Carter was waiting when Penny arrived at the French bistro she had chosen for their meeting. Unlike the times that he had chosen a table at the back of the restaurant to avoid any chance of running into his family and friends, he was now seated at a window front table.
When he spotted her, he jumped up and threw his arms around her tightly. “Penny, you can’t believe how much I’ve missed you.”
All the anger and hurt Penny had felt over the years came to the surface. The waiter was at the table. “Black coffee please,” Penny said.
When he was out of earshot, in a low steely voice she said, “Carter, what new game are you playing now? You have the nerve to tell me you missed me when out of the blue three years ago you dropped me and never returned my calls. You had decided I wasn’t good enough to be part of the Wakeling family. You didn’t give a damn about how much you hurt me. I’ve had plenty of time to think. The fact is I should have dropped you. Ivan told me that I didn’t pay enough attention to my job when I worked for your mother. He was right. There were lots of times when I would come in late or leave early. And it was almost always to meet you.”
“You couldn’t be sorry enough. Just in case it never occurred to you, you’ve done me a big favor. You’re lazy. You complain because you’re jealous of your sister. She always worked hard; you didn’t.”
Carter was shaking his head.
“Don’t dismiss what I’m telling you,” Penny said. “I’ve got more to say. I’m working hard at a job, and I am going to be a success at it. And I have one last thing to tell you. I have come to the conclusion that you and your family aren’t good enough for me. How do you like that?”
There was a long pause. Then Carter, his voice low and clipped, said, “Now you listen to me.”
Penny realized that she was fighting back tears and reached for a paper napkin to stop her mascara from running. “There is nothing you could say that I want to hear.” She pushed back the chair and started to get up. Carter suddenly reached both hands across the table and grasped her wrists. She winced as he forced her back down into her seat.
“I’ll start by saying that you are exactly right. I’ve been feeling sorry for myself all my life. In the beginning my father used to take me around when he was having meetings to discuss projects. But I was bored. I went along because I had to. I didn’t like being told what I was going to do for the rest of my life. I didn’t work hard at it because I didn’t want it. Now, after I made a fool of myself during that TV interview, I finally faced myself. Everything you just said was true. But I’m going to change. I’m forty-one years old and I’m not going to waste another minute. For the first time I’m going to work hard at the company because it’s what I want. And there’s something else I really want and need.
“I’ve been missing you every minute of every day these past three years. I love you, Penny. I know I don’t deserve it, but please give me a chance to start over with you.”
Penny knew the expression on her face gave him his answer.
“Carter, I have one small problem,” she said.
“What is it?”
“I can’t drink my coffee when you’re squeezing both of my wrists,” Penny said, and they both started to laugh.