Valley of Stars (The Merriams Book 3)

by Ava Miles

  “You’re right. It gives me no pleasure to hear it, but it’s my job. If there’s nothing else… Uncle Arthur. Boyd.”

  Striding out of the room, he nodded to Hargreaves and disappeared. Assumpta stood and faced Clara.

  “I didn’t know how I was going to feel once I heard your side of things,” she said, “but I can tell you this. I would have done the exact same thing in your place—after trying to knock some sense into Connor. This doesn’t change anything, Clara. I know how much you value our family. What you’ve done for J.T. and Trevor and Caitlyn and now Michaela…”

  Clara sniffed, making Arthur reach for a handkerchief and pass it to her. “I love them to pieces. I wish none of this had happened. Oh, Assumpta, I’m so sorry about all of this. What do you think will happen tomorrow?”

  Boyd wondered the same thing. Would Connor refuse to show up? Would he arrive and refute their account? God, what a nightmare. Michaela must be tangled in knots. Would she blame him if things went badly?

  “I don’t know what will transpire tomorrow,” she said, pressing her hand briefly to her mouth. “Boyd, I want to say…I don’t know what happened completely between you and Michaela, but she loves you. We have enough tragedy on our hands right now. Don’t let this come between you two. I don’t know what Connor said about the ring, but Shawn’s right. It’s perfect for her. You’ve always known what she needs, and that’s what makes a strong partnership.”

  Arthur elbowed him. “Listen to Assumpta, Boyd.”

  “Boyd has a good head on his shoulders,” Shawn said, inclining his chin at him. “He knows who he is and what he wants. I’d say this trip only crystalized that for him. I’m going to step outside a moment with Boyd if that’s all right with all of you. Be right back.”

  Seeing no choice but to follow him, Boyd rose and walked out of the suite with him.

  After the door closed, he faced the man. “How is Michaela really?”

  Shawn rubbed the back of his neck. “Hoarse as a frog. Stubborn as an ox about resting. Upset about Connor and this whole situation, of course. Heartbroken to be at odds with you.”

  He shifted on his feet at that. Well, he was in the same boat.

  “You know, Boyd, I told Michaela to let me help her find a way to win you back. There isn’t another fabled flower you want, is there?”

  The man’s wry smile didn’t crack him. “I appreciate the goodwill, Shawn, but I can’t see any way around this. Being a Merriam means everything to her, and she said working at the company is how she does her part. How she belongs. I’d never be happy if I caused any bad feelings between her and her family. This situation with Connor might very well do that. You didn’t see how he acted toward me. And I him.”

  “So you had some heated words—”

  “I threw a punch at him, Shawn, for manhandling Michaela, and he had his thugs— Never mind. Do you really think there won’t be tension when I show up with Michaela for a family function? Quinn’s gotta be more pissed than he’s letting on, and surely others have strong feelings about what happened. I won’t do that to her.”

  Shawn shook his head. “Leave the others out of this. You and Con will work it out then, as men do. Despite my son’s current state, he loves his sister. He wouldn’t want her heart broken.”

  Boyd wasn’t so sure of that. “I’m the last guy Connor would want for his sister. He’s made that abundantly clear.”

  “His opinion doesn’t matter. Michaela’s does, and she wants you. You wanted her badly enough to try and win her back. Now you have. She’s still wearing your ring, for heaven’s sake.”

  Okay that crushed him. But then he thought, if that were true, why hadn’t she even called him? She was stubborn. Maybe her dad was wrong, and she had given up on them too once she’d gotten home and had time to think. “I appreciate your concern, Shawn, but the only thing that matters is Michaela getting better, and me being around won’t help that. It will only cause more stress.”

  Shawn’s mouth twisted, and Boyd sensed he was weighing whether Boyd was right on that point.

  “I hate all of this, but I don’t know how to fix it. Not right now, anyway. I think I’ll follow Quinn’s lead and take off too.” He couldn’t handle talking about this anymore. “Tell Arthur and Clara I’ll give them a call later. Please give Assumpta my regards.”

  He started to walk down the hall, focusing on making it to the elevator. Once he got there, he could close his eyes and rest his hand on the wall in despair.

  “In a perfect world, family aside,” Shawn called, loud enough for the cleaning crew in the hallway to look up, “what would it take to make you want to marry Michaela, Boyd?”

  For a private man, Boyd knew Shawn’s question was totally out of character. He called over his shoulder, “I’ve always wanted to marry Mickey, and I always will, but this isn’t a perfect world, Shawn,” and increased the length of his strides.

  When he reached the elevator, he punched the button eight times, the wait intolerable. All he wanted was to escape. Shawn was still standing in the hallway, as if contemplating going after him. The door opened, and he rushed in, relieved the car was empty. Lowering his head, he thought about Shawn’s question.

  What would it take?

  A miracle, and Boyd McClellan’s life had never run in that direction.

  Chapter 27

  Michaela had to beg her mother to be let out of her sickbed.

  She wasn’t going to miss the board meeting about Connor or give anyone her proxy. He was her brother, and the incident in question had happened on her business trip.

  When she arrived at Merriam Enterprises’ headquarters with Caitlyn and Flynn, they took the elevator to the top floor and greeted the five nonfamily board members alongside Trevor, who’d gone ahead with Quinn in a last-ditch effort to convince Connor to handle this outside of a meeting room. From their haggard faces, they’d clearly made no progress. J.T., who no longer served on the board, had tried to approach Connor last night with Flynn and Caitlyn, but he’d refused to speak with them. Their parents’ beseeching hadn’t worked either.

  Quinn finally went to the head of the table, taking Connor’s normal chair. Michaela had to wonder if he’d done it intentionally to make Connor’s absence feel less conspicuous. But that was ridiculous. Her brother wasn’t there! How could he make a more conspicuous statement than that?

  As everyone sat down, Quinn said, “I’ve asked our chairman for the floor today to kick off a meeting none of us wanted to happen. Connor Merriam is my brother, and as the vice president of Merriam Enterprises, I felt it my duty to walk you through recent events. Although he was summoned for this meeting, he’s neglected to appear before us today.”

  Caitlyn took Michaela’s hand under the table, and Michaela reached for Flynn’s. She still couldn’t believe Connor had chosen not to speak for himself. He had never shied away from anything in his life.

  “If you’ll let me,” Quinn said, letting his gaze crest over the people at the table, “I’ll give an account from my interviews with the main parties on the recent scouting trip to Kenya. Michaela, if you’d like to add anything at the end of my summation, you’re welcome to. I’d hoped to spare you the effort since you’ve been ill.”

  Everyone turned to look at her, so she said, hoping her voice didn’t sound too scratchy, “I’m much better, Quinn, thank you.”

  “Now…” Her brother laid out the facts leading to the trip, the people involved, and the various accounts he’d heard, including Hargreaves’ and Iggie’s stories. The nonfamily board members all frowned in tandem, like a thunder cloud had passed over them, at the mention of Iggie being detained by Customs due to a bribe from Boyd to an official. They didn’t know Boyd like her family did, and she could understand how damning such an action sounded. She wanted to defend him, but Quinn’s crisp summation didn’t allow for any interruption.

  She listened as he laid out Aunt Clara and Uncle Arthur’s thoughts on events, fairly told from her perspective
. Regarding Boyd…

  Her heart felt like it had a stomachache as her brother relayed that Boyd’s account was in concert with her aunt and uncle’s. Quinn also noted that Boyd had both cared for her while she was ill and apologized for the bribe.

  “Before I ask Michaela for any additions,” her brother said, laying his hands flat on the table like he was trying to steel himself for what he was about to do, “I’d like to conduct our first order of business. In the absence of a CEO, a board member can ask for the power to initiate the firing of a Merriam employee. I hereby call a vote for such a power to fire Dr. Ignatius Vajra. His actions are unbecoming of a representative of this company. Who will second?”

  “I will,” Trevor called out immediately.

  “All in favor?” Quinn asked.

  Everyone raised their hands, Michaela noted, without hesitation. She was happy to have the motion pass. Iggie might have a brilliant mind, but he didn’t deserve to work at Merriam. She was glad to see him go.

  “Motion carries,” Quinn said, tapping his hand on the table. “Now, Michaela, is there anything you’d like to add to events? I’m sure I’m not the only person in the room who is relieved your health is returning.”

  Murmurs of assent carried to her from the members around the table. She found it challenging to smile in response. “As Quinn said, I had good caretakers in Dr. Boyd McClellan and Clifton Hargreaves. Of course, I’m not sure what might have happened if my aunt and uncle, Clara Merriam Hale and Arthur Hale, hadn’t undertaken a difficult journey to the Valley of Stars with the tribe’s medicine woman to bring back the medicinal flower.”

  “Thank goodness this so-called mythical flower is everything you thought it was,” a board member, Emeline Harris, said across from her. “It’s a shame Merriam Enterprises’ agreement with Dr. McClellan is void. Such a find would have big market implications. Do we know who Dr. McClellan has chosen to use for manufacturing and distribution now that Merriam is no longer his partner? I don’t assume there’s any way to bridge the relationship, Michaela?”

  “I’m not sure I want to bridge it,” said Jason Anderson, a longtime board member. “I mean, this man had one of our employees detained.”

  “I understand your feelings, Jason,” Quinn said before Michaela could defend Boyd. “Connor agrees with you, but after hearing everyone’s accounts, I believe it’s an extreme stance and bad for business. Dr. McClellan apologized and I truly believe he regrets what he did. Both my father and I have assured him there will be no slander from any Merriam employee about either him or his company, and given the legality of the situation, our legal department counseled me to strike any mention of the bribe from our record of today’s meeting.”

  Michaela’s throat thickened, and she sunk back into her chair in relief. She hadn’t dared hope Quinn would handle the situation with Boyd so fairly.

  “Given that, shouldn’t we push to be considered for our former role?” Emeline pressed. “I would think Dr. McClellan would be eager for an olive branch from a company like Merriam Enterprises given he’s just starting out.”

  If only an olive branch were possible, but the decision wasn’t up to Boyd and Uncle Arthur and Aunt Clara. “No, Emeline, I don’t see any way to do so professionally. Clara and Arthur co-own the land with the tribe and are joint custodians of the flower. After the way Merriam Enterprises represented itself, they chose Dr. McClellan’s company. I doubt the Maasai tribe would want us involved.”

  “Still, it’s a shame,” Emeline said. “We’re going to be cut out of huge profits.” She’d been invited to join the board because of her strategic market insights, but right now, Michaela didn’t really care about their bottom line.

  “I’m sure everyone finds it a shame,” Quinn said, flicking her a glance, “but Michaela is right. We had a shot, and frankly, we blew it. Now, let’s discuss the topic we’d all rather avoid: the behavior of Connor Merriam.”

  “Don’t bother.”

  She looked over her shoulder and gasped. Connor stood in the double doorway with a piece of paper in his hands.

  “I’m tendering my resignation, effective today, given recent events and this meeting.”

  He was what?

  “No!” Trevor yelled.

  “You can’t, Connor!” Caitlyn called.

  “Connor,” Quinn said heavily, rising to his feet. “Sit down so we can talk about this.”

  He looked around the entire room, pausing on each person. “I don’t see why. You don’t believe I’m fit to serve as CEO of Merriam Enterprises.”

  “We won’t accept your resignation,” Flynn said, surging to his feet and coming around his chair. “This meeting was to discuss—”

  “A rap on my knuckles?” Connor’s voice was harsh. “Spare me. I told you when I returned that I won’t account for my actions, and that remains true. I acted in the best way I saw fit to protect two Merriam employees and safeguard a business agreement.”

  “Then tell us your side, Connor,” said Paul, another non-Merriam board member. He rose to his feet. “I’ve known you for a decade, and I want to hear your account. You can have my seat.”

  “No,” Connor said crisply. “This is the second time members of this board have questioned my judgment. Clearly, the board is not behind me.”

  “If you mean the oil and gas decision,” Trevor said, fisting his hands at his sides, “we’re past that.”

  “Are we?” Connor asked with a scoff. “If you could vote today, Trevor, would you reinstate all future off-shore oil exploration and projects?”

  Trevor’s mouth twitched before he said, “I would reinstate them, yes, but that’s my opinion. We have a board here—”

  “So we do. As the current CEO of Merriam Enterprises, I kindly ask the chairman to call for a vote on this matter, per our company’s bylaws,” Connor said, coming closer to the table. “Trevor’s feelings on the off-shore project in Ireland brought this to a head, but it’s been boiling under the surface ever since. I changed our business plan to protect other Merriam employees from the kind of explosion that led to the deaths of Corey Weatherby and his colleagues. Many of you questioned my unilateral decision on that matter, so today we vote on it. Mr. Chairman.”

  Lloyd Mathers, an old pal of their father’s, turned to where Connor was standing beside him. “Very well, Connor. On the matter of reinstating Merriam Oil & Gas’ original policy on future off-shore exploration and projects, how say you?”

  Michaela bit her lip, but she didn’t hesitate. She raised her hand and watched as the rest of the table did the same.

  “Good,” Connor said, “one show of no confidence. Now, if you’re not willing to accept my resignation… Regarding my actions in the recent business agreement with Dr. Boyd McClellan and the trip to Kenya, Mr. Chairman, again, I ask for a vote. Were my actions unbecoming of the CEO of Merriam Enterprises?”

  “Connor,” Lloyd said, pushing back his chair and taking her brother’s arm. “Come sit down. Quinn has shared accounts from various parties who were present for these events. Let’s hear yours.”

  “I’ve said what I plan to say on the matter,” Connor said, shrugging him off and glaring at the room. “Call the vote, Lloyd.”

  His demanding tone had the chairman sighing heavily. “You’re dead set on making this difficult, aren’t you, Connor? All right, I’m calling for a vote. Who among you believes Connor acted unbecoming of a chief executive of Merriam Enterprises?”

  Michaela couldn’t stand it anymore. She rose on shaky legs. “Connor, don’t do this! Please. You need counseling, maybe, because of Corey, but—”

  “Counseling?” He chuckled darkly. “When it snows in hell. Now vote!”

  Sinking back down, she looked at Caitlyn, who was swiping at tears. He was really going to force them to do this. Fighting tears herself now, Michaela started to raise her hand. “I’m sorry, Connor.”

  Other hands rose slowly, and Michaela’s heart broke with each of them. Quinn’s was the last to rise.<
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  “Damn you, Connor,” Quinn said, glaring at him. “Why did you have to choose this?”

  Her brother only shook his head. “No, damn all of you. Now, make it official. Two strikes against a CEO means termination.”

  “Probation for six months,” Quinn said, his voice harsh.

  This time Connor laughed outright. “The press will eat you alive once the minutes of this meeting get out. You have no choice. Fire me. Then I can get the hell out of here.” He tore his resignation letter in half and let it fall to the floor.

  Lloyd presided over the vote to fire Connor. Her brother didn’t bother to wait for the last hand, which made it unanimous. He left in a flurry through the double doors.

  “Mickey, you’re shaking,” Caitlyn said, touching her softly on the arm. “Do you need to lie down?”

  She shook her head mutely. The stress and shock of the situation were making her tremble.

  Standing, Lloyd unbuttoned his jacket. “I’ve known this family since your father and I went to graduate school together in Chicago, and today’s events gave me no pleasure. But we have a duty, and right now, we have a vacancy at the helm. I’d like to call for the promotion of Quinn Merriam to the position of CEO. All for?”

  Her brother glanced down, his face shadowed, as everyone voted him in. Once Lloyd announced it, he stood to address them.

  “I’m finding it hard to be grateful for the promotion given how it came about, but I love this company and will continue my duty in serving it. I do thank you for your confidence in my leadership, and I promise I won’t let you down. Now, I’d like to suggest this meeting be adjourned.”

  “Seconded,” Lloyd called.

  Caitlyn wrapped her arm around Michaela, helping her to rise. “Flynn, Mickey needs to go home. Will you help me get her to the car?”

  “Oh, Caitlyn,” she whispered, and her sister hugged her briefly.