Stiff_A Graves Family Romance

by Kim Linwood

“If they’re ever going to treat me like a real partner, I’m going to have to show Axton and Dad that I’m good for more than business lunches and fine print. Can I count on your support?”

  She snorts loudly enough that if I didn’t know her better, I’d almost be offended. Then she smiles. “My support? I think it’s wonderful, and about time you told my little shit and your overachiever of a brother to shove off.”

  “Grandma, they’re not—”

  She waves me off. “I know, I know. And you know I love them dearly. But what I find really interesting, is how you happen to have found a nice young lady at the same time that you seem to be ready to make a change in your life. Dare I dream that my playboy of a grandson is thinking about settling down?” For a moment she looks so convincing as a sweet little matchmaker that I’m half wondering who she is and what she’s done with my real grandmother. “Not that it matters, I suppose, since the longest you’ve held on to anyone is what? Two weeks?”

  Oh right. There she is.

  “You can dream whatever you like. I haven’t even had dinner with the woman yet. I’m not about to start naming your great-grandchildren.”

  She rolls her eyes.

  I continue before she gets a chance to launch another barb. “But I promise I’ll put my best foot forward.”

  “Carter, darling, if you think it’s your foot that matters, I know what your problem has been.”

  My God, what did I do to deserve a grandmother like this? I try to wash away the memory of her sexual innuendo with a gulp of coffee, and get to my feet. “Well, we’ll see. Either way, it shouldn’t take long to wrap things up here. Should be a quickie—” She opens her mouth to make a comment, but I point at her and beat her to it, “Don’t even say it, Grandma.”

  A clever smile twists her lips, but she remains quiet with an amused look.

  God, she’s right. There’s a lot of her in me. I give her a hug before I go, inhaling the familiar scent of her perfume. “Now don’t you drive Aunt Liz too crazy while I’m gone, all right?”

  “Oh, just go get your work done so you can plan for your date. And don’t forget what we talked about. You’re perfect for this project—your father just doesn’t see it because he’s too stuck in his rut. Don’t let complacency steal this chance,” she chides, then shoos me off. I say my goodbyes to Aunt Liz, then start the drive back around the lake towards Wittville and the Williams Funeral Home.

  Grandma’s talk keeps going around in my head. Is it really time for that big a change? Am I ready to settle down? The answer for my work is definitely yes. I’m ready to start taking some ownership of the projects I’m involved with, success or failure. Romantically? I haven’t given it much thought, but the idea of having a partner in life instead of face after face passing through doesn’t scare me nearly as much as it should.

  I don’t know if Sadie is the one, but there’s something about her that I can’t shake, and I can’t wait to get her alone and find out what it is.

  Here’s to getting lucky.

  4

  Sadie

  The front door chimes right on time. The Graves rep is here. I take a deep, centering breath and clean off my paintbrush before setting it to dry alongside the tiny canvas frame on my desk. It’s my version of an office Zen garden. Happy little trees to help distract me from getting all stabby on people like the corporate jerk who probably wants to turn our cozy little funeral home into a drive-thru.

  WWBRD? What would Bob Ross do?

  Turn the bad into something beautiful. I’m not sure that’s going to happen in this case, but I’ll do what I can.

  I grab the folder with the printed contract from my desk and head out to meet the rep. Everything I’ve read so far makes me wonder if Dad’s going senile. It’s either that or his way of forcing me to step up. Given how chipper he sounded about retirement, I’m leaning more towards option number two.

  Did he really think I cared so little about the business? Sure I bitch and moan, and yeah, okay, I never really told him I expected to take over, but I’m not down with giving the place away. Not without some serious negotiation at least.

  Which brings me back to the big question. Would I really agree to sell?

  God, I don’t know, but if the offer is worth considering, I’ll give it some thought. What would I do with the freedom to start over and figure out what the heck I want to do with my life? Probably finish painting those murals I sketched on my walls a year—or three—ago. And then what?

  Hang out with Maria and Josie all day?

  I stride into the foyer with more confidence than I’m feeling, holding out my hand with a smile on my face. “It’s a pleasure to—” Which is as far as I get before my vocal cords tie up in a knot, refusing to go any farther.

  Tall, broad-shouldered and looking just as ridiculously handsome as he did in the flower shop, Carter is in my reception area, dominating the room just by standing there. I like spontaneity, but this is jumping the gun on our date by several hours.

  He looks up as I come in, and his eyebrows furrow even as his eyes smolder. “Sadie?”

  “Um, our date isn’t until tonight, right? Or did I mix things up?” How does he even know where I work? I suppose Maria could’ve told him, but this seems a little stalkery. “Not to be rude, but I’ve got a meeting scheduled so I don’t really have time to chat right now. What are you doing here?”

  “I’d love to say I just can’t stay away, but it looks like it’s a bit more complicated than that.”

  I laugh nervously. “It’s a little early in our relationship for complicated. Don’t you think?”

  He holds out his hand. “I’m Carter Graves.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.” I stand stock-still, staring at him.

  “Afraid not.” Carter scratches the back of his head, looking a touch sheepish. “I’m here on behalf of my father, Martin Graves, founder of Graves Funeral Homes. I presume this makes you the Ms. Williams I’m supposed to speak with?”

  It makes me feel a little better that he seems as uncomfortable about this as I am, but suspicion quickly takes hold. “Hold on a sec. Was that whole scene yesterday a coincidence, or was our date supposed to be some sort of sneaky recon before the negotiations?”

  If that’s the kind of tactics Graves Funeral Homes treat their potential subsidiaries with, they can kiss this contract goodbye. Why am I even standing here? If we’re going to continue this, the right thing to do would be to request a new contact person. Then Carter smiles, transforming him from annoyingly handsome to panty-droppingly sexy.

  Oh right, that’s why.

  He takes a step closer, not letting the surprise throw him off his game. “Your doubt is understandable, but I assure you my intentions were, and still are, good. I had no idea who you were yesterday, and our date has nothing to do with this. I fully intend to rock your world tonight.”

  I move back, putting distance between us while shaking my head. “No way. We need to keep this strictly professional. I don’t date people I work with, and as of right now, that includes you.” Not that it’s ever come up given the shallow pool of options my co-workers provide, but it sounds like a good policy.

  “Relax, Ms. Williams. As soon as our business with the contract is settled, we can put this awkwardness behind us,” he says with a wink and a smile that promises to make it worth my while.

  My jaw drops. Maybe I’ve found the flaw I was looking for when we met. He’s not taking me seriously, like at all. I’m not sure if he’s trying to be reassuring, but I feel like a chicken, negotiating with a fox for rights to the henhouse. “Did you just wink at me? I have a lot of concerns about this offer, and I’m not going to sign just because you’re hot.”

  Carter grins. “You think I’m hot.”

  I growl a little. He knows exactly how he looks. Guys like him always do. “That wasn’t my point!”

  “That’s too bad, since I really like that particular point.” He closes the space between us. “C’mon, you�
��ve got to admit you feel the spark between us.”

  “You can’t just… Argh. Here’s my point.” I poke the right side of his chest. “Here’s yours.” I poke the left side, unable to completely ignore how nice and firm it feels.

  Carter wraps his hand around mine, saving me from trying to figure out where I was going with that little demonstration. “Look, I appreciate you trying to take this seriously, but your parents have already gone over our offer. I’m authorized to leave a sizable chunk of money behind in exchange for getting this done with as little hassle as possible. I’m sure this feels personal to you, but it really is just business, so how about you sign on the dotted line and I’ll give you the rest of the afternoon off so we can get an early start on our date?”

  The beginning of his speech is a bit of a blur, lost in the zing of attraction that races up my arm and into my heart—and other bits—but the more he goes on, the less I want to hear. How freaking patronizing can he be?

  “You are so full of yourself.” Yanking my hand away, I cross my arms over my chest. “You think you can sweep in from—where’s Graves based? Philly? New York?”

  His mouth quirks up, still not taking me seriously. “Philly.”

  “Philly!” I point at him accusingly like it proves everything. “So you think you can say whatever you want because I’m probably just some small-town girl who’ll get all melty when Mr. Fancy Big-City Businessman comes in and pats her on the head? Oooooh,” I fan myself dramatically. “I’m so overwhelmed by your nice suit and your distractingly white teeth! How can a simple woman like me possibly want to talk serious business?”

  Carter’s half smile turns into a knowing smirk. “You said it, not me.” Then his eyes narrow. “You’re actually serious, aren’t you? Look, this is a formality. The negotiations are done. You understand how these things work, right?”

  Feeling completely out of my depth but unable to back down, I lie. “Of course I know how these things work. Nothing is final until you have my signature. So do you want to have this meeting, or just walk your obnoxious ass back out of here?”

  He straightens, but the smirk never quite leaves his stupid, irritating, annoyingly handsome face. “Okay. That’s what you want? We’ll talk. The sooner we get done with this, the sooner we can go get ready for tonight.”

  “You! I… Oh my God!” I throw my hands up in frustration which just makes him laugh. “You seriously think we still have a date? I’m sorry, but if I’m going to spend an evening wanting to punch a hole in the wall, I’ll watch the news.”

  “Anger is passion, and passion I can work with. I’d be more worried if I couldn’t get a reaction out of you.” Carter lightly strokes his hands down my arms. “Why don’t you show me in? Afterwards, maybe you’ll be a little more interested.”

  His touch leaves behind a tingle I don’t want to acknowledge. I turn away from Carter, using my file to point the way towards our meeting room. “You’re awfully cocky. You know that?”

  “Baby, there’s nothing awful about my… you know what? That comment would be unprofessional, wouldn’t it?” he quips, striding by me without missing a beat.

  My fists clench, but I struggle not to laugh. As much fun as I’m sure it would be to explore if his implication is true, I’m not one of the heirs to a multi-million dollar business. I have people relying on me, and I have to keep my mind on the negotiations.

  Stupid Graves.

  We sit down across from each other at the solid oak table that used to be in my Grandmother’s dining room. If we sell, what will happen to all of the things that makes this place ours? As I pull out my copy of the contract, I run my hand over the surface that I helped her polish every Sunday after family dinner. I bet if I tried, I could still smell the lemony scent of the spray she used.

  The margins of my printout are covered in scribbles, and I have a full page of notes on top of that so I don’t forget anything. I’m a grown woman and I know every detail about this place, but I still wish my parents were here, because this decision feels so much bigger than me.

  Buck up, Sadie. You’re in charge.

  At least for now.

  Carter grimaces when he notices how much I’ve written down. “That looks like a lot.”

  Cocking my head, it’s my turn to smirk. “What? Afraid I’d look too close?”

  With a shake of his head, he leans back in his chair. “How about I cut through the bullshit, instead of going through it point by point. I’ll double the offer.”

  “What?”

  “The offer. Double. Twice as much. Do we have a deal?”

  “But… I didn’t even tell you what I wanted.” Twice as much money? With that sort of cash I could do anything. Okay, not jet-setting billionaire level anything, but definitely Wittville level anything. Like get my own studio and paint full time until I figured out what I wanted to do with my life.

  My indecision has him leaning forward, pinning me with those deep dark chocolate eyes. “Don’t you think this place is worth it?”

  I open my mouth, then close it again because I don’t know what to say. Double would be an amazing price for us, but it’s a crazy thing for him to offer. What’s the catch? “Of course we’re worth it, but throwing such a low bid and then doubling it? Are you even serious about this or is this all a joke to you?”

  “Oh, I assure you, I’m completely serious and very motivated to move this along. Just tell me, if the new numbers had been on the table from the start, would you be convinced?”

  “Maybe,” I answer cautiously, “With a few stipulations.”

  “Really? Even at that price?” His eyebrows rise in surprise.

  “It’s not all about the money. We’re a family here, and our employees need to be taken care of. I’d want at least two years of guaranteed employment, with the usual two weeks’ notice if someone wants to leave. Zoe and Kenny do good work here, and Frank and Arthur have driven for my father since before I was born. I don’t want them to lose out just because my parents decided to pull up anchor and sail the asphalt seas.”

  Carter nods in understanding. “I can respect that, and we prefer to keep as many people on as possible. It makes for a smoother transition and retains client trust. Anything else?” Leaning back, he puts his hands behind his head. The movement pulls his shirt tight across his chest, showing off his physique.

  Focus, Sadie.

  “Let me check my list…” My two biggest issues were the money and what would happen to everyone who works here. There are lines and lines of notes, but he’s being too agreeable, and now all I can think about is helping slip open some of the buttons on the front of his shirt. “We have a free pizza lunch on Fridays to build employee loyalty.” And because I like pizza.

  “Done.”

  “Drinks in the fridge, and none of that weird off-brand stuff.”

  His right eyebrow goes up again. “Fine.”

  “Salary increases in line with inflation.”

  “As long as the work gets done and the finances are solid, sure.”

  “Company cars?” I venture, running out of ideas.

  Carter laughs. “Now you’re pushing it, but I’ll run some numbers and get back to you.”

  “I was kidding, geez. We’re a funeral parlor, not a Fortune 500.”

  “What part of taking this seriously didn’t you understand? We won’t be providing vehicles, but if an employee can show that they do a significant amount of driving for work purposes, we’ll reimburse a percentage of gas and maintenance. It’s not that unusual.”

  “Are you hiring?” I blurt out with a laugh, thinking about how much I spend in gas every week running errands.

  His smile spreads. “Funny you should ask, because I have a stipulation of my own.”

  “Oh?” I squeak out, knowing I’ve basically showed him my entire hand and not liking how happy he seems about our negotiation.

  “You.”

  “Me?”

  “I’ll make sure that everything we’ve talked a
bout is covered, but you have to come with it. Your parents are retiring, but you know the business. The community knows and trusts your family. I want your agreement that you will stay for the entire guaranteed employment period. I have no intention of forcing you to leave at the end of that, but give us those two years.”

  “You’re serious?”

  “As death. I’m sorry we didn’t get off to the most professional start, but I wouldn’t joke about this.”

  “I stay or the deal’s off?” It’s hard to believe that he thinks I’m that important. I’m not sure even my parents would agree with that assessment.

  “It’s you or nothing.” His demeanor is all business, but his eyes are bright and teasing.

  What am I getting myself into? “I think you’re crazy.”

  Carter shrugs. “I know what I want and I’ll do what it takes to make it happen.”

  No matter how much I twist his offer in my mind, I can’t see the catch. Obviously the big glaring issue is that we’d be a franchise and I’d probably have to keep dealing with Carter. Still, knowing how chains work, I’d only see him every quarter or so to go over reports.

  God, twice as much money. Dad would string me up if I turned him down. I pick up my pen and stare at the modified paper he slides over the desk.

  “This is a very generous offer.”

  “So we have a deal? I can’t wait to have you working under me.”

  Wait. “Excuse me?” The tip of my pen stops in its downward path towards the dotted line.

  “Didn’t you read the part about the transition? I’ll be taking over management to incorporate everything under the Graves umbrella. Don’t worry. You’ll continue to be the face of the new, modernized parlor, but I’ll take care of the business so you can have plenty of time to spend with your new boss. Who, by the way, is really looking forward to Pizza Fridays.”

  Oh no. No no no. I put down my pen. “No way.” I was expecting something like this the whole time, so I’m actually a little surprised at how disappointed I feel. For a solid minute, I actually thought he was impressed by my work, but no, he just wants an office booty call that conveniently fits with their expansion plan.