by Leslie North
“It looks like the one we grew up with,” Gabe said.
Stephen smiled. The back patio of their old house was always Stephen’s favorite place. That was where their father barbecued, where their mother read to them, and where the boys played ball and wrestled. But when Duncan had enough money, they tore down the patio and completely renovated it. It quickly became an adults-only entertainment area. No kids allowed.
He’d always missed that old place. He hadn’t even realized when he’d started building the house that he was replicating it.
“It should be sturdy enough to add a second level to the bottom,” Nathan said with a frown. “And our fire-pit was tacked on, but you can do a permanent one now. Plus this will give us room for the old benches that used to be there.”
“This is so cool,” Ben breathed. “My friends and I are going to love this.”
“Good,” Stephen said with a smile as he reached out and ruffled his hair. “But you can’t play any video games out here.”
Ben shrugged and gave his father a grin. “That’s okay.”
Gabe and Nathan joined Ben, and they all stood and stared at Stephen. He nodded at them. “I couldn’t have done this without you, guys, thanks,” he said softly.
“Maybe it’s time for the Maxfield men to stick together,” Gabe said softly. “We’re more like him than we let on.”
“Or than we’d like to admit,” Nathan said bitterly. “But we don’t have to fight it. We can embrace it. Duncan Maxfield could do anything he put his mind too, and so can we.”
Stephen threw his head back and laughed. “Even if that means changing the mind of one Duncan Maxfield?”
“Even that,” Gabe said with a smile.
They turned and watched the moon’s reflection over the water, and just like that, Stephen knew what he was going to do. If Duncan was burning down the company for his family, maybe it was time he let Duncan know what his family wanted from him.
Angie sat in her car outside Duncan Maxfield’s home. He wasn’t expecting her, and the house was shrouded in darkness. Gabe’s and Nathan’s cars were nowhere to be seen. She’d left Stephen. Left him broken in a run-down bar, and that was enough to leave her shaking.
What was she doing with her life?
She’d driven here because this is where she came with all her problems. But up to now, all her problems had always been work-related. Duncan couldn’t help her with this one. So what was she doing here?
Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she called her mother’s number. “Angie?” her mother asked softly as she answered the phone. “Angie, what’s wrong?”
Exhaling a deep sigh, she couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “How did you know something was wrong?”
“A mother always knows. Now tell me. I’m all yours.”
“Everything,” she whispered. “Everything is wrong. Duncan is sabotaging the company. Gabe thinks I’m just like Duncan, and Stephen doesn’t trust me because he thinks I’m helping Duncan.” She rested her forehead in her other hand. “How did everything go so wrong?”
“It doesn’t matter what they think, Angie. It only matters what you think,” her mom said soothingly.
“I told Gabe that I didn’t love Stephen,” she whispered.
“So you lied?”
“God, I don’t know,” Angie cried as she shook her head. “None of this was supposed to happen. I was on my way to be CEO of Duncan Enterprises, and now it’s all falling apart.”
“None of that has anything to do with whether or not you love Stephen. Maybe it’s all falling apart because you refuse to be true to your heart.”
“But this is what I’ve been working for my whole life,” Angie said fiercely.
Her mother gasped. “Oh Angela. That’s not true. Before the accident, you were all heart. You were the little girl who was going to conquer the world with love. But then your father died, and I lost the ability to walk. You lost your mother that day, and it took me years to realize it. And in those years, you raised that family better than I ever could. And when I came back to you, it was too late.”
“What are you talking about?” Angie said. “I helped out, but you’ve always been there.”
“That’s not true, and you know it. I try to be a good mother now, but you were there when it counted the most. Even now, my children go to you with their problems. Oh, they love me. I know that. But you raised them. And in doing so, you’ve lost your idea of self.”
“But this is me,” Angie protested. “This is what I want to do.”
“If it’s what you wanted to do, you would not be calling me and crying. My love, you’ve proven to everyone but yourself what you’re capable of. You think you’ll be happy at the top, but I’m afraid you’ll realize how lonely it is up there. And it will never be enough for you.”
Angie thought back over the last few years of her life. Duncan Enterprises and whiskey. That was it. Sure, she showed up to family functions, but if her phone rang, she was gone. If it didn’t ring, she felt cheated. She went on dates, but the men rarely darkened her door, and none of them ever made it past the third date.
She’d put her whole life on hold for Duncan Enterprises, and soon she’d lose that as well. “What do I do?”
“Believe in yourself, Angie. Be true to your heart and your head.”
Slowly, Angie lowered the phone and disconnected the call. Be true to her heart and her head? Clenching her fists and narrowing her eyes, she reached for the door handle and pushed it open. She may not have known what she was doing here at Duncan’s house, but she wasn’t leaving until she had her say.
She slammed the car door. Marching up the front steps, she banged loudly on the front door of the house. “Duncan. Open up!” she shouted.
After a moment, the door opened, and he stood there on the other side staring at her. “Now you listen to me, old man. I have given you and your damn company my best years. I was here for you when your sons were not, and I don’t give a damn how fucked-up your family is. If you think ruining this company is your only way back to salvation, then you haven’t learned a damn thing. Those men are united against you to save Duncan Enterprises, and if you doubt that for a second, then you know nothing about them. This company isn’t just you. It’s their mother. It’s their childhood. For Gabe, it’s his whole life since he left college, and for all of them, it’s their future. If you take that away from them, you’ll really be the monster they think you are. It’s lonely at the top, but it’s only lonely because you’ve made it that way. You want to save your family? Let them in. That’s all. Admit that you love them, and let them in.”
Her chest heaved as he continued to stare at her. She had no doubt that she sounded like a madwoman. She probably looked one too. But for once in his life, Duncan Maxfield was speechless.
“Good night,” she nodded awkwardly as she turned and moved down the steps. She knew that he watched her all the way out to her car. And for the first time in a long time, she didn’t care what happened tomorrow.
She’d finally done something that made her proud of herself.
“Any chance we could revive the Alliance deal?” Nathan queried as he leaned over in the chair. Gabe, rather than hiding behind his desk, perched on it while Stephen leaned against the wall and watched his two brothers.
They weren’t running their own projects anymore. They were working together. And so far, it was failing miserably.
But they’d only been at it a few hours.
“I doubt it,” Stephen sighed as he raked his hands through his hair. “Even if Fine didn’t make this company sound completely unbalanced, me punching him probably did the trick.”
“Never could contain that temper.”
Stephen straightened as Duncan slowly hobbled into the office. Nathan stood immediately. Only Gabe stayed where he was and he eyed their father suspiciously. “Nice of you to make an appearance,” he said slowly.
“It is my company,” Duncan said.
“Not really,”
Stephen said with a cheeky smile. “Gabe’s been doing most of the work. You’ve mostly been undoing that work.”
Duncan didn’t respond as he sank into the chair behind the desk. “I hate this place,” he said sourly. “Your mother always hated it. Now I see why.”
“Mother hated it because you were always here,” Nathan pointed out. “What are you doing here now?”
“It’s been awhile since a woman has yelled at me,” Duncan said finally. “I guess I needed it.”
“A woman yelled at you, and now you’re here?” Stephen asked, surprised.
“Men have done less for fear of a woman,” Duncan grunted. “I heard about your stunt at Alliance. And I’ve made sure that Mark Fine no longer has a job with Spenser either. So there is one victory. Now then, I’m not here to chat. We have an appointment to keep in ten minutes. So straighten your ties, gentlemen. Nathan, for God’s sake, do something with that hair of yours. Meet me in the conference room. Do not be late.”
His cane struck the floor hard as he rose from his chair and left the room. “What the hell is going on?” Gabe asked.
“I don’t know, but I’m guessing we’re going to find out in the conference room,” Stephen said.
Ten minutes later, they walked into the room. The members of the board were seated around the table, and the remaining floor space was filled with people carrying cameras and recording devices and tablets.
The press?
From the startled looks and the murmuring, it was clear the board didn’t know what was happening either. Stephen looked across to see Angie staring at him. His heart skipped a beat, but he forced his gaze away.
She’d made her choice.
“Good. You’re finally here,” Duncan grumbled from the head of the table. “Let’s get this over with.”
He leaned against his cane as he stood and cleared his throat. “Members of the board, and members of the press, welcome. It has come to my attention that I have been neglecting Duncan Enterprises. Several heart attacks have made me rethink my position on this organization and on life in general. So I’ve decided it’s time to make some changes. I’ve always been rather old-fashioned. Many of you can attest that not much has changed with this company over the years. I realize now that has been a mistake.
“There have been rumors circulating that I’ve been trying to sell off certain sections of the business. I can now confirm that Duncan Enterprises will continue at full capacity, and while we will be making some changes, we will not be selling off any departments or sections. First, I’d like to introduce my youngest son, Nathan Maxfield. He is at the top of his field in architecture and design, and I’m happy to announce that he’ll be working closely with our design department to create energy-efficient contemporary schemes that are far less wasteful and damaging to the environment.”
Nathan choked back a strange sound as all eyes turned to him. He nodded stiffly, growing pink in the face, and it was all Stephen could do not to laugh.
“My oldest son, Stephen Maxfield, has his own business to run, but he’s been spending quite a bit of time here on site to help out. Thanks to him, we’ve taken on quite a few new jobs including a job in Chicago for Snyder. I’m confident that this will open a number of doors, and Stephen will be in charge until Duncan Enterprises is back on its feet again.”
He bowed his head and looked over at Angie. “This is Angela Lopez. She’s been my Senior VP for quite some time, and she’s earned every second in that seat. I’m pleased to announce that she’ll be taking over as CEO of Duncan Enterprises with immediate effect. I have every confidence in her abilities to lead Duncan Enterprises into a successful and profitable future.”
Angie’s mouth dropped open, and it was all Stephen could do not to gasp. What the hell? All eyes turned on her, but when he looked at her, she was staring across at him.
She looked terrified.
“There will be no questions at this time. Thank you for your time,” Duncan said as he rose and moved out the door. For a moment, no one followed. And then Stephen bolted after him, and Nathan, Gabe, and Angie were right behind him.
“Duncan!” Stephen thundered. “What the hell was that?”
Everyone in the hallway froze as they stared at him. Duncan slowly turned. “As Angie pointed out to me, if everyone is standing on the other side, then maybe I’m the one that’s wrong. I thought this company was the reason that I’m the way I am. But it’s not. The only person to blame, the only thing to blame, is me. When your mother died, I had no anchor. And we all floated away. But maybe this is how I can make it right.”
“Angie said that?” Stephen whispered. Shaking his head, he tried to focus on the point. “And you’re going to walk away?”
“I’m not the one who is going to save this company, Stephen. You, Nathan, Gabe, and Angie are. I’m turning over the reins.”
Nodding his head, he turned and made his way down the hall to the elevator.
For a moment nobody spoke. Then clearing his throat, Gabe said, “We’ve still got a lot to do.”
Stephen turned and stared at him. Duncan hadn’t once mentioned Gabe in his little speech. What could his brother possibly be feeling right now?
Angie took a deep breath. “Well then. Let’s get to work,” she said. “Gentlemen, my office. Now.”
20
The next few weeks were a blur for Angie. Duncan signed everything over to her, and she moved into his office. It was everything she’d dreamed of, and yet it seemed so empty. It was shadowed by the fact that Duncan Enterprises was still failing.
And that Stephen never said a word to her outside of their business meetings.
“It’s going to take money to pull us out,” Gabe said with a sigh. “More money than we have stashed away. Nathan wants to overhaul the entire architecture department, and Stephen’s got this crazy idea to do a housing development in the middle of Chicago.”
“Crazy, but kind of brilliant,” Angie said. “It will set a whole new precedent for us.”
“But that takes money,” Gabe said with a sigh. “Of course, there’s always money in real estate. I could sell the holdings that I have on the back burner. We’d still need a loan, but it would help.”
Angie looked at Gabe sadly. He’d been holding onto that land for his own plans, and she was never quite sure what he had in mind for it. Whatever it was, it must break his heart to give up that dream now. “Gabe,” she said softly.
“No, it’s fine,” he said as he rubbed his eyes. “You’re CEO now. If you need the money, then you’re going to need the land. And it’s yours.”
There was a heavy moment of silence between them. “We can leverage the holdings in San Francisco,” Angie said briskly. “Your father even offered to throw in the mortgage on the house. It lets the board members and the investors see how serious we are about things. If we get the loan, we can pull it off.” She leaned back and shook her head. With a sudden smile, she said, “Jesus, I think we can pull it off.”
“Not if you miss your meeting,” Gabe reminded her as he glanced at the clock. “At least the loan amount will be much lower now.”
Panicked, Angie grabbed at her purse and stood. “Okay. I’ll call you as soon as I’m done. Do you think…” her voice faded off. She’d never given Gabe a direct order before. It seemed almost odd.
“What do you need, Angie?” he said wearily.
“Do you think you can get Duncan to do another press conference? Having his public support could go a long way in spreading the news and boosting confidence in the business.”
He nodded his head, and she smiled in relief. Aware of the time, she raced down the hall to her car.
Stephen was leaning against the door. “You’re late.”
She shot an annoyed look at him. “And you’re going to make me even more late. What do you want?” she snapped.
He opened the door and slid into the driver’s seat. A spark of outrage flew through her, but she didn’t have time to argue. Frustrated, she
moved around the car and got into the passenger side. “What are you doing?”
“Coming with you,” he said, holding his hand out for the keys. “I thought that was obvious.”
“Nothing about you is obvious,” she grumbled as she passed the keys over.
“I could say the very same about you,” Stephen remarked easily. They drove in silence, and she flipped through her paperwork to make sure everything was in order. By the time they got to the bank, they were five minutes late.
“Ms. Lopez? Mr. Johnson will see you,” the receptionist said with a smile as they walked in.
“I’m so sorry I’m late,” she said, as she stretched her hand out to the waiting man. He lounged behind the desk and rose to shake it.
“That’s quite all right. Traffic is always a bitch at this time.” Johnson smiled. “Well. This is quite an honor. I believe this company gave Duncan Maxfield his first loan.”
“Yes, and you can see how well he’s done. But times change, and so must we,” Angie said as she sat down.
“I saw the press conference. Congratulations on your promotion.” He turned his head. “Stephen Maxfield, correct?”
“Just here for moral support,” Stephen said as he flashed a grin. Angie stiffened uncomfortably. Was there something he knew that she didn’t?
“Right. Well, if I may speak man to man, your father is a brave man.”
“Because he put a woman in charge? Or because he’s making so many changes to the company?” Stephen asked evenly.
Angie bristled. Johnson obviously doubted her abilities to run the company. Stephen wasn’t there for moral support. He was there to make sure that Johnson didn’t try to walk all over her. Well, she would show him that she didn’t need him. She earned this position, but it would seem as though she was never going to be done proving it.
“His father is not here right now, so his bravery is inconsequential. Duncan Enterprises is my company, and I’m the only person you need to deal with,” she said sharply.
