I wove through to the front as he thanked everyone for being here tonight and named the people who’d been in charge of bringing this building to life. It was incredibly thoughtful of him to give credit so publicly, but that was Elliot. Always considering the best move.
“There’s one more thing we have to do to give this building its official beginning.” Elliot moved next to the stand, which was covered with a black cloth. “As many of you know, when I finish a project, the last thing I do is stamp it with a new name. Sometimes, it’s easy for me to think of what to call my buildings. Other times, I have to rack my brain or ask for help. This time, it was the former. I’ve known what this building would be called for months. And now, it’s my honor to share the new name with you.”
Carefully, he pulled back the black cloth, revealing a silver plaque with the building’s name emblazoned on it.
Alcott Tower
Oh, this man…the things he did to me.
Tears burned the backs of my eyes. In his own roundabout way, he’d named this beautiful building in honor of me and Joey-Girl since Louise May Alcott had written my favorite book, Little Women. I would have hated to see my own name, or Joey’s up there, and of course Elliot understood that. This was perfect. Just perfect.
Elliot was watching me with warmth, the corners of his mouth pulled up. I smiled back, mouthing, “I love you,” which he returned.
He explained to the gathered crowd that he’d named this building selfishly. “When I pass by Alcott Tower, I’ll always smile. In fact, I may detour this way daily, so if you see me driving past, you’ll know why.”
Without another word, he walked straight to me and took my hands in his. “What do you think?”
“Lovely,” I rasped. “Thank you.”
He stepped closer, dipping his chin. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. It kills me when you cry.”
“They’re happy tears, I promise. This is just so incredibly thoughtful and special.” I pulled my hand from his to pat my damp cheek. “Do I have mascara running all over me?”
He cocked his head, lips rolled over his teeth. He didn’t want to tell me, and that was enough for me to know I looked awful. “It isn’t so bad.”
A laugh burst out of me. “I don’t believe you. I’m going to the restroom to fix my face.”
He walked me to the hallway leading to the restrooms and kissed me before letting me go. I was certain he would have stood there had one of his security team members not been trying to get his attention.
I giggled at his disgruntled expression. “It’s okay, Elliot. Go talk to them. I’ll be fine for a minute.”
His eyes darted back and forth between mine, checking me over himself. “I’ll wait for you near the bar. Come find me when you’re done.”
“See you soon.”
No more tears. I’d done enough crying lately. The rest of the night was going to be all smiles.
Chapter Forty-two
Catherine
I’d been more of a wreck than I’d suspected. It had taken me several minutes to clean up the black tear tracks from my cheeks. Once I was good as new and there was no chance of more tears, I left the restroom, eager to find Elliot. Hopefully, he was finished with security. I didn’t think I’d properly thanked him for the name of the building. Then again, the way I wanted to thank him was better left behind doors.
My dress swished around my legs as I strode down the hall. The clinking of glasses and din of conversation swirling with the music from the string quartet grew louder with each step, but as soon as I reached the mouth of the hallway, a man stepped in front of me, stopping me dead in my tracks.
“Hello, Kit.”
The last time I saw Gavin, he’d been making a scene in front of LD. We hadn’t heard from him since, so I’d assumed he’d slinked back into the slimy hole he’d come from.
Apparently not.
“Gavin, you shouldn’t be here. Elliot told you—”
“Oh, but I’m not here for Elliot. It’s you.” He wagged a finger at me. “When we met, there was something familiar about you I couldn’t place. I thought about it and thought about it. Then I remembered you said you’re from Philadelphia, and that’s when it clicked. During my internship at Warner Properties, I’d see the Warner family portrait hanging in the lobby every day. Ostentatious as fuck, but the cute, red-haired daughter in the center never failed to catch my eye.”
My stomach plummeted to my feet, and my head went fuzzy. Gavin failed to notice, continuing with his discovery like he’d found Atlantis.
“I called a college buddy who works at Warner to ask him about the portrait. He told me the girl was the ‘lost Warner daughter.’ That’s what everyone calls her because she ran away from home and poor Samson Warner had no idea what had happened to his daughter.”
That wasn’t remotely true, but I couldn’t get my mouth to work to tell him that.
Gavin placed his sweaty hand on my shoulder, sending shivers down my spine. “Don’t worry, kitten, I arranged for a family reunion.”
He moved to the side, revealing my father only a few feet away, coming toward us. It hadn’t even been ten years since I’d last seen him, but he appeared to have aged two decades. His formerly salt-and-pepper hair was mostly salt now, and the bags under his eyes had their own carry-ons.
The part of me that had always wanted to be a daddy’s girl, that had longed for his approval and unconditional affection, yearned for him, even after he’d let me down again and again.
“Kit.” His rich, authoritative voice hadn’t changed, and the way he barked my name still sent shivers down my spine. “It’s really you.”
“Dad,” I squeezed out. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, I’m here to see you.” His heavy brow furrowed, and he turned to Gavin. “You said she was expecting me.”
Gavin raised his hands, playacting his innocence. “I might have forgotten to mention your visit to Kit. But aren’t surprises fun? I think so.”
My feet became unstuck, and I slid to the side so I was fully out of the hallway and could be seen by others. Not that I thought either of them would physically harm me, but I didn’t want to be trapped.
“This isn’t the right time for this kind of surprise. It’s an important night for Elliot,” I hedged. “We could set up a call and—”
“Now, listen here.” My dad charged right through my protests. That hadn’t changed in all the years apart. “Your mother and I have been looking for you for years. I’ve flown across the country for you. I will not set up an appointment to see my own daughter.”
Gavin rocked back on his heels, a pleased smile lighting up his features. “I’m happy I could be the one to facilitate this father-daughter meeting. Family really is the most important thing there is.”
I gasped at him, incensed. “What is in this for you? Is this supposed to be some kind of payback to Elliot? I promise you, he’s not going to be hurt by this. I am.”
Dad’s brows winged in the middle, and his cheeks flushed crimson. I’d gotten that very annoying trait directly from him.