Stephanie Julian - No Reservations

Her dad turned away from the stove long enough to give her the once-over. “I understand. Sit. I’ll get you a plate.”

She did as she was told, watching her dad dish her a huge portion of spaghetti and meatballs. “Daddy, I can’t eat all this. I’ll explode.”

He gave her a stern look that made her feel five years old again. “You’re skin and bones. Eat. Then tell me why you look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.”

Her first-generation Korean American father had guilt trips up his sleeve for every occasion. She’d never doubted his love for her, but Tiger Moms had nothing on her dad.

What he and her mom had ever seen in each other that made them decide to marry was a total mystery.

Teddy Song was stoic, demanding, occasionally judgmental, and set in his ways. He expected a lot from the people around him and even more from himself. His position as the chief financial officer for the state-run geriatric home gave him the chance to combine politics and money and he loved it. Loved the challenge.

He couldn’t understand why she was content working for a dry cleaner while her hard-earned degree went to waste. He’d expected her to “make something of herself.” And that hadn’t included tying herself to Arnie, a man who drove a delivery truck and working for a dry cleaning business.

After he’d poured them each a glass of wine, he sat across from her and waited.

She took a deep breath. “I’ve had a job offer. For an assistant costume designer.”

He nodded, as if those came along every day. “That sounds promising.”

“It’s in New York City at an off-Broadway theater. They expect the show to do well enough to move to a Broadway venue when a stage opens up. The company’s financially stable. It has a good reputation and I actually like the people. I’d be working under one of my professors from college.”

“It sounds like a great opportunity. So why are you hesitant to take it?”

Trust her dad to get right to the point. Which is exactly why she came to him.

“I’ve met a man—”

“The man who’s stayed at your house recently? Is he the same man you go to Philadelphia to visit?”

Well, hell. She should have known he’d hear. Her father didn’t seek out gossip, but he did stop at Tracy’s every morning to get his coffee. Someone down there must have filled him in.

Now she felt like a guilty teenager. But that didn’t mean she had to show it.

Looking her dad straight in his eyes, the identical shape and color of hers, she said, “Yes, it’s the same man.”

“And he treats you well?”

Okay, that wasn’t what she’d expected him to ask and it threw her off track. “Yes. He treats me very well.”

“Do you love him?”

She blushed, a fiery heat consuming her cheeks. But the answer was easy. “Yes.”

Her dad didn’t bat an eyelash. “So you’re going to throw away this opportunity because you’re afraid this man doesn’t want you to take the job. Has he told you not to take it?”

She wanted to leap to Tyler’s defense, but that would have been an irrational answer to a straightforward question. Her father might read something into her response that wasn’t true. “No, not at all. He’s encouraging me to take it.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

What’s wrong was that he was encouraging her to take it. Hell, he was practically putting a foot on her ass and shoving her out the door.

Okay, maybe that was a little overdramatic but still . . . Tyler wanted her to take the job.

And she wasn’t sure if she didn’t want the job because she knew it would take her away from him or because her goals had changed.

Shaking her head, she sighed. “I’m not sure.”

“And what is it you’re unsure about?”

She almost rolled her eyes but caught herself in time. “If I knew that, Dad, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

Sitting back in his chair, he crossed his arms over his chest. “And why are we having this conversation exactly?”

Suddenly, she knew exactly why she was here. “Why didn’t Mom become a photojournalist like she wanted to?”

Her dad nodded as if he’d expected her to ask the question all along. “The simple answer is because she didn’t want to leave you behind for long stretches of time. And because she thought I didn’t want her to go.”

“Did you?”

He shrugged, such an odd movement coming from him. “I wanted her to be happy. I knew she wasn’t, although she was a natural teacher.”

“Really?” She’d never known that about her mom.

“Oh, yes. And she enjoyed it too. It just wasn’t enough for her. When you started high school, she began to apply for jobs at the bigger newspapers. She had several interviews but . . .” He paused, then sighed. “The market fell apart. Newspapers were folding left and right and if they weren’t closing, they certainly weren’t hiring. Most were cutting staff to save money.”

“So she missed her opportunity.”

“Yes. And I couldn’t do anything to help her.”

And here was her opportunity, practically knocking her over.

“I’ve also had an offer to open a boutique. In the spa retreat they’re building only a few miles outside of town.”

“I’ve heard about that. Seems like a risky venture, with the economy the way it is.”

“So you don’t think I should do that?”

“I think it will require much more of a sacrifice from you. Starting your own business is a huge undertaking. Would you be able to stick it out?”

A sharp retort sprang to her lips but she managed to bite it back and think about what he’d said. He’d asked a legitimate question.

“Yes, I could.”

“And do you want to open a boutique?”

With a heavy sigh, she set aside her fork. “It was never really something I gave a lot of thought to. But the more I think about it . . .”

“The more appealing it becomes.” Her dad shocked her by nodding, his usually stern mouth curved in an even rarer grin. “Have you thought about what will happen if this boutique fails to take off? Then again, the show could close in a matter of weeks and you’ll be out of a job there as well. But opportunities like the one you’re being offered now don’t come around often.”

He hadn’t said anything she hadn’t already thought of herself but, coming from her dad, it did help her see things more clearly.

“Kate, I love you.”

As much as she’d always thought her father expected more from her than she could do, she knew he did. Still, every time he said it, it made her grin.

“And I’ll support whatever decision you make,” he continued. “I’ll only say that controlling your destiny is a heady proposition. But business and pleasure don’t always mix. I would hate to see you lose everything, but to not have attempted it might be even worse.”

Tyler glanced at the clock for what had to be the hundredth time in the past five minutes.

She had to be home by now. Why hadn’t she called?

Probably because she hadn’t wanted to tell him her decision.

She’d be crazy not to take the job in New York. And he’d be crazy to try and influence her decision.

“Are you even listening to me?” Jared’s voice broke into his thoughts, splintering his single-minded focus into a hundred different pieces.

“Frankly, no, I wasn’t.” He sighed and watched his brother raise an eyebrow at him.

“Jesus, Tyler. You need to figure out what you’re going to do about the chairman’s seat. I can’t make the decision for you, but the more I think about it, the more I think you need to do it. The GoldenStar was Granddad’s baby.”

“I know that. It’s what’s making this decision so damn hard.” Tyler shook his head. “I don’t think we should let it slip through our fingers. The other hotels—