by Beth Andrews
“But?” James prompted quietly.
Frank sighed, seemed to age in front of James’s eyes, which was ridiculous as his father was only fifty-six. Not some old man. “I’ve seen it too many times. Families fighting once they’re brought on board a business. They’re torn apart.”
Eddie frowned. “The companies?”
“The families. I don’t want that to happen to us. The infighting and arguments. Things will change if we’re all owners. It’s already started.”
James sat back. So Maddie had been right. He’d been so sure his dad had been trying to hold on to his power, to keep complete control of the company, that this other stuff was an excuse. Clearly James had had it wrong.
Maybe Frank was just trying to hold on to his family.
“Things will change,” James said slowly. He thought of him and Sadie, of how they’d gone from friends to lovers to...what, he had no idea. “They’re meant to. But that doesn’t mean things will be worse. We don’t want to shove you out or take over the business, but we do want to be fully invested in it. We love it. We all love it. And we want a say about how the company is run, how we take it into the future. We deserve that.”
“I’m sorry,” Frank said, sounding as if he really meant it. But it did little to appease James. “I can’t risk this family. I won’t.”
Disappointment settled heavily on James’s shoulders. But he nodded. He’d asked his father to make a decision and Frank had done so. James didn’t have to like the end result. “Then I guess we have nothing left to discuss,” he said as he rose to leave.
His father opened his mouth but Maddie spoke before he could.
“You,” she said, pointing her fork at James’s jugular, “are seriously getting on my last nerve. I suppose this is where you make some dramatic statement, quit and then storm off, your lofty ideals and this sudden need for recognition intact.”
Sudden need for recognition? Was that really what she thought of him? He scanned his parents’ faces, Eddie’s. Christ, was that what they all thought?
Worse, could they be right?
“This isn’t about my ego,” he said, his voice stiff. “It’s about me finally choosing what happens in my own life. I’ve never, not once, considered doing anything with my life other than working for Montesano Construction.”
Maddie shrugged. “So? Neither did I. At least, not seriously.”
“Shouldn’t we have?” he asked. They should have explored their options, seen what else was out there for them. Instead, they’d drifted into their jobs, taken the easy route. Settled.
He’d settled.
“Seems to me,” Eddie said, “you need to stop worrying so much about what you did and didn’t do in the past and figure out what you want in the here and now.”
“And that,” Maddie said, nodding at Eddie, “is why he is the wisest of us all. He may not say much, but when he does, it’s pure gold.”
Rose’s eyebrows lifted. “Except when he disagrees with you.”
Maddie nodded. “Except when he disagrees with me.”
“Your father and I have discussed this,” Rose said, her back ramrod straight, her hands flat on the table on either side of her plate. “And if you—” she sent Maddie a pointed look “—could keep your thoughts in your head where they belong, perhaps he could tell you about our decision. Please sit down, James.”
“Mom, I—”
“Sit. Down.” This from Frank, said in such a no-nonsense tone, James found himself moving to sit, but he locked his knees. “Please,” his dad added gruffly.
James sat.
Frank pushed aside his empty dinner plate, clasped his hands together on the table. “As your mother said, we’ve discussed this and we’ve come up with what we feel is a good solution, a fair one for all involved.” He cleared his throat, seemed nervous. “But, if after you hear our proposition, you still feel it’s in your best interest to go out on your own, to start your own company,” he said to James, “then we want you to know, you’ll have the full support of this family.”
“He will?” Maddie asked incredulously.
“The full support of this entire family,” Frank said, frowning at his daughter.
She slouched in her chair like she used to when she’d been a taciturn teenager. “Fine.”
James was stunned. “That means a lot to me,” he said. “Thank you.”
Frank rubbed circles on the tablecloth with his palms. “Yes, well, we’re hoping that once you hear what we’re offering you won’t want to go anywhere. But it’s important to me for you to know—” he swept his gaze around the table “—for all of you to know that nothing means more to me and your mother than our family. I’d dissolve the company before I’d let it come between any of us. What we’re hoping is that you three will take Montesano Construction into the future, that you—and possibly your children—will keep it running long after I’m retired. If that’s what you want,” he added quickly. “In the meantime, we’d like to bring you all in as shareholders.”
James narrowed his eyes. “You want us to buy into the company?”
Most owners used shareholders as a way to raise capital in order to grow their business. But Montesano Construction was sound and could easily afford any type of expansion ideas Frank might have.
“We want to give you the shares,” Rose said. “Ten percent each.”
James and Eddie exchanged a surprised look. Their parents—their father—was willing to give them 30 percent in his company. It wasn’t a partnership, wasn’t even close to what James had wanted. Had thought he wanted. He still wouldn’t have a say in how the business was run.
But he would have ownership in it.
It was a compromise.
Sadie had been right. James had let his anger and pride push him into a corner. This was his way out.
“That’s very generous,” Maddie said, sending James a glare when he remained silent. “But I don’t feel right accepting. Not when I can’t guarantee where I’ll be a year from now.”
“You’re part of this company,” Frank said firmly. “You’ve helped Montesano Construction grow, have put your heart and soul into it. We want you to always be a part of it, whether you’re here or across the country.”
Maddie, her eyes wet, rose and went over to Frank to kiss the top of his head then press her cheek against his. “In that case, I accept your offer.”
Frank reached back and patted her upper arm. “Eddie?”
Eddie nodded.
Everyone’s attention turned to James, their gazes expectant.
It could work, James realized. They could make this work. But there was still one problem....
“What about Leo?”
“What about him?” Maddie asked.
“He may not be part of Montesano Construction,” James said, “but he’s part of this family.”
And James didn’t want him to feel as if he’d been slighted. Didn’t want to cause any bad blood between Leo and the rest of them because Leo had chosen a different path.
His dad was right—nothing was worth risking their family’s future.
“I want Leo to have half my shares,” James said.
Maddie straightened, kept her hands on Frank’s shoulders. “Why not just split the thirty percent by the four little Montesanos? Seven and a half percent each.”
A proud grin lit Frank’s face. “Looks as if we have an agreement then.”
“Another family crisis averted,” Maddie said, returning to her seat. She piled more food onto her plate then glanced at Rose. “What’s for dessert?”
As Rose and Maddie discussed the cake Rose had made and Frank asked Eddie a question about Max’s hockey team, James couldn’t stop from smiling. He was in for God knew how many more years of long hours, of listening to Maddie bitch
about one thing or the other, of trying to get Eddie to meet with customers instead of hiding out in the shop. Years of endless customer calls and complaints, of dealing with distributors and employees.
But, for the first time in a long time, it didn’t feel as if he was stuck. It felt as if he’d finally set himself free.
* * *
“HEY, THERE, RED. Can I get you a sod-y pop?”
Charlotte glared at O’Riley’s owner. “Whiskey and diet cola. Please,” she added through gritted teeth.
He raised his eyebrows and she fisted her hands so she wouldn’t be tempted to slap that condescending smirk off his too-handsome face. Jerk.
“Drinking with the big girls tonight?” he asked, fixing her drink.
Was that what the big girls drank? She had no idea. She usually stuck with a beer or two.
“Here you go. Take it easy on those,” he said with a wink.
She took a huge gulp, just to prove she could, just to prove she didn’t have to listen to him. Dear Lord, it was strong. Her eyes watered; her throat burned. “Did you forget the cola part?” she asked on a wheeze.
Amusement shone in his eyes and in that instant, she hated him. “Maybe you should stick with beer.”
She worked up a sneer. “Maybe you should go to—”
“Hello, Lottie,” Sadie said, hurrying out from behind the bar. Char hadn’t seen her yet, but Sadie must have noticed her boss was giving Char a hard time.
Did she mention he was a jerk?
“Sadie.” Char tried to glare, but it was a weak effort. Even though she was mad at her sister, she still missed her.
She’d been so upset after James left the other night, so embarrassed, she’d stayed at the house, watching the candles burn down for hours. When she’d finally been able to get up and go to her apartment, she’d fallen onto her bed and slept for twelve hours straight, then had to work a double shift at the hospital. This was the first chance she’d had to track down her sister.
“What’s up?” Sadie asked. “You okay?”
Char opened her mouth to say she was fine, but what came out was, “No. Not really.”
Sadie studied her, looking more serious than her sister usually did. “Come with me,” she said, taking Char’s hand and leading her back behind the bar. “I’m taking a break,” she told her boss.
He scowled. “You’ve been working only twenty minutes.”
“And now I’m taking a break.” She glanced pointedly at the only two patrons at the bar, the couple seated at a booth near the pool table. “I think you can handle the early-Saturday-night crowd.”
She kept going, pulling Charlotte into a small break room off the kitchen. Either her sister was extremely brave or she had reason not to fear her scary boss. “Are you sleeping with him?” Char asked.
Sadie twitched in surprise. “Who?”
“Scary man. Your boss.”
“Please. Even I’m not that stupid.” She handed Char a bottle of water from a small fridge, opened one for herself. “Now, what’s going on?”
Char took a sip, put the lid back on. “I...I need you to talk to James for me.” When she’d come up with this plan, it had seemed like a good idea, but saying it aloud made it seem a little too...middle school. But she’d come this far and Char didn’t like to go backward. “Please. He’ll listen to you.”
“What do you want me to talk to him about?” Sadie asked, sounding hesitant.
Well, she probably didn’t want to get involved between her sister and her best friend. Char could understand that, but this was important. “I love him,” she said quietly, then again, louder, because it was the first time she’d said it out loud. “I love him. But he’s afraid to be with me because of the age difference or...I don’t know why. I just need you to talk to him, ask him to give me, to give us, a chance.”
Sadie was staring at her, stunned. She shook her head. “You...you love him. James? My James? I thought it was just a crush.”
Something in the way she said my James, the second time she’d slipped like that, had Char’s eyes narrowing. “I love him,” she repeated. As if she didn’t know her own feelings. She was a grown woman, for God’s sake. “We’d be so good together. But I need to know I have a chance. He said he wasn’t seeing anyone. Is that true?”
Sadie was white. “Char, honey...I don’t know how else to say this, so I’ll just spit it out.” She inhaled deeply. “He’s seeing me. Sort of.”
“No, no. I mean, is there some woman he’s romantically involved with?”
“Me. James and I are...together. Well, we have been...together.”
Char went hot then cold. Her skin crawled, as if someone had poured hundreds of tiny spiders over her. “What?”
“Break’s over,” Sadie’s boss said, sticking his head into the room. “A bachelorette party just came in.”
“In a minute,” Sadie said.
“You...you’re seeing James?” Char asked, stepping closer to Sadie, her big sister, the woman she’d always looked up to, whom she’d admired and loved so much. “You’re with James?” The more it sank in, the angrier she got. How dare Sadie take James from her? “You’re screwing him?”
Sadie flinched, but then her expression hardened. “Watch it, little girl.”
“I am not a little girl.” And if she wanted to add a foot stomp to that proclamation, no one had to know but her. “How could you do this to me?”
“Believe it or not, me getting together with James had nothing to do with you.”
Of course not. She hadn’t even thought of Char, of how this would affect her. “God,” she said, stepping closer, “you are unbelievable, you know that? You just waltz back into town after years, years of being off—” she waved her arm wildly, forcing Sadie to take a step back “—finding yourself or whatever it is you tell yourself you’re doing while you run away from being a real grown-up—”
“Seriously starting to tick me off,” Sadie warned tightly.
But Char didn’t care. Why should she? Sadie never cared about anything, not her family, not the havoc she wreaked on people’s lives. “Oh, please, it’s the truth. You’re so selfish. All you care about, all you’ve ever cared about, is yourself.”
“If you two are going to keep at it,” O’Riley’s owner said drily, “mind if I hose both of you down and charge a cover fee? Might as well get something out of this catfight.”
“Shut up,” Char said, whirling on him.
“Hey,” Sadie said, pushing Char’s shoulder. “Don’t tell my boss to shut up.”
Char used both hands to shove Sadie back two steps. “Don’t push me.”
“Back up, little sister,” Kane said, grabbing her arm and pulling her away as if he sensed she was gearing up to punch Sadie’s nose.
“Don’t touch me,” she said lowly, not bothering to try to free herself, just giving him a withering glare.
It didn’t bother him in the least. Figured. “If you don’t calm down,” he said in his flat voice, his grip on her firm, but not tight enough to actually hurt, “I’m going to personally escort you out of here. You get it?”
Tears threatened. She choked them back. “I’m leaving anyway. I don’t want to be in the same building as her.”
He opened his fingers and she headed for the door.
“Okay, enough of the drama-queen routine,” Sadie said, blocking what had been a very regal exit on Char’s part. “Look, let’s just calm down and—”
“I won’t calm down,” Char snapped, slapping at the conciliatory hand Sadie reached toward her. “You stole the man I loved.”
That may have been a little over-the-top, but it was heartfelt and true.
Impatience crossed Sadie’s experience. “You don’t even know him. You had a crush. It’s understandable. He’s a great guy, th
e best, but, honey, you don’t love him. Not really.”
She did. Didn’t she? He was perfect for her, for her plans, for what she wanted for her future. But Sadie had taken that away from her. “And you do?”
Sadie looked as shocked as if Char had given in to that urge to pop her one. “James and I are...we’re...friends. We care about each other.”
“Friends?” Char sneered. “Friends with benefits? How convenient for you, and just how you prefer things. No strings. No promises, certainly no ties to strangle you. God forbid you actually commit to anything or anyone. But while you’re having this easy, no-strings-attached affair, did it ever occur to you that you’re holding him back? James deserves a woman who’s going to love him forever, who wants to get married, have children and raise them here in Shady Grove.”
“Someone like you?” Sadie asked.
“Someone exactly like me,” Char snapped. “You only came here because you messed up your life. And once you get bored or something more interesting—someone more interesting—comes along, you’ll drop James and take off like a rocket. It’s what you do. It’s who you are.” Char stepped closer, couldn’t stop her voice from shaking. “You’ll hold him back from finding true happiness, but worse than that, you’ll hurt him. You’ll leave him alone with a broken heart, and that’s something I never, never would do.”
Sadie was white, her lower lip trembling, but Char didn’t take her words back. Couldn’t. They were true. And it was past time someone told Sadie exactly what she was doing wrong instead of always letting her charm her way out of things.
Sadie turned and walked away.
Because she couldn’t defend herself. Because she knew damn well every word, every single one, was true. But if she was in the right, and Char assured herself she was, why did she feel so horrible?
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“SADIE!” IRENE CALLED, waving her arm frantically as she jogged across the backyard toward Sadie and Elvis.
“Mom?” Sadie raised her eyebrows and, wrapping the leash around her hand, picked up her pace, causing Elvis to trot to keep up. “What’s the matter? What’s wrong? Is the house on fire?”
