Lover's Road by E. L. Todd Read Free Book Online Page A

clean and new. A flat screen was on the wall, and the windows opened to the ocean. My dad should be comfortable there.
    He sat on the bed and rested his hands in his lap. Even though he carried himself with pride and strength, I knew his shoulders were sagging with grief. He always shielded me from pain and he seemed to be happy all the time. This was the first time he couldn’t hide it. And seeing my dad in pain was unbearable.
    I sat beside him. “Can I get you anything?”
    He rubbed his palms together. “No.”
    Whenever I was at my lowest point, my dad always knew the right thing to say to make me feel better. His words of wisdom went straight to my heart and made me rethink everything I thought I believed in. I wished I could do the same for him now.  “It’ll be okay.” It was weak, but it was all I could think of. My dad always took care of me. I never experienced the reversal of roles before.
    He nodded. “I know, son.”
    “Do you want to talk about it…?”
    “There’s nothing to say, really.” He released a deep sigh. “You’ve seen your mother in action for the past year. She’s lost sight of what’s important. All she cares about is money and social circles.” He rubbed his chin then stared at the floor. “Your grandfather worked in a factory his entire life. He made minimum wage for twenty years and still managed to give me everything I needed. These items weren’t tangible to money. He gave me love, joy, hope, respect, and happiness. And that’s all I needed.
    “When I built my own company, I wanted to honor my father by being a generous and giving businessman. I wanted my employees to be happy, to make enough to support their families, to feel safe at work. I wanted to make the world a better place, giving people jobs and a purpose. But your mother doesn’t see it that way. In her eyes, everyone is beneath her. We are the king and queen of this Earth, and anyone who isn’t in the same tax bracket is worthless. My dad may have been poor, but he certainly wasn’t worthless. How can I love someone who goes against everything I believe in? Everything I stand for?” He shook his head slightly. “I can’t keep waiting and hoping. It’s done.”
    The silence settled in the room. I wanted to say something inspirational, something to cure the ache in his heart. But there was nothing. “I’m sorry, Dad.”
    “It’s okay, son. You’ll never understand how grateful I am that my two amazing sons have continued my legacy. If your mother were in charge…I hate to even think about it.”
    My heart swelled with pride. “We know the company is everything to you.”
    “Not everything,” he said simply. “But almost.” He clapped my shoulder then returned his hand to his lap. “Now you know why I love your wife so much. She’s nothing like the pretentious people your mother is so fond of. No wonder they never got along.” He had a slight smirk to his lips.
    “If the money ever goes to my head, Scarlet will beat the shit out of me. You never have to worry about that.”
    “She’s got a good arm. I can tell.” He winked at me.
    “You bet she does.” I winked back.
    My dad laughed then shoved me gently. “Let’s keep this PG.”
    “It’s never PG.”
    My father took another deep breath then stared at the floor. “I need a moment to get settled. I’ll be down in a few.”
    I knew that was my cue to leave. “Sure thing.” I left the room then walked downstairs.
    Scarlet and Mike were talking. Judging the looks on their faces, they were still in shock.
    “Did he say anything else?” Mike asked immediately.
    I stood beside Scarlet. “He just said he and Mom were done.”
    Scarlet crossed her arms over her chest, looking tense.
    Mike smiled. “Dude, Dad deserves better. I’m glad he’s moving on. Maybe Mom will realize how much of a bitch she is and pull her head out of her ass.”
    “Or maybe she’ll be even crazier,” Scarlet said. “Could there be something wrong with