Fuck. Of course he’d be upset about that.
She tugs at him. “Daaaad.”
“What? Family is important.”
“That man deserves what he got. He’s like Mom,” she adds.
Mac sits back a little, processing that information.
Giving him a second, I put down my utensils.
“I understand your concern,” I say, facing him directly. “I wish I didn’t have a parent issue, but the fact is I do. There’s nothing I can do about that, except minimize the damage he can cause to our relationship and family. And basically, the only way to do that is to cut him out. Not inviting him to the wedding is the first step. He won’t be part of our lives, and unless our children want it, he won’t be part of theirs, either.”
Mac grunts softly. “So you’re just going to cut ties with your dad? For her? You aren’t going to regret it?”
“Not at all. I love your daughter more than anything, sir. The most important person in my life is Amy. My priority is her happiness.”
We lock eyes for a long moment. “You really mean it,” he says slowly.
“One hundred percent.”
He smiles, this time for real. “Huh. Well, I guess you’ll do. A man who can say all that to a girl’s father with such conviction passes.”
Thank God. “Thank you.”
“I’ll be watching.” He makes a V with his fingers and points them at his eyes, then at me.
“Please do. You’ll see nothing but Amy’s smile.”
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Amy
“All set! You look perfect!” Sasha says, clasping her hands together.
I check myself in the mirror. The wedding gown is elegant, with little sparkly diamantes sewn along the edge of the skirt. It doesn’t have a train, since the wedding is outdoors and I don’t want my dress sweeping up detritus like a broom. Diamond chandelier earrings drop from my ears; a rope of diamonds circles my neck. My hair’s twisted into a simple updo—Sasha’s handiwork.
The makeup is subtle but brings out my eyes and turns my lips a lush shade of apple. I can’t quit looking at the mirror in front of me.
“You look gorgeous,” Clara, the makeup artist Emmett and I hired, says.
Pleasure flushes my cheeks. “Thank you. You did amazing work. I didn’t know I could look this good!”
“It’s easy to make a happy bride beautiful,” Clara says with a smile.
I realize that I am happy. Emmett makes me happy. Working at GrantEm is still demanding—Grant is no slouch, and there are times when Emmett and Grant work on the same portfolio companies. But Emmett always makes sure to do little things to let me know how much he loves me. At first I thought he might do something really crazy and over-the-top to make his feelings known. After all, he’s a billionaire, and even though he has cut his father out of our lives, he grew up seeing a level of excess that I find uncomfortable.
But he knows me too well. It’s always the little things. A small box of chocolates in my office drawer that draws a surprised smile from me. A handmade lavender-scented candle on my desk when I’m feeling blue. Or just a note tucked between the pages on my desktop calendar that simply says, “I love you.”
Sasha and I look out through the window. The sky’s blue, not a cloud in sight. Fresh-cut flowers cover the garden—lined up along the aisle where my dad will walk me. They’re also set in a giant arch at the altar for us to stand under and exchange our vows.
We have live piano music for the ceremony. Apparently, Huxley is a piano whisperer. Guests have already arrived and are milling around. It’s just our family and closest friends. I only want people who will truly wish us the best at our wedding. Emmett’s dad’s not here—we didn’t invite him and he doesn’t have a passcode for the gates, although he’s been impossibly demanding. I’m fine with that, since I don’t understand the point of inviting a man who can’t bother to remember my name.
Two rapid knocks.
“Amy, you ready?” Dad calls out from the other side.
“Yes!” I say as Sasha opens the door for him.