by Leslie North
Stephen had fired Mark over the comment he’d made about Angie. What the hell was he doing here? “You too, Mark,” he said evenly.
“Fine represents Spencer Builders. You both called me this morning, and I figured I’d meet with you both together to save some time. Fine is aware that I would like Duncan Enterprises on this job, but he’s insisted that Spencer Builders is the better choice. I’m aware that Duncan’s has had some issues lately, so I’d like to hear both sides.”
Stephen took a deep breath to settle his nerves as he sat down. How Mark had gotten another job so quickly was beyond him, but that wasn’t his biggest problem. Mark could easily blow this deal for him.
Well, Stephen reckoned, maybe not easily. All Stephen had to do was keep it cool. Allister said Alliance wanted Duncan Enterprises. They would have to make sure that the ball remained in his court.
“What are the rumors saying about Duncan Enterprises?” he asked as he tried to keep his voice light.
“That he wants to sell, and the only thing holding him back are the board members,” Allister said as he leaned back.
“That’s certainly not a rumor. It’s truth,’ Stephen countered easily. “And it’s one of the reasons that I’ve gotten involved. The construction arm of Duncan Enterprises is still worth millions of dollars, and in my opinion, it’s worth keeping. You may not be aware of this, but we were awarded a job with Snyder Development, and it’s enough to make the board members reconsider.”
“Actually, when I left, I remember that most of the board members weren’t quite convinced,” Fine said quickly. “There are other issues going on.”
Ignoring him, Stephen only focused on Allister. “And even if Duncan Enterprises did sell, we would not abandon our current projects. Contracts would still be honored, and Duncan Enterprises would oversee all works with the same integrity that we’ve always had.”
“This is a five-year project,” Allister pointed out. “If Duncan Enterprises sold next month, year or even as late as three years from now, your contracts would suffer. We’ve worked with companies that changed hands, and the work simply wasn’t stellar.”
“Duncan Enterprises will not be like that,” Stephen insisted.
Fine turned his head and smiled. “But you don’t know that. Neither you or your brothers are slated to take over the company. Duncan Maxfield isn’t doing so well. Both physically and mentally.”
“What do you mean? Who is slated to take over?” Allister asked quickly.
“Angela Lopez,” Stephen jumped in. “And she earned her position. Duncan Enterprises will be in good hands because my father believed that hard work, not simply a last name or accident of birth, was what made you go places. Now Gabe has worked hard, but Ms. Lopez has earned her spot as Senior VP.”
“And you should know,” Fine said in a low voice. “You are sleeping with her.”
“Didn’t I fire you for sexual harassment?” Stephen snapped.
“Sure, but that doesn’t make what I’m about to say now any less true. Ms. Lopez did get her job before you came back, and the rumors were rampant that she gave Duncan some extra attention to get the Senior VP slot. But even if that weren’t true, Duncan has one foot in the grave and the other buried under a pile of pills and instability. He’s no longer making decisions for the company. He wants to watch it burn, and I assure you, Mr. Allister, he’ll do it anyway he can.”
“That’s not true,” Stephen spat as he straightened.
“If he can’t convince the members to sell, he’ll fuck up his contracts and force the members to jump ship. Once they sell, he’ll sell. And by that time, he’ll sell for pennies,” Fine said triumphantly.
“I’m not going to let that happen,” Stephen said desperately. “Gabe, Nathan and I are standing united against my father, and we still carry a lot of weight.”
“Gabe is standing united? I heard he’d rather see Angela Lopez go down with the ship than take over the reins of a successful business. Apparently if he can’t have it, no one can,” Fine said with a shrug.
“Stephen, is this true?” Allister demanded.
“I fired him,” Stephen said as he stood. “You can’t possibly believe anything that comes out of his mouth!”
“Then deny it,” Fine said as he rose. “Except that you can’t. Duncan wants to see that company burn, and if Gabe wanted to stop it, he’d be here himself. But he’s not. It’s only you, Stephen Maxfield. And your word is shit these days. Tell me, how is Ms. Lopez in bed? Does she wish you were your father? Is she banging you on the orders of your father to help keep you in line?”
Stephen saw red. Without even thinking, he reared back and punched Fine in the face. “You piece of shit!”
“Maxfield!” Allister said as he jumped up. “That’s enough! You’re both done.”
His words penetrated through Stephen’s rage, and Stephen’s shoulders slumped. Fine chuckled softly. He was never in it for the contract. He was only there to make sure that Stephen didn’t win.
And he’d succeeded.
Throwing one last look of hatred at Fine, Stephen stormed out. He’d lost. And now Duncan Enterprises was going to pay the price.
Angie was going out of her mind with worry. Stephen wasn’t anywhere to be found. She’d driven to his hotel on her lunch-break only to find him gone. And she couldn’t focus on anything. Throwing aside her pride, she knocked on Gabe’s door.
He looked up in surprise and waved her in. Softly closing the door behind them so they wouldn’t be disturbed, she took a deep breath. “I’m so sorry to bother you. I’m worried about your brother,” she said in a shaky voice.
Gabe put down his pen and leaned back in his chair. “Which one?” he said, with raised eyebrows.
“Do you really not know?” she asked in an incredulous voice.
“No. Of course, I know. I wanted to hear it from your mouth,” he said with a knowing smile.
He was going to be a dick about it. She should have known. “Stephen,” she said. “I’m worried about Stephen. I can’t get a hold of him, and I can’t find him.”
“Did you check his hotel?” he asked softly.
“Of course I did,” she snapped, and she immediately reddened. She’d admitted to knowing where Stephen was spending his nights.
Gabe rose from his chair and walked around the desk to lean casually against it. “You surprise me, Ms. Lopez. In all the years that I’ve known you, you’ve risen above all the rumors and put your job first. But when Stephen comes along, you make the biggest mistake of your career. Why is that?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“The thing is, Stephen isn’t like this. I mean sure, he likes women. He’s been single for a while now, and if you knew what he was like before he got married, it would make you cringe. But he’s always been about control. In fact, he’s more like Duncan than he would like to admit. So for him to be with you, the Senior VP of a company he despises, is almost unbelievable.”
“My personal life is none of your business,” she said through clenched teeth. “And you have no right to discuss it with me.”
“Oh, but I do have that right. I have a personal and professional interest in your relationship because you are running my company and you are fucking my brother,” Gabe said quietly. “So what’s in it for you? You’ve got what you wanted. And Duncan might actually demote you for being involved with Stephen. So why are you with him?” Gabe asked. His eyes ran over her curiously. There was nothing sexual about it, but it gave her the shivers nonetheless.
Before she could answer, his phone rang. “Gabe Maxfield,” he said as he picked it up. After a few minutes, he was pinching the bridge of his nose. “I see. Thank you for letting me know.”
With a sigh, he hung up the phone and turned to her. “Stephen tried to broker a deal with Alliance Incorporated on behalf of Duncan Enterprises. It didn’t go well,” he said evenly. “Apparently he punched someone at the meeting.”
Angie went c
old. “My God. If Alliance goes public with this…”
“They won’t. The CEO is a good friend of someone on our board, and the spokesman has assured us that it won’t go public,” Gabe said. “If you want Stephen, he’ll no doubt be at a bar. There are several within walking distance of his hotel. I’d start there.”
Feeling her chest clench with anxiety, she turned.
“Angie,” Gabe said in a low voice. It stopped her cold, and she turned her head to look over her shoulder. “When I said that Stephen is like Duncan, I wasn’t exaggerating. Choose your next move very carefully. I stand with him on trying to save this company, but my family is a goddamn wreck, and I will not be dragged down with it.”
She’d never seen Gabe like this before. The cold truth was clear as day in his words. She would have to choose between Duncan Enterprises and the Maxfield family. Her career would depend on it.
But she wasn’t a Maxfield. And because of that, she could see the situation a little more clearly than Gabe could. “I won’t let anything stand in the way of my career. I’ve worked too hard for this. It’s a choice I made for the betterment of my family, and now that they’re fine, it’s a choice that I make for myself,” she said quietly. “But your family is in this mess because you’ve always picked your careers over your hearts. You can stand there and say that you’re nothing like Duncan, but if you choose Duncan Enterprises over your own brother, then I’d say that like it or not, you’re exactly like your father.”
“And how is that any different than what you’re doing?” Gabe called out.
“Stephen doesn’t mean anything to me,” she lied.
And with that, she spun on her heels and left. She should have gone back to work, but she wasn’t going to leave Stephen out in the cold. She wasn’t going to be like his family. Because when she walked away from him, it would be with a clear conscience.
She found him in the third bar that she checked. He was hunched over the sleek black counter-top with a glass of ice pressed against his forehead. For a moment, he looked nothing like the Stephen Maxfield she’d spent her nights with. He looked like a lost little boy.
Straightening her spine, she marched over to him and wrenched the glass out of his hand. “What the hell?” he said as he bolted upright.
“Why didn’t you tell me about Alliance?” she hissed as she slammed the glass on the counter. “I could have helped you.”
“Helped me?” he snorted. “You’re only here to help yourself. You’ll stick with Duncan until the bitter end.”
“You overhear one conversation, and you think you have me all figured out? If you had answered your phone calls, you would have known that I was trying to line up more jobs. I’m trying to save this company!”
“Sure you are. Wouldn’t want to be responsible for the death of Duncan Enterprises,” he said as he drummed his fingers on the counter. The bartender set another glass down, and Stephen knocked it back.
“No, I don’t. And I won’t apologize for that. You’ve been gone, Stephen. I’ve put everything into this company, so sue me if I don’t want to see it burn.” Turning to the bartender, she waved her hand across her throat to indicate that Stephen was cut off.
“Yes, but I heard what he said last night. If you stick with him, he’ll make all of your dreams come true,” Stephen slurred.
“God, you’re drunk,” she said as her lip curled in disgust. “I am not having this conversation here. You cannot keep acting on your own and expecting results. Everyone in the business world knows that you don’t run Duncan Enterprises. And they all know that there is no love lost between father and son.”
“He may carry more weight, but I am better than him,” Stephen snarled.
“Then prove it,” she snapped. “Sober the fuck up, and help me. Stop letting your emotions get the better of you.”
Stephen’s smile slowly spread across his face. “Help you? You’re such a hypocrite. Don’t think I haven’t been paying attention to you. You put this company first every time. Over your family. Over yourself. Don’t judge me for being the lone wolf, sweetheart. You’ve been going it alone for some time now, and it looks like that’s not going to change.”
His words hurt her. She thought about her family. The way her mother begged and pleaded to see her. But it was different for her. “Don’t you dare compare us,” she whispered. “I raised my siblings. They would not be where they are now without me. And there is nothing wrong with wanting something for myself.”
Stephen slowly stood and moved so that he was only inches from her. “And what is it exactly that you want?” he said as he ran his fingers under her chin. “The company? Me?”
She jerked her head away. “Can’t I want both?”
“Sure. You can want anything and everything. But you can’t keep half-assing it. Prove to me that you’re in this hook, line, and sinker. Prove to me that I mean more to you than Duncan.”
“What makes you think you do?’ she asked softly.
“You wouldn’t be here if I didn’t mean something. You would have left me to drink myself into a stupor.”
“I’m here because I’m angry with you,” she countered.
“No. You’re not. And all you have to do is admit it. You mean something to me, Angie. And I want to make this work. Let me take you out to dinner. Let me not be afraid you’ll freak out every time I touch you at work,” he whispered as he placed a hand on the small of her back.
For a moment, she closed her eyes. Wouldn’t that be nice? She could touch him any time she wanted. She could wear a nice dress and hold his hand over the dinner table. She could go home with him in the afternoon and relax with him on the couch.
But she’d risen above the rumors about Duncan because they weren’t true. How would she do it with Stephen?
“I don’t do ultimatums,” she said coldly. “And if you really cared for me, you wouldn’t put me in this position. You’d accept me for who I am.” Pushing his hand away, she stepped back. “Goodbye, Stephen.”
As she walked out of the bar, tears burned her eyes. She’d lied to Gabe. And now she wasn’t sure that she was any better than the men of the Maxfield family.
19
Stephen drove out to Half Moon Bay and looked at the house that was nearing completion. After Suzanne had left him, he’d started building it. In his mind, he saw himself setting up the structure for a new life. He’d loved Suzanne, but in the end, he hadn’t been able to show her how much she meant to him. After she left, he’d vowed that he wouldn’t be that man anymore.
But as he stared at the house, he realized that nothing had changed. Maybe that was why he couldn’t bring himself to finish it. The light grey siding had already been installed, and the windows gleamed under the sunlight. But the unfinished door still rested against the house, and the bundles of tile and hardwood were still in their boxes. The house could have been—should have been—finished months ago.
And now he was exactly where he was when he started the house. Only, instead of losing Suzanne and Ben, he’d lost Angie and the Maxfield family. Gabe had counted on him, and he let him down. He’d let everybody down.
He’d bought the land on Half Moon Bay because it overlooked the Pacific Ocean. It was hard to get away from the beach in California, but unlike many of the natives, he never grew tired of the ocean. No matter how many times he looked at it, he would always feel so small. And that was good. It was good to be reminded that there was something bigger, older, and far more powerful than he would ever be.
Since he had nothing better to do, he decided he might as well work on the house. With a sigh, he set up the workhorses and waded through the pile of materials until he found the stain. Setting the door up, he pulled out a paintbrush and went to work. Slow even strokes back and forth.
As he finished, a car pulled up in the drive. Frowning, he looked up see Nathan and Ben getting out of the car.
“Hey, Dad!” Ben called out cheerfully as he waved.
“Ben? What are y
ou doing here?” he said as his son ran to him. Bending down, he scooped him up into a big bear hug.
“Uncle Nathan picked me up from the bus stop. He said we were all going to hang out this afternoon. I didn’t know we’d be working on the house! So cool! I’m going to pick out my room!” Delight danced in his eyes as he ran to explore the house.
Flabbergasted, Stephen turned to Nathan. “How did you know that I was here?”
“One of the guys from Maxfield Construction called and said that they’d finished dropping off the materials that you’d ordered,” Nathan said quietly. “I figured you be out here working. You’ve done a lot.”
“Well, the last time you were out here, I was pouring concrete in the dirt. That was quite a while ago,” Stephen said with a shrug. “I figured that I don’t have anything else going on, so I might as well finish it.”
“Neither do I at the moment. How can I help?”
Stephen turned to survey the house. There was still a lot to do. Nathan could have helped with the tile in the kitchen or the cabinets in the bathroom. There was still carpeting and painting left to do. But there was something even more important that Stephen wanted to get done.
“Grab those two by fours,” he said as he pointed to the pile, “and help me carry them around back.”
Nathan wordlessly helped him gather the wood, then Ben joined them. As Stephen divvied up the tools, they started nailing the boards together. After a few minutes, another figure came around the corner. Stephen straightened to see Gabe, still in work attire, standing there, surveying them. Then, without a word, he rolled up his sleeves and grabbed a hammer.
As Stephen helped Ben hold some of the frames and Gabe started pounding away at the nails, Nathan grabbed a pencil and began drawing on the plans. Stephen didn’t say anything. His brother was the best designer he knew, and if he saw something that needed changing, then Stephen wasn’t about to argue.
The hours passed, and eventually the sun went down. Stephen flicked on the project spotlights, and they worked well past dinnertime. Finally, the men stood back and surveyed their work.
