All I See Is You

33. From Austin

Chapter thirty-three

From Austin

Quinn

I t wasn’t even noon and I felt so emotionally drained. It was like a tornado had come through and sucked everything out of me. From the fight last night, to that encounter with Georgette, and then the talk with Hux. That had gone the smoothest of them all, but finding out just how low he thought of himself absolutely wrecked my heart. I’d do anything I could to help him realize his worth. Because he was so much more than what he gave himself credit for.

My stomach roiled with anger and worry as Hux and I made our way to my dad’s house. We hadn’t even made it onto the front porch when I heard Georgette's sobs.

“Dear God,” I huffed. “She’s the fucking worst.”

Hux squeezed my hand gently, even as a soft chuckle fell from his lips. “Don’t worry, she’ll be gone soon enough.”

I sure as hell hoped so.

With a groan, I squeezed his hand back. “Let’s get this over with.”

We followed the sound of her loud, obnoxious wails throughout the first floor until we came to my dad’s study. The door was ajar, so I made my way into the doorway and knocked on the frame.

“We need to talk,” I said, not even bothering to wait for my dad to greet us.

The room gave off gentlemen’s club vibes with the rich, mahogany accents, dark wood floors, and leather furniture. A wet bar took up most of the right side of the room, while most of the left wall was made up of glass windows that let in a view of tall oak trees and rolling pastures. Georgette and my dad sat on a sofa directly ahead of us—her body splayed across my dad’s chest, her head hidden in the fabric of his shirt as she sobbed. My dad stared out the windows, barely even glancing my way as I led Hux into the room. His jaw was clenched tightly, and every muscle in his body looked way too tense.

Georgette’s cries rose as she snapped her head in our direction. “You!” she spat, her wild gaze landing on Hux and I. “You brought him here? After what he did!”

“Oh, cut the bullshit, Georgette,” I snapped, white-hot anger boiling over like water in a pot. I was so over her antics. So over her hatred and stupidity and ignorance. I didn’t even have the sense to be decent anymore and veil my disgust. “You literally—”

“Enough.” My dad’s tone was cold, final, his gaze even icier as he pegged it on me.

“But, Dad. She’s lying!” I took a step deeper into the room. “She—”

“I said enough , Quinn.”

I rocked back at the fury swirling in his light eyes.

Did he seriously believe her? Over me? After how awful she’d been in the time since I'd come here? I bit back tears, knowing they wouldn’t move him, more than likely just anger him further.

“Come here, Hux,” my dad said, stone-faced and devoid of any emotion. So unlike him. Dad wore every emotion, no matter how big or small, on his sleeve. He was an open book. Easy to read. To gauge.

“Yes, sir.” Hux dropped my hand and made his way forward on measured steps. He’d done his best to angle himself in the direction of my dad’s voice.

“I want you to tell me what happened.”

With a deep breath and a nod, Hux launched into a retelling of earlier. “...then she placed her hand on me and I told her she should leave, before I said something to you.”

“Lies! Baby, I never —”

“Goddamn it, Georgette! Enough!” My dad’s booming voice echoed through the room.

Georgette bolted upright, disbelief and shock shining in her shit-brown eyes. She opened her mouth, shut it, opened it again, looking like a fish gasping for air. Looked like someone was finally able to leave her speechless. I didn’t even know that was possible.

My dad didn’t give her the time of day as he settled his sights on Hux once more. “Continue.”

“Well, sir, she said you wouldn’t believe me and kept gettin’ more and more insistent. I told her I wasn’t interested. When I tried to walk away, she pushed me back against a stall and kissed me.”

Violence blazed in Georgette’s eyes as she sucked in a breath and opened her mouth to respond. My dad didn’t speak as he shushed her, just held up a hand toward her face. I bit back a sneer. He literally just gave her the hand.

“What did you do?” he asked.

“I got her off me, sir, and tried to get away. Fell over a wheelbarrow…and then Quinn walked in.” He took a deep breath. “Look, sir. I don’t know why it happened, or what made her come in there. I know it might seem like I’m makin’ this up, it don’t even really make sense to me either. But if there’s one thing I ain’t, it’s a liar. And I would never jeopardize my relationship with your daughter by doin’ somethin’ like that.”

My lips curved upward softly, and I closed the distance between us, snaking my fingers through his as I leaned into his shoulder. A silent show of support as I met my dad’s gaze.

I hated that I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Did he believe Hux? Or had Georgette sunk her claws so deep into my dad that he’d believe anything she said? God, I hoped not. I don’t think I could forgive him for this if he chose her over me.

“What did you see, Quinn?”

Quinn. Not Queenie or Quinnie, just my name in that cool, clipped tone.

I shivered at the unease trickling down my spine, but shook it off quickly as I explained my side of the story.

Each thump of my heart felt like a ticking time bomb that was about to explode, and my fears and doubts started to paint terrible pictures in my mind with each stilted moment of silence.

Dad finally took a deep breath, and on the exhale he stood up and walked himself over to the bar. Back to all of us, he poured himself a drink, and said, “You know, I remember seeing this place for the first time and thinking, I want my family here. I saw so much potential. A way to start new, fresh. With the woman I loved and my daughter.” He turned to face us as he poured himself another drink. “But since the fucking moment we’ve all been here together it’s been one damn argument after another. I’m over it. I’m done. It’s too much fucking work.”

I chewed my bottom lip, trying to make sense of what exactly he was saying. Was he mad at me? Had I ruined this dream for him? A wave of disappointment stirred to life in my chest.

He drained another glass, his sights set on the fields beyond the windows. “You’ve got fifteen minutes to get your things and leave.”

My heart stopped, fear igniting in my chest. Was he firing Hux? Was he telling Georgette to leave? Or me?

He didn’t even bother pouring another glass this time, he just took a pull straight from the decanter. His ice cold stare fixed on Georgette. “Leave the keys to the car I bought you. Leave my credit card. Just go. I’ll get an Uber for you.”

“Carl!” Georgette’s cry pierced through the silence of the room like a banshee’s shriek. I didn’t even fight to conceal my disdain as she shot from the couch and desperately tried to reach for him. “Please, baby. Please. It’s not true. It’s not. Please!”

A trickle of pride shot through me as he batted her hands away and said, “Can you just stop fucking talking for once, Georgette? Jesus Christ! It’s done. I’m done. The wedding’s off.”

She stopped moving, the look of complete and utter disbelief shining in her teary eyes as her lip trembled. “Please…” she squeaked out.

My dad turned back toward the bar and leaned his elbows on the polished, wooden countertop. “You have fifteen minutes.” And then my Dad pulled his phone out of his back pocket and scrolled through it, completely dismissing her. Any weak sense of composure she possessed crumbled then, downright fury replacing it.

“Fuck you!” she all but screeched. “And fuck your perfect, princess daughter. Fuck this fucking ranch. Who do you fucking think you are, old man, turning me down? I am the best you’ll ever get. You’ll regret this, Carl Decker. I will fucking ruin you!”

His only answer was to take another enormous gulp of alcohol. He didn’t even wince or flinch as it went down. My stomach turned at the thought of shooting whiskey in general, but to just drink straight from the decanter like that? Ew.

She shrieked, her tiny, toned body quaking with rage. “Fuck you,” she spat, snatching the bottle from him and throwing it at the wall as she stomped for the exit. Glass and liquid rained down on the floor. She disappeared through the doorway, crashing, shrieks, and curses resonating through the house in her furious wake.

I blew out a shaky breath, a wave of relief washing over me. “Good fucking riddance,” I huffed under my breath.

“You guys want a drink?” my dad asked, turning to face us.

I shook my head, even as Hux shrugged and said, “A drink sounds pretty good right now, sir.”

My dad nodded, stood, and grabbed another glass and decanter before filling it up with whiskey and walking toward Hux and I. “I’m sorry about what happened,” he said, placing the drink near Hux’s hand.

Hux grabbed around for it and nodded. “I’m sorry to have caused any problems, sir.”

My dad sucked in a deep breath and sighed loudly. “Well, here’s to endings.” He clinked his decanter to Hux’s tumbler and took another strong pull.

Holy God, he was going to be trashed if he kept this up. I mean, understandable, but still.

“Dad…” The word trailed off into nothingness. I didn’t know what to say. I’m sorry didn’t seem adequate enough. As relieved as I was that he’d called things off with Georgette, I knew what it was like to lose someone they loved. And even if that love was misplaced, he had loved her—at least the idea of her.

My dad looked at me, and once more I was shocked at the age that lingered in the corners of his eyes and across the planes of his face. He looked old, broken down, lifeless. “I guess you can keep that job in California, Queenie. No point keeping this place anymore.”

My breath escaped me in a sharp whoosh. “What?” He wanted to sell this place? “But I thought… What about the destination ranch? The events and retreats?”

He shrugged, taking another pull from the decanter. He swayed on his feet a bit now. Looked like the whiskey was finally catching up to him. “I don’t know the first thing about ranching and I don’t wanna be here anymore. I should have just bought a boat or something,” he grumbled more to himself than anyone else.

I felt like I’d been hit by a truck.

I understood him not wanting to be here while feeling so raw, but he was just going to up and sell the place just like that? After promising me a job. A home. “I’m giving up the job in California, Dad. I thought you wanted us to do this together.”

“Qui—” But my name died on his lips as his phone buzzed on the countertop. He closed the distance to it and cursed. “I gotta take this,” he said.

“But, Dad. Wait. What do you want me to tell vendors? We can’t cancel. The event is in two weekends.”

He already had the phone to his ear as he backpedaled towards the open door. “Throw us a farewell party, Queenie. I don’t know. I don’t care…. Hello? Yeah, Bill, sorry, just talking to my daughter. No, I’m not busy. What’s up?”

And just like that, he disappeared through the door. Just like that, my entire career path seemed to be blown up in smoke. Because I didn’t want the job in California. I wanted to be here. With Hux.