Tough Enough to Tango

by Barbara Barrett

  A wave of pink crept up his neck, suffused his face in an even deeper shade.

  She had to stop this before they were back to Square One. Or worse, he suffered a heart attack.

  Before she could do anything, though, he burst from his chair and began to pace back and forth in front of the sofa, bumping into the coffee table a couple times, knocking magazines to the floor. “Where’s Collier now? Give him…piece of…my mind.”

  She rushed to his side as she tried to recall the calming techniques his doctors had taught her. “Calm down, Dad. I already took care of that. I didn’t want to tell you any of this, but as owner, you had to be told. But now that you know, let me handle the rest. You can’t stress over this.”

  “Fool…jeopardized…company. Criminal.”

  “True, he acted without our knowledge. Well, without mine. He got Dave to act for him. But Ned had no idea his friend’s company was using defective equipment.”

  Her dad pulled up. “You…defending him?”

  “No.” She wasn’t, was she? “Technically, he got around his promise not to act on his own. But using Dave as his pawn was even worse. If Ned hadn’t been so desperate to get this guy off his back, he would have seen that himself.”

  “Someone…coulda been…killed.”

  She hung her head. “I know, Dad.” She took his hand and faced him. “Go ahead. Blame me for trusting him. Fire me, if you must. But don’t let this undo all the progress you’ve made regaining your health.”

  He shook his head repeatedly, as if trying to grasp the totality of this disaster. Then, abruptly, he backed up a step, released her hand. Straightening his shoulders, he inhaled deeply and let out his breath slowly, repeated the process several more times. “Right. Can’t go down…road…any more. Therapist showed me…how to…relax.”

  “Go for it. Do you need me to help, get you anything?”

  He held up a hand. “Give me…few minutes.”

  She tried to do just that, as her own heart pumped faster than usual at the prospect of losing him.

  After a minute or so, the color of his complexion returned to normal. He offered a lopsided smile. “Damn therapist was right. Made me practice the technique over and over. Until now, never saw much good in it.”

  “I’m so glad you paid attention. You’re doing much better, Dad.”

  “Doesn’t mean I’m happy about any of this.”

  “It was a mistake to let Ned serve as project manager. But I knew how important it was to you to keep the Sullivan’s Creek project. You never would have allowed me to step in for you if you hadn’t thought a Harriman at the helm was the only way to reassure Ned.”

  He settled onto the sofa and indicated for her to join him. “Thought it could work with Dave there to watch over you.”

  “Don’t blame Dave for any of this. He took his cues from me. He’s seen me accommodate and accede to Ned’s demands often enough to think that’s what I expected of him, too.”

  “Sounds like the two of you got a little too close to Collier for your own good.”

  If he only knew how close she’d gotten to their client. On second thought, bad idea. “I fired Ned as project manager, a long overdue decision, but something that may also cost us the contract.” She paused to catch her breath. Her father opened his mouth to reply, but she continued. “It was my decision to call the State. I didn’t want to take any chances with either the safety of the crew or the company’s reputation.”

  She went on, “All these years since Sean, uh, left us, I thought it was your unreasonable fear of industrial accidents that kept me off the worksite. I learned today how wrong I’d been. In our business, accidents are just one poor decision away.”

  She paused long enough for him to ask, “That it? You got anything more to tell me?”

  “As a matter of fact, yes. I gave up a new job and a new start to run the company in your absence. I want to stay in charge, until you’re ready to come back, and you’re not quite there yet. After that, I want to stay on as your partner—assistant, at the very least. Yes, I made a mistake trusting Ned. But when corrective action was called for, I took it. I’ve kept this project on schedule, and the crew has come to respect me.” She felt her jaw snap as she finished. She’d forced the question, but her gut told her it was time.

  Her father studied her. “Done? Finally?”

  She nodded.

  “If the guy’s got money problems like you described, maybe we want out anyway.”

  His response surprised her. “You suggest we terminate the contract ourselves?”

  “That what you think we should do?”

  He wanted her opinion. Okay. Go for it. “Not yet. We need this project to get our books in the black, but we can’t afford to give him more than a week to get his own finances in order. Now that we know how broke he is, he has to accept that fact and do something about it or give it up. He either gets his act together—”

  “Or what?”

  “We drop him.”

  “Does his mother know about his money problems?”

  Why had he asked about Janice? “Maybe by now, if he’s smart. But I got the impression this whole charade about his finances was to keep her from worrying.”

  “Damn fool,” he muttered once again. Then, as if he’d turned the page on the matter, he said, “Check in with the state people and find out how soon we can get back on the site. Tell them to expect a call from me. I’ve got a few contacts at that office. Time to work them. Soon as you know when we can go back, call the Swink people and see how soon they can get there.”

  Her heart nearly stopped, but she was able to get out, “Does that mean you’ll keep me on? Let me remain in charge?”

  “As much trouble as Collier has brought upon us, the real blame rests with me. If I’d stopped dwelling on your brother’s death and paid more attention to the warning signs about my heart, I might’ve avoided being sidelined the last several weeks.”

  Her dad was full of surprises. Though she never would have wished for him to experience his recent health scare, his time in rehab seemed to have prompted some positive self-reflection. The old Tim Harriman wouldn’t have taken responsibility for this mess. “You wouldn’t have allowed Ned to be his own project manager.”

  “Probably not. But I shouldn’t have allowed you to run the company with no experience. Or I should’ve listened to your pleas for more responsibility the last few years so you would’ve been prepared to step in for me.

  She never thought he’d admit as much. “All I wanted was to take Sean’s place. Not in your heart, of course, but to help you run the company.”

  “You’ve gone through a real baptism of fire. I probably would’ve canned him long before you, but at least you finally came around. As for your call to the State, you did good, kid. That’s what I would’ve done, although it wouldn’t’ve occurred to me to get the sheriff involved. Smart move.”

  “Th-thanks.” A compliment?

  “I still plan to take back the reins.”

  And there it was. Stuck in like the swift jab of a dagger.

  “But not yet. Doc won’t let me.”

  She let out the breath she’d held. “Oh.”

  “Accidents happen. Our trip to the place where Sean skidded off the road brought that home to me. He was a good cyclist. Great, if he competed in as many races as I’ve learned about since his death. He lost control because he was worried that if he returned late”—he choked here but quickly regained his composure—“I’d find out he was more interested in motocross than working for me.”

  Where was he going with this?

  “You’re right. After his death, I worried I’d lose you, too. Not necessarily an accident, but that you’d let something cloud your judgment as well.”

  Like letting Ned serve as project manager?

  Before she could ask, he added, “You proved me wrong today. You handled that near disaster better than I could’ve ever imagined.”

  Something “pinged” in the
region near her heart.

  “You need a new project manager. Any ideas?”

  She’d considered the possibilities on the drive home, as she figured out how to tell her dad about their near catastrophe. “What if we made Dave project manager and moved Pete Martin into Dave’s position? We need someone who’s already familiar with the project and who knows construction. That’s Dave. Pete’s a natural leader, despite his early clashes with me. I think he’s ready to step up.”

  “You know your people, kiddo. That’s crucial for the person in charge.”

  ****

  Ned hesitated before the door to his mother’s gallery, gathered his courage. He had to do this, as much as he hated to let her down and look like a schmuck. He pulled the handle and shoved in.

  He found her in her office huddled over paperwork. “Ned! What a pleasant surprise.”

  “Got a few minutes?”

  She cocked her head to study him, like she stared into his mind.

  “We need to talk.”

  She lifted a speculative brow. “Okay. Will I need headache tablets? Or tissues?”

  “Not sure.” He stayed near the door. Just spit it out. Get it over with. “Sullivan’s Creek is in danger. I’ve spent beyond my means.”

  He waited for a reaction, but her expression didn’t change. Her eyes didn’t even flicker. He revealed the whole sordid story, ended with the day’s near disaster. While he spoke, he drifted from one spot in the room to another, unable to sit.

  At length, his mother said, “You’ve had quite a day.”

  “There’s more. I’m no longer project manager. Shae fired me.”

  Now she did blink. “Really? Why?”

  “I changed things to cut costs and didn’t tell her. Today was the last straw. I knew this guy was bad news, yet I agreed to his terms. God, Mom, if Dave Hale hadn’t caught that faulty rigging, we could’ve had a serious accident.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you couldn’t pay for it?”

  “You’re the last person I wanted to know I was a failure. I’ve let you down too many times already.”

  Her brows furrowed. “How on earth do you think you’ve done that? I couldn’t be prouder of you and your success.”

  He slammed a fist into his palm. “Success? Look at what I’ve done to my life. And yours.”

  “You’ve made a respected name for yourself in the music world while you’ve remained a decent human being. You were even at a charity event when you lost your voice.”

  He shook his head. “I only agreed to sing because I wanted to get in Irv Farley’s good graces. Poetic justice, huh? Not only did I lose my voice that night, when I turned to Farley for money, I lost everything.”

  She flew to his side. “Don’t say that, Ned. Your money may be gone, but it’s not the end of the road. You have so much more.”

  “Like what?”

  “You’re a great composer and musician.”

  “Haven’t sold anything lately. Once Farley spreads his tale, no one will to want to be associated with me.”

  “Even if that horrible man does attempt to darken your name, think how many other entertainers have revived their careers after setbacks.”

  “Those folks spent big bucks, which I no longer have, to pay PR people to clean up their images.”

  “I suppose you’ll say the same about your singing career.”

  “That’s still months off. The doc doesn’t want me to rush it.”

  “What about Mike? Not only would he come to your rescue, but his friendship is worth even more. All you’d have to do is ask, and he’d be back here immediately.”

  Mike. May have hit rock bottom, but Ned still couldn’t bring himself to go to his friend for help. “Haven’t forgotten Mike.”

  “How about me?” It came out so quietly, he wasn’t sure she’d actually spoken.

  “You, Mom?” He put his arms around her and pulled her close. As he stepped away, he said, “Why do you think I’m here? Even though I let you down, I need to know I haven’t lost you.”

  “You have to ask? You are my everything. I never wanted the new house. I agreed to move there because it seemed to please you so much to give it to me. I can do quite well with what I have.”

  “That’s the point. I remember a day more than two years ago when I made a surprise visit to town. I dropped in at the gallery and found you so involved talking to customers, chatting on the phone, giving orders to your assistant, you didn’t notice me for several minutes. You were in your element.”

  She cocked a brow. “Isn’t that what I just said?”

  “I should’ve been relieved. Instead, I was crushed. All the guilt I’d carried because of my absence during Dad’s last days morphed into something else. You’d moved on. You didn’t need me. That bothered me more than the guilt.”

  He hadn’t thought much about that day since, not consciously anyhow. Funny, how he’d repressed that yearning for his mom to need him again. Instead, he’d used the break-in several months later to rationalize her move.

  “I wanted you to rely on me again. Hence, the new house.” Not for all the reasons he’d cited to her and everyone else. God, the second part of that billboard had been right. He had been kidding himself. How had he gotten to this sad state of affairs?

  “Let me get this straight. My house, this whole project, is because I didn’t need you enough?”

  “It sounds so much worse, so egotistical and childish, when you say it.”

  She shook her head, backed away, and returned to her desk. She remained silent a bit, apparently to absorb what he’d told her. At length, she said, “You disappoint me, Ned.”

  “I know. I screwed up royally.”

  “I don’t mean your housing development. Your dad and I raised you to stand on your own two feet. Our lifestyle was so different from yours, we knew you had to be strong to follow your own path. I guess we expected the same respect from you in return. You needed me to need you?”

  He flopped into the rocker, ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know, Mom. I guess I got to a point in my career where I wondered if it was all worth it. I was on the road so much of the time, had to starve myself so I could stay in shape for my fans, had to schmooze jokers like Farley to get an album produced, land a performance contract. I began to question why I drove myself so.”

  “Sullivan’s Creek justified it all?”

  He wrung his hands. Thought through her question. “Yeah. Stupid, huh?”

  “Well, yes. But most of us at some time or another wonder about our existence. Your path was simply more ambitious.”

  “Will you ever be able to forgive me?”

  Her eyes softened. “There’s nothing for me to forgive, though perhaps you have to forgive yourself.”

  Was she right?

  “You’re trying on my words for size. Good. But don’t be surprised if it takes more than a few minutes to make sense of your actions. In the meantime, what do you plan to do about the project?”

  Trust his mother to consider the immediate problem. “Either I find more money right away to satisfy the bank or I sell. Or”—here, he had to swallow just so he could form the words—“declare bankruptcy.”

  “Offer the bank this gallery for collateral. It won’t cover it all, but it will show good faith.”

  A lump that had nothing to do with the nodules on his vocal cords formed in his throat. He bit his lips, hoped she wouldn’t see the tears that had come unbidden to his eyes. “No, Mom. Thanks, but I can’t do that to you.”

  “Maybe I want you to need me for once. Let me do this.”

  He shot from the chair and pulled her into his arms again. “I don’t deserve you.”

  “Love is not about deserving, Ned. It’s about accepting what’s offered free of any strings.”

  The embrace lingered, his mother’s strength seeped into him. When he broke away, he choked out, “I love you, Mom. But I’ve gotta to take care of this on my own. Don’t do anything with the bank until
you hear from me. Okay?”

  “Where are you going?”

  “Gotta talk to Gramps.”

  He returned to the site, stayed clear of the state investigators, and instead headed toward the fields he’d worked so many years ago with his grandfather. Though he stumbled at times, he dragged himself forward for several minutes before he stopped at the top of one of the rolling hills. Before him lay untrammeled ground that reminded him of the rich legacy he’d inherited.

  When he turned around, he could barely discern any signs of construction. Here alone, planted in knee-high field grass that rippled from the wind’s breath, he closed his eyes—not quite sure what picture his brain was trying to form—and inhaled the fresh prairie air. Even the smells were different here—fresh, verdant, redolent. He could almost feel Grandpa Jake alongside him, ready to lend his wisdom.

  “My life is falling apart, Gramps. I don’t know what to do. I tried to follow through on your wishes. But that was just a front to grab Mom’s attention. Now, I’ve bankrupted myself in the process.”

  It helped to confess. “I also jeopardized my friendship with Mike. All he ever wanted to do was help, and my pride and ego refused him. Instead, I took money from Farley and left myself open to his demands. God, I might have caused a bad accident today. If Dave hadn’t been concerned about that rigging.”

  Then there was Shae. “I went behind her back to cut corners and foisted myself on her as project manager when, with her lack of experience, she really needed someone who knew his stuff. As I attempted to make things right with my mother, I probably made things even worse between her and her dad.”

  More than any of his other failings, the fact he’d disappointed Shae cut the most. When his throat had gone bad and his money started to dry up, she’d been a means to an end. She said he’d played up to her, had sex with her to get his way with the project, and she was right. Not that making love to her was a chore. She’d even agreed to no commitments. But…”

  Therein lay the rub. Ned had grown to care for her much more than he ever intended. He, the guy who could have his pick of almost any Hollywood honey, had fallen for a real woman from his hometown. But that hadn’t stopped him from taking advantage of her when it came to the project.