Read Online On A Night Like This (Callaways #1) by Barbara Freethy - Free Book Online
Authors: Barbara Freethy
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connect."
"That's a lot of expectations to put on a bottle of wine."
"Too many," she admitted. "I thought at the very least it would open up some communication. When I gave it to him, my dad said it was nice , and set it on the table without even looking at the label. Then he told me I shouldn't have come home without being invited."
Aiden shook his head in disgust. He'd never liked Stephen Davidson. The man was as cold as the inside of a freezer. "Your father was always an ass."
"But he's my father. I have to try to love him."
"Why?"
"You wouldn't understand, Aiden. Your family is different from mine. There is an endless amount of unconditional love."
"I wouldn't say it's unconditional," he replied, thinking about the anger in both Burke and his father's eyes when they'd confronted him about Kyle.
"You're wrong. They will love you no matter what you do," she said with conviction. "Trust me, I spent years watching your family, and wishing I could have even a tenth of that Callaway love."
"You were close to your mom," he pointed out.
"Yes, but there was always a line," she said. "My mom could never go against my dad, not even in the smallest matter. Her allegiance was always to him. It was strange the hold he had over her. I guess it was love, but it didn't always look like it. Not that I know what love looks like," she said with a sigh. "I keep trying to find a way to prove myself to my father, but it doesn't seem to matter what I do. I went to his alma mater and graduated with honors. I passed the bar, and I'm on track to be partner at one of the biggest law firms in New York. But I can't get my father to look at me with anything but annoyance and resignation."
"Did you do all that for him?" he challenged.
She frowned. "No, of course not. That came out wrong."
He didn't think it had come out wrong at all. "Do you like being an attorney, Sara?"
"Of course I do. Well, most of the time."
"What kind of law do you do?"
"Corporate."
"Sounds …" He couldn't quite find the right word. "Intelligent."
She smiled and for a moment she was the girl he remembered, the girl whose smile had always made him want to impress her. "Nice try," she said. "I know it sounds dull. Look, I don't want you to think that I'm just stupidly and blindly following in my father's footsteps. I made my career choices based on a lot of reasons."
"Hey, I'm not one to judge someone else's choices. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters."
She stared at him. "Are you happy, Aiden?"
"I've been happier," he admitted.
"Emma told me you're a smokejumper now. Fighting a fire isn't daring enough? You have to jump out of a plane first?"
He grinned. "It is an adrenaline rush like no other."
"You and your family…" She shook her head in bewilderment. "I never understood the Callaway attraction to danger."
"And I never understood the Davidson desire to live in the shadows and always play it safe."
"I didn't always play it safe," she reminded him.
And just like that they were back to that night.
She cleared her throat. "Anyway…"
"Anyway," he echoed. "What's the last daring thing you did, Sara?"
"I have no idea," she said finally. "I've been working sixty hour weeks the last five years."
"It doesn't sound like you've had much time for fun."
"I squeeze it in here and there," she said.
"We could have a little fun tonight," he suggested.
A light flashed in her eyes.
"That's not what I meant," he said quickly. "I'm talking about the wine. We should open it."
"I couldn't possibly do that," she said, but there was a thoughtful expression in her eyes.
"Oh, I think you could. In fact, I suspect you've already considered it. Otherwise, that bottle wouldn't be out here."
Her gaze met his. "My father was so mean to me at the hospital, Aiden. When I came home and saw the bottle sitting on the hall table where he'd so easily put it aside, I had a moment of weakness. But I'm over it."
"Why was he in the basement anyway?"
"I have no idea.
"That's a lot of expectations to put on a bottle of wine."
"Too many," she admitted. "I thought at the very least it would open up some communication. When I gave it to him, my dad said it was nice , and set it on the table without even looking at the label. Then he told me I shouldn't have come home without being invited."
Aiden shook his head in disgust. He'd never liked Stephen Davidson. The man was as cold as the inside of a freezer. "Your father was always an ass."
"But he's my father. I have to try to love him."
"Why?"
"You wouldn't understand, Aiden. Your family is different from mine. There is an endless amount of unconditional love."
"I wouldn't say it's unconditional," he replied, thinking about the anger in both Burke and his father's eyes when they'd confronted him about Kyle.
"You're wrong. They will love you no matter what you do," she said with conviction. "Trust me, I spent years watching your family, and wishing I could have even a tenth of that Callaway love."
"You were close to your mom," he pointed out.
"Yes, but there was always a line," she said. "My mom could never go against my dad, not even in the smallest matter. Her allegiance was always to him. It was strange the hold he had over her. I guess it was love, but it didn't always look like it. Not that I know what love looks like," she said with a sigh. "I keep trying to find a way to prove myself to my father, but it doesn't seem to matter what I do. I went to his alma mater and graduated with honors. I passed the bar, and I'm on track to be partner at one of the biggest law firms in New York. But I can't get my father to look at me with anything but annoyance and resignation."
"Did you do all that for him?" he challenged.
She frowned. "No, of course not. That came out wrong."
He didn't think it had come out wrong at all. "Do you like being an attorney, Sara?"
"Of course I do. Well, most of the time."
"What kind of law do you do?"
"Corporate."
"Sounds …" He couldn't quite find the right word. "Intelligent."
She smiled and for a moment she was the girl he remembered, the girl whose smile had always made him want to impress her. "Nice try," she said. "I know it sounds dull. Look, I don't want you to think that I'm just stupidly and blindly following in my father's footsteps. I made my career choices based on a lot of reasons."
"Hey, I'm not one to judge someone else's choices. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters."
She stared at him. "Are you happy, Aiden?"
"I've been happier," he admitted.
"Emma told me you're a smokejumper now. Fighting a fire isn't daring enough? You have to jump out of a plane first?"
He grinned. "It is an adrenaline rush like no other."
"You and your family…" She shook her head in bewilderment. "I never understood the Callaway attraction to danger."
"And I never understood the Davidson desire to live in the shadows and always play it safe."
"I didn't always play it safe," she reminded him.
And just like that they were back to that night.
She cleared her throat. "Anyway…"
"Anyway," he echoed. "What's the last daring thing you did, Sara?"
"I have no idea," she said finally. "I've been working sixty hour weeks the last five years."
"It doesn't sound like you've had much time for fun."
"I squeeze it in here and there," she said.
"We could have a little fun tonight," he suggested.
A light flashed in her eyes.
"That's not what I meant," he said quickly. "I'm talking about the wine. We should open it."
"I couldn't possibly do that," she said, but there was a thoughtful expression in her eyes.
"Oh, I think you could. In fact, I suspect you've already considered it. Otherwise, that bottle wouldn't be out here."
Her gaze met his. "My father was so mean to me at the hospital, Aiden. When I came home and saw the bottle sitting on the hall table where he'd so easily put it aside, I had a moment of weakness. But I'm over it."
"Why was he in the basement anyway?"
"I have no idea.
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