to be with this woman, because if you want to be with her badly, you’ll be the man she wants you to be. And if she’s a good woman, which I think she is, that means you’re going to be a better man.”
He pats my shoulder.
“Good luck.”
Then he peeks into the back of the shop.
“Um, excuse me. You can come back now.”
The tailor returns. I go back on the podium so he can finish his job. As he does, I think about what Joel just said.
How badly do I want to be with Claire?
Badly, I realize. But can I be the man she wants me to be?
I stare at my reflection in the mirror. What kind of man do I want to be?
The answer is right in front of me—Ryker Hawthorne. My own man. My own person.
I don’t want to be Ethan’s puppy or anyone’s puppy. I don’t want to live anyone else’s life. I want my own.
I want to look in the mirror and be able to recognize myself instead of wonder who I am. I want to be proud of what I see. I want my reflection to be smiling.
I want to be the head of Hawthorne Foundation. And I want to be with Claire.
Slowly, the lips in the mirror curve into a smile.
I know what I have to do.
~
I knock on the door to Ethan’s office.
“Come in,” he says.
So I step inside. Ethan is sitting behind his desk. He looks up from his computer and his eyebrows arch when he sees me.
“Ryker.” He leans back in his chair. “When is your flight to Jamaica?”
“Tomorrow afternoon,” I answer.
“Is there something I can do for you?”
“Actually, there is.”
I hand him the folder beneath my arm.
He gives me a puzzled look as he receives it. “What’s this?”
“Just take a look at it.”
He opens the folder. I fidget with my tie as he goes through the papers. I hold my breath as I wait for his feedback.
I’ve taken the first step to making my dream come true. Now, it’s up to Ethan.
He puts the folder down on his desk.
This is it. Moment of truth.
“You don’t want to be in business anymore?” Ethan asks me.
“No,” I answer. “Frankly, I’m not sure I ever wanted to be. I’m not saying I don’t like it here or that I regret being here. I’ve learned so much in the past seven years. But I think I came here because it was the easiest place to be. You know how I used to follow you around? I think I ended up following you here. And now, I realize I don’t want to do that anymore.”
Ethan nods. “I see.”
“I’m not quitting the corporate world entirely. I just want to be on the philanthropic side. I want to give away money, not make money. I want to make sure that the money you and Asher work hard to bring in is put to good use. I want to use it to help transform this world into a better place.”
Ethan falls silent. He taps his fingers on the folder.
What is he thinking? Is he mad? Is he looking for a reason to turn down my request?
“I know establishing the Hawthorne Foundation isn’t going to be easy, but frankly, it’s an idea we should have thought of before.”
“We did,” Ethan says. “Actually, Dad said Mom was thinking about it a lot before she died.”
She was?
“Maybe she wants you to be the one to do it.”
“But you don’t think I should?”
“Actually…” He gets up from his chair and walks around his desk towards me. “I can’t think of a better person for it.”
My eyes grow wide. “You mean it?”
Ethan nods. “I’ll tell the Board about this and Dad, too. I’ll make sure everyone gets on board before I take my leave.”
My jaw drops as joy fills my chest. I go over to him and give him a hug.
“Thank you.”
Ethan pats my back and shakes his head. “No need to thank me. I may be your boss, but I’m also your big brother, and it’s my job to look after you and make sure you get the life you want.”
“Still, thank you,” I tell him. “And I’m sorry that I have to go back on what I said about helping Asher run the company while you’re not here.”
“Don’t be. Asher will be fine. He’s been more reliable since Violet showed up.” He places a hand on my shoulder. “You just go and be happy.”
I nod and turn to leave.
“Ryker?”
I turn back to