sight. Local farms can offer amazing advantages to our menu. I want to hire a CFO to take over the business end and give you some needed time off."

His father's stare made him feel like he'd just turned into a damn unicorn.

Thank God, he was interrupted before he could start losing his shit.

His mom strolled in, wreathed in smiles, and came straight over to wrap him in a warm hug. Hunter gave it all back, savoring the familiar scent of basil and lemon that clung to her. She looked casually polished in black pants, boots, and bright red blouse. Her smooth blonde hair was pinned up, but stray strands escaped, softening the lines of her face. "Darling, I heard you were back and couldn't wait to come over. Tell me how your little holiday was?"

Giovanni gave a huff. "Your son got it in his head that he's quitting the business to open up a restaurant upstate. He's gone crazy on us, and you better talk some sense into him before I do."

His mother lifted a brow and settled in the chair next to him. "How fascinating. Let me hear him out before you start bellowing, Gio. Don't interrupt."

His father glared but kept quiet.

Hunter told her everything. About meeting Skye and falling hard for her; to hiding his identity and the disastrous consequences. He talked about how he'd been unhappy for a while and figured out he wanted to be on the front lines of a restaurant rather than behind a desk, running an empire. He laid open his soul for his mother's understanding and his father's judgment, and when he was done, Hunter felt lighter than he had in a long time.

His mother sighed. "I can't wait to meet her. A teacher, huh? What a wonderful profession."

"Alexandra, have you been listening? My only son, the heir of the Pasta King chain, wants to back off to tinker with running his own restaurants. You know it can't be done. He needs to take over my role!"

"Why, Dad?" he asked quietly. "When you told grandpa you wanted to open up a restaurant, you said he laughed at you. But you proved him wrong. Now, it's my turn. I want to infiltrate a territory that can make us a lot of money, and I want to tweak it on my own. Can't you understand I'm not you? I never will be. But I can still be successful and make you proud. I can still carry on the name and business of the family. It just needs to be a different route."

For the first time, his father didn't bellow over his words, or wave his hand in the air with dismissal. His mother jumped in, sensing a softening.

"Gio, we wanted to teach our son to stand on his own. You've been frustrated with him for so long because he hadn't been making any real decisions in his life. You've pushed as much as possible, but it's time to let him go and make his own mistakes…and wins. It's time for him to be his own man."

They waited in silence while Gio glanced back and forth between them. Frustration clung to his figure, then slowly settled.

"You really think this is love after two weeks?" he finally challenged. "What if it blows up and you realize you've given all this up for nothing?"

"I know it's love because with her, my heart finally feels whole," Hunter said simply. "And I know I'm making the right decision because I want to do this for me, Dad. This is my path, and I'll continue it even if I can't get Skye to forgive me."

"She will," his mother said, patting his hand. "If she doesn't, I'll call her and explain how men can be stupid sometimes."

"Thanks, Mom."

Gio blew out a breath. "You want to find out how it is to open your own place? Fine. I'll go over the proposal and if it's sound, we'll move forward. It will be a test case. But you better make sure Carlos is ready for this promotion."

"Dad, I've been curating a power team for a while now. You just didn't want to see it."

His mother laughed, her blue eyes sparkling. "I suspected as much. I'll help you in any way I can, darling. You'll need to get back into the kitchen, where it all starts."

"Looking forward to it. Oh, we need to talk about the dressing and the bread. There's major issues."

His mother cocked her head. "Funny, you should say that, I was just thinking of changing bread suppliers. The reviews have been declining in that area. I like our dressing, though."

"Maybe we should be offering an alternate in addition to the house," he said, thinking of Skye's comments. "Can we set up a meeting?"

His mother grinned. "Of course. Have your people call my people."

Gio rolled his eyes, but Hunter noticed his father's face had settled into thoughtful lines instead of the judging sternness he was used to. It was as if by finally speaking up and standing his ground, he'd won his father's respect.

Another thing to thank Skye for. She'd helped him find his voice.

"When can we meet her?" his mother asked.

"First, I need to make sure I get my plans in order. I want to be clear about what I want before she can even try and trust me again."

"Actions speak louder than words," his mother said.

"Then we better get to work and go over this proposal," his father announced. "We have a lot to do today."

Hunter said good-bye to his mom, and spent the rest of the day building the foundation of his plan, with his father's support.

This time, he was going to get it right.