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“Because he’s clearly a proud man with very traditional views. He’s obviously worked hard for all the money he’s ever had. He isn’t going to want you to pay him back for the money he spent raising you. That’s not how a man like that works. In fact, I don’t think most parents would want that.”
She frowned. “All these years, he made it very clear that he begrudged every cent he spent on me for school, clothing, extracurriculars, food. You name it, he probably grumbled about how much it was going to cost him.”
Gus had no experience with this. Growing up, he’d never wanted for anything.
“All I ever wanted was to prove to him that I could take care of myself. So, I left after graduation, moved to LA, worked my way through college, and started my business. I didn’t know it was going to take ten years to get to where I am today. It was a slow start, trying to get going after college, and only in the past few years have I seen the kind of growth I’ve been longing for. And all these years, whenever I’ve mentioned my business, I’ve gotten a lecture about how hard it is to start a business and how often they fail and how they don’t want me to end up homeless and penniless so far away from home. So I stopped bringing it up, and when they asked, I would just shrug and say it was doing okay.”
“I’m sorry you haven’t felt very supported in this, but I think you’ve done amazingly well. And I know my dad was super impressed with you too.”
“You think so?”
“He was.”
She smiled. “See, I wish my dad would be as impressed as yours.”
“Maybe he would if he knew the kind of success you’ve had.”
“Not yet.” She shook her head. “When I make my first billion, then I’ll tell him.”
A huge grin spread on his face. “Big goals. I love it.” He reached over and took her hand in his, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles. “I believe you’ll get there.”
The beautiful smile she gave him was the only reply he needed.
TWENTY
After a nice, yet cold weekend in Michigan, it was back to the daily grind, and Merritt couldn’t have been happier. With each day that passed and each decision she made, she was one step closer to her dreams coming true, and she knew it wouldn’t be happening if not for Gus.
When he’d first told her the reasons behind his plan, she hadn’t fully comprehended the depth of his feelings about the situation. But seeing him with his family, specifically his father, had shed so much light on things, and she felt like she understood him so much better now.
After a wonderful day at work, Merritt returned to the house, surprised to find Gus exactly where she’d left him that morning, seated at the table with his laptop.
She eyed him as she set her bags by the door. “Have you moved from that spot today?”
He rubbed his eyes as he looked up at her. “Sorry, what?”
She searched for any sign that he’d fed himself. “Have you eaten?”
His gaze returned to the screen as if he hadn’t heard her question.
She made her way into the kitchen, looking in the sink and dishwasher for dirty dishes, but both were empty.
Gus’s brow furrowed as he stared at his screen and clicked the trackpad.
“Gus.” When he didn’t reply, she walked over to the table, noticing what was open on his screen—company financials, quarterly reports, and an article with a headline that read “Schultz Chocolate Heiress Thrives in New Role.”
Her heart went out to him. She knew how much he longed to be respected by his family, but reading articles like this wouldn’t help him. She reached over and pressed the screen closed.
“Hey!” His eyes shot to hers.
“I was talking to you,” she said.
“Well, I’m working.” He yanked the screen open again.
“More like obsessing.”
He glared up at her. “It’s really not your business what I do with my time. Don’t you have a business of your own to run?”
“I’ve been at work all day while you’ve been, what, reading articles about your sister’s success and wallowing in self-pity?”