Page 74 of Objection to Love
“Oh, thank you, these are beautiful,” Mom said, turning to grab a vase. “Em, your father is in the office if you wanted to say hi.” She turned and gave Em a speaking glance that was more of a command than a suggestion. But there was no way Em was leaving Garrett alone right now.
“Go ahead,” Garrett said, releasing her hand and pressing a quick kiss to the side of her head. Em raised her eyebrows at him, and he just nodded.
“Okay, I’ll bring him back to meet you.” She turned and headed back down the hall, unable to keep from glancing over her shoulder at least once. Garrett was smiling at her mom and nodding at something she said. Still, Em hesitated before opening the door to her dad’s office.
“Hey, Dad,” she said as she stood in the doorway.
“September, I didn’t hear you come in. Here, sit down a second. I have to finish this real quick, then I have something to talk to you about.”
Em glanced over her shoulder again, biting her lip. April and Jackson should be there any second, so Garrett wouldn’t be alone long. Still, she hoped this little chat with her dad wouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes.
Dad finished up the last page of paperwork and then set it aside, folding his hands in front of him when he looked at Em again. It was as if they were at the start of an interview—not a discussion between father and daughter.
“Your mom and I have been talking, and we think it’s time you join the practice.”
Em’s mouth opened slightly before she snapped it shut. “I’m sorry, you want me to join your practice?”
“Of course. We always have but decided to give you a few years out on your own. It only makes sense that you’d join us. The firm is ‘Miller and Associates.’ Once we retire, there needs to still be a Miller. That’s you.” Dad sat back in his chair, perfectly relaxed.
Em was anything but. She’d known her parents weren’t thrilled with her decision not to come work for them, but she had no clue they had this planned. She bit back her annoyance, and calmly responded, “I’m sorry, Dad, but I love my job.”
He nodded as if expecting this. “We know. But you’ll love working with the family even more. You’ll become a partner immediately—it’s one of the reasons we let you go off on your own. This way, it won’t look like we are playing favorites. Even if we are.” He winked.
Did that mean he didn’t trust her abilities on her own? That he didn’t believe her capable of becoming a partner in the private sphere of her own skill and volition?
“And don’t worry, we’ll still train you in everything you need to know. I know it seems daunting to work for such a powerful group, but you’ll do great. We wouldn’t let you fail.”
Indignation rose. She wouldn’t have failed anyway.
“You’ll need to move closer, of course,” he continued. The way he was already planning the minutiae of her changing jobs, as if he couldn’t possibly see her declining the offer, frustrated her even more.
“No, Dad, I’m sorry, but I love my job. As much as I respect you and Mom, I don’t want to work for a private group.” Her jaw was stiff, but the words were calm enough. She deserved a pat on the back for that, really.
For the first time since she’d appeared in the doorway of his office, her dad seemed less than composed. His eyebrows pulled together. “I understand it’s a big transition, September, but you’d do so much better in the private sector. You’d make more money, more connections, and have more prestige.”
“Those were never my goals coming out of law school, Dad.” Honestly, her main goal had been to make her parents proud of her in her own right. Based on the incredulous expression on his face now, he wasn’t particularly proud.
“I’ll give you a few days to think about it,” he said with the finality of a man used to being obeyed. Unfortunately for him, she was a woman in the workforce, and she’d learned to stand up for herself long ago.
“I don’t need a few days,” she said in her most professional voice, though most of her wanted to roll her eyes at the presumptions this conversation had been stuffed full of. “I’m staying at my job.”
“Like I said, I’ll give you a few days.”
Em bit back a sigh. It wasn’t worth it to fight over this now. “Fine. Will you come out to the kitchen? I have someone I want you to meet.”
He pulled the papers back in front of him, waving her to the door without looking back up. “I’ll be out in ten minutes.”
She ground her teeth, stood stiffly, and walked to the office door. And here she thought her parents at least grudgingly accepted her life choices. She’d thought they might even be moving toward respect, with the strides she was making in her own job.
Strides she’d made on her own, despite the stiff competition.
She blew out a breath before stepping back into the kitchen. Garrett looked up from where he was sitting at the table. April and Jackson sat across from him, and her mom was carrying over a lasagna. At least he hadn’t been alone this whole time. And no one looked tense or concerned.
Except for her, apparently. Because Garrett started to stand, and April’s brows furrowed as they both looked at her.
“Everything okay?” April mouthed.
Em shook her head slightly. Hopefully communicating both that it was not okay, and also that she didn’t want to get into it right now.
