“Dad, I hope you’ll stay in the room long enough to hear me out. My whole life you’ve taught me to do the right thing. You taught me that regardless of what I had, to always make sure I gave to others. When I wanted to skip going to college and try to make a go of a flower shop, you said that college would teach me things I never realized I needed to know.” She expected to hear her father storm out of the room any second, but she had to say what was in her heart, regardless of what he did or didn’t do.
“And you were right. I learned all about business, and it’s helped me tremendously with my flower shop. And it’s helped me analyze and strategize and provide for Maddy’s education with my webcast. I know you don’t approve of what I’m doing, but I’m still your daughter.” Tears of anger and hurt welled in her eyes as Blue’s arm circled her. “I hope one day that you’ll see I am the same girl you raised, only I’m stronger now and more capable of making good decisions. Decisions that have helped me and Maddy.”
She gulped a breath, ignoring the bite of her father’s silence.
“I love you, Dad, and all I’m asking is that you take a step back and see me for who I am, not whatever misconception you have about who you think I’ve become.” Her trembling hand dropped to her side as she ended the call, and she buried her face in Blue’s chest.
***
BLUE WISHED HE could walk out the door and pay her father a visit to knock some sense into him, but Lizzie needed him right now. He’d made the mistake once of walking away when she needed him, and he’d be damned if he was going to do that again. Her father could wait. Blue was so proud of her for taking a stand. He couldn’t imagine any father ignoring such a heartfelt plea. But if her father remained distant, there was no way in hell Blue would sit back and let the woman he loved be hurt again.
“Are you okay?”
She inhaled sharply, and when she pushed away, her eyes were full of determination.
“Yes. I am finally more than okay.” She swiped at her damp eyes, and her lips curved into a smile.
Her strength floored him, but he’d known all along how strong Lizzie was. She hadn’t backed down for him. Why would she back down for anyone else?
“I realized as I was talking at my father that he’s the one who taught me to be this way, so who is he to judge me?” She took a step away, waving her hand angrily. “I mean, he might not agree with me wearing nothing but an apron, but he taught me to give, to help others, and that’s what I do every day of my life. And I’m hardly wearing any less than my bathing suit. That has to count for something.”
Before he could say anything, she added, “And you know what else pisses me off? I’m not the only one who put my mother in this position. That’s mostly his doing.”
“Hopefully you finally got through to him. If he doesn’t come around, then it speaks volumes of him as a person.”
“He’s not a bad guy, Blue.” She crossed her arms protectively over her chest.
He loved her innate desire to protect her father despite how upset she was.
“I’m sure he’s not. He’s just a father watching out for his daughter. All I’m saying is that hopefully he’ll see what an incredible woman you are and come to his senses soon. I hate to see you suffer over this. I never should have suggested that you shouldn’t hide from the people who love you.”
“Oh, yes, you should have. You opened my eyes to everything, most importantly, the difference between unconditional love, like ours, and whatever it is my father has for me.” She took his hand and led him to the computer. “Let’s get this sucker edited so we can move past the nerve-racking part of the night and into the fun part.”
“Ah, the fun part.” He kissed her lips. “Like maybe your Lick-It list?”
“I was thinking more about the other list.” She raised her brows in quick succession.
“Damn, woman, you’re not going to make it easy for me to concentrate, are you?”
“That’s the plan…”
They took the computer upstairs and set it on the table between them. They’d spent the last three days working through every statistic Lizzie had ever kept, analyzing them from every possible angle. He’d quickly learned that Lizzie was not just a beautiful, talented florist and bright businesswoman, but she had a brilliant analytical and strategic mind. She’d created a business that was continually climbing up the ranks of things he’d never known existed, like Alexa rankings—rankings of websites based on hits and length of time spent on the site—and surpassing partner income thresholds one after another. It was no wonder the Food Channel Network was courting her. If she did this full-time, she could easily earn hundreds of thousands of dollars. She obviously wasn’t putting herself out there to achieve her own fame and fortune, or she’d be making more videos and forgoing her flower shop altogether, which was just another thing to admire about her.