by Joan Kilby
Oh, that was rich. The fake engagement was for his benefit, not hers. “Your problem is you’ve got too many people kowtowing and telling you you’re a genius,” Cassy fumed. “I am a friend, a true friend. My job is to tell you when you’re being a dickhead. And you’re being one right now.”
“I don’t know what Ian said to you to make you think he gives a shit about me, but it’s all a pack of lies. He doesn’t care about me. And I don’t give a flying fuck about him.”
“Yes, he does. And yes, you do, or else you wouldn’t be so angry.”
“I’m not angry. I’m cold and calm and…”
“You’re furious. I can tell. You get that thing where your skin goes white around the corners of your mouth when you’re really mad.”
“All right, I’m angry. I can’t believe you set me up. I can’t believe you’re on his side.”
“How stupid are you? I didn’t do this for his sake, I did it for yours.”
“Well, you made a mistake. I’m leaving.” When she still didn’t move aside, Scott’s nostrils flared. “Get. Out. Of. My. Way!”
“Okay, fine.” She threw up her hands. “I’ll get right out of your way. I’ll pack my bags and go home to Bellingham and you can find your own angel investor. Come Christmas, I’ll be lining up with fifty thousand other people to buy PacTech’s version of the Dreamcatcher.”
His face went pale. “You can’t leave me now. That’s blackmail.”
“But Scott, you don’t want me running your life,” she said sweetly. Then she rolled her eyes. “Have you already forgotten how you begged me to come to Seattle and do just that? I don’t want to give you an ultimatum but I swear, if you don’t go back in there and hear your father out, then I will leave. You don’t have to talk father and son stuff. Just give him a chance to prove himself as an investor.”
Scott hesitated. She could almost see his brain ticking over, trying to find a way around her threat. Part of her was simply glad he didn’t want to let her go—especially after that crack about her taking too much upon herself with the fake engagement. He had a hell of a nerve. Everything she’d done this past month had been for him. Her whole life put on hold. For him.
She didn’t regret that for a second, and it was really no sacrifice because this was Scott and she would do anything for him. She wanted so badly for him not to hurt inside. Anyone could give him financial advice and, yes, Dreamcatcher and the business were important, but family—now that’s what was really important. She complained about her mother and she took her father for granted, but she loved them and knew they loved her and would always be there for her. Whatever Ian’s faults, or his past mistakes, seeing him just now, so vulnerable when he looked at Scott, there was no doubt in her mind he wanted a relationship with his son. Why couldn’t Scott see that?
“Okay.” Scott threw his hands up. “I’ll give him ten minutes. Let’s get this over with.”
Cassy flung her arms around his neck and kissed him. “You won’t regret this, I promise.”
Scott didn’t kiss her back. Gently, but firmly, he removed her arms. “I’m still mad at you.”
“Mad about me,” she corrected. He frowned harder, which just meant he was trying not to smile. She decided to take that as an encouraging sign. Linking her arm with his, she turned him toward the study. “You’ll see, this will work out. I have a really good feeling about this.”
…
Scott was glad she had a good feeling because he had a bad one. He stole a sideways glance at Cassy, marching him down the hall with so much fierce determination, thinking she had to heal him. He loved that she cared so much. But for God’s sake, he wasn’t broken. He was simply justifiably angry. It would serve her right if he called her bluff and let her go home. Except that scenario created a cold, sick hollow in the pit of his stomach that threatened to swallow him whole. Anyone else could find him financing, but she’d become essential to him in more ways than he could count since she’d moved into his penthouse. And he didn’t just mean positions in bed. Bottom line was, he wanted her at his side more than he wanted to punish his father.
But his steps slowed as they approached the study. He hadn’t spoken to Ian in years, unless he counted the brief stilted exchanges during Christmas at Aunt Lynn and Uncle Rob’s house, when his father popped in for an hour in the afternoon. Ian was never there for the gift opening or the roast turkey dinner. He made an appearance, had one drink, then left as quickly as he could. After a couple of years of getting excited, then disappointed, Scott stopped talking to him or acknowledging his presence. He had feigned indifference and eventually he had felt indifferent. He was fine with that now. Why stir up old, painful emotions?
The study was empty.
“Typical,” Scott snorted. “When the going gets tough emotionally, he takes off.”
“Who does that remind me of?” Cassy murmured at his side.
“Hey, I’m not the one on trial here.”
“Ah, you’re back. Good.” Ian entered the room. “I’ve asked Serena to bring us coffee. You haven’t met my wife before today. We’ve been married nearly five years now.”
“What is she, the third or fourth Mrs Thornton?” Scott asked. “I’m surprised you didn’t go for a trophy bride. Men of your age and wealth usually do.” Being deliberately obnoxious wasn’t making him feel any better or more superior.
“Serena’s my third wife. I do consider her quite a prize,” Ian said evenly. “Please, sit down.”
Cassy sat and patted the couch. Scott lowered himself reluctantly next to her. He didn’t relax back the way she did but perched stiffly on the edge of the seat.
“Let’s not waste time. You don’t need to sell me on your Dreamcatcher,” Ian said to Scott. “I’ve gone over the reports Cassy sent me. What you’ve achieved is nothing short of astounding.” He paused and added quietly but distinctly, “I’m proud of you. Very proud.”
Scott clenched his hands and it was all he could do to keep his seat as adrenaline rushed his system. “Don’t, okay? Just, don’t say stuff like that. I don’t want to hear it.”
“Fine.” Ian held a hand palm up, cool and calm in surrender. “We’ll stick strictly to business.”
A knock came at the door and Serena entered carrying a tray of coffee and slices of pound cake. Like a damn tea party. Scott accepted a cup and plate to be polite but he left them untouched on the coffee table. He’d been hungry before they’d arrived, but now his stomach was churning.
“I’ll leave you to it.” Serena’s hand brushed Ian’s shoulder as she went out.
“I won’t beat around the bush.” Ian’s coffee and cake were also left untouched. But if the old man was anxious or stressed to be sitting across from his estranged son, it didn’t show on his face. “I’m prepared to offer you sufficient financing so you can begin manufacturing right away.”
“You don’t even know what kind of conditions I want. The factory has to be located in the United States, preferably in Washington state,” Scott said bluntly. “That’s a deal-breaker.”
Ian’s eyebrows rose as if to say, beggars can’t be choosers. “It’s a little early to be talking about deal-breakers.”
“There’s no point wasting my time or yours.” Scott started to rise.
“Sit down. Let’s discuss this.” Ian waved a hand. “You do understand, don’t you, that profits wouldn’t be as high if you manufactured in the States? In fact, there may not be any profits at all for a year or more. You’re asking me to forgo a return on my investment for an indeterminate length of time. That wouldn’t be a good business decision on my part. I’m not sure I want to do that, even for a product as exciting as your Dreamcatcher.”
Scott’s fingernails bit into his palms. He could feel damp patches forming beneath his armpits. Standing up to his father was taking every ounce of courage he had, but he would rot in hell before he gave an inch on his principles. “Take it or leave it. It might not be what you call good business but that’s the way I do
business.”
Cassy nudged his leg and tried to catch his gaze. He ignored her signals. He wasn’t going to throw his ideals out the window just because his father, the big shot industrialist, was holding the moneybags.
“Okay. For the sake of argument, let’s assume the factory is in Washington state and move on to other issues,” Ian said smoothly. “As your company is structured now, you’re not ready to move into the big time.” Scott’s head jerked. Ian held up a hand. “Oh, I know, you’ve got an impressive turnover for a small research and development company, but you’re poised on the brink of something much, much bigger. I’m not sure you realize how this will change your life. You’ll be going global. You’ll see a phenomenal increase in your net worth. If you think you’re putting in a lot of hours now, it isn’t anything like what you’ll be doing in the future. And I don’t mean developing more applications of your nanotechnology. I mean, taking care of the business side of your company.”
He paused to let his words sink in. Hearing only a patronizing tone, Scott burned. Did Ian really think he hadn’t already considered the implications? He had, and frankly, he was scared to death at what he saw as the end of his comfortable lifestyle. What if he never had time to go mountain biking anymore? What if he became a paper pusher and people manager instead of working with what he knew—nanotechnology.
But he was damned if he would let his father see so much as a smidgen of that fear. Leaning back, he crossed one leg over the other. “I’ll grow into the job, just as I grew into being CEO of my own company.”
“It might not be that simple,” Cassy said, reaching for a second slice of cake. To Ian she added, “This is delicious, by the way.”
“Serena will appreciate the compliment.” Ian’s face softened as he gave Cassy a warm smile. “You two are welcome to stay for dinner.”
“Love to.” Cassy nudged Scott in the side. “What do you think, darling?”
Scott felt a cold trickle up his spine. Why did he get the feeling he was being ambushed? Had Cassy joined forces with his dad to orchestrate this deal behind his back? She’d lied to him about who he was meeting. Was she also capable of sabotaging the deal with Lorraine? No, he was being paranoid. Confusion muddled his thinking. His critical faculties had been dulled by too much great sex.
“No to dinner. We’re only here to discuss business. I want to know if Ian’s going to respect my wishes with regard to how the company is run.”
“He’s had a lot more experience than you.” When he glared at her, she shrugged and took another bite of cake. “Just saying.”
“Cassy has a point,” Ian said. “I’ve been in business on this scale for nearly three decades. My advice is to restructure your company.”
“That’s what Lorraine said, too,” Cassy pointed out. “Lorraine Dempsey,” she explained to Ian. “She’s also interested in investing.”
“I know Lorraine,” Ian said. “She’s got deep pockets, but getting her to commit to a course of action can be tricky.”
“What do you mean by restructuring, exactly?” Scott asked.
“I really mean, restructure and expand. I’ve followed your progress and investigated your company, even before Cassy contacted me.”
Scott turned to Cassy. “You initiated this?”
She and Ian exchanged a glance that reassured him not one bit.
“I asked her to meet me for coffee to discuss a reconciliation with you,” Ian explained.
Ignoring his father, he said to Cassy, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was waiting for the right opportunity, but it didn’t come up. We were so busy getting ready for our pitch to Lorraine. And I didn’t want to spoil the weekend.” Her hands twisted together and she glanced at Ian. “Go on. Restructure and expand…”
She’d gone behind his back. Scott worked on controlling his breathing. He would hear his father out, as promised, then he would walk out and forget this meeting ever happened.
“You need a proper marketing division,” Ian said to him. “It’s not enough for you to simply have a bunch of techies sitting around dreaming up cool stuff. All your scientists have secondary responsibilities. Tom buys the office supplies, Leonard does web promotion, and Park deals with sales. It’s Mickey Mouse stuff, not worthy of you or your products.”
“How do you know all this?” Scott demanded then rounded on Cassy. “Did you tell him? Did you also mention I used to have a manager who took care of these things but I had to fire him for espionage?”
“She didn’t tell me anything,” Ian said before Cassy could reply. “I told you, I investigated. It’s standard practice when I’m researching a company to invest in.”
“I would have taken over all the managerial tasks,” Cassy said to Scott. “Why didn’t you let me?”
“You had enough to deal with coming in cold as you did. Your priority was…is…obtaining financing. For now, that is. Once we start manufacturing, your role will grow.” If he didn’t fire her first for insubordination.
“My point is,” Ian cut in, “you’ve been so focused on finding an investor that you’ve let other aspects of your business slide. You’re still living the life of a techie-cum-mountain bike enthusiast.” He fixed Scott with a steady gaze. “That’s not going to cut it anymore. It’s time to step up and accept responsibility.”
Was Ian just talking about business or was this a dig at Scott, suggesting he should take some responsibility for their estrangement? True, Ian had made overtures through the years and Scott had always rebuffed him. But past transgressions were hard to forgive, let alone forget. “You’re a fine one to be talking about accepting your responsibilities.”
“We all make mistakes. What separates the boys from the men is those who learn from their mistakes and move on to bigger and better things. You have an opportunity here to do just that. If you’ll let me, I’d like a more active role than merely angel investor. There are things I can do for you, things I can teach you, things that I’ve learned the hard way. You can benefit from my experience. Together we can make your Dreamcatcher, and your company, bigger than you ever dreamed.”
How dare he? How fucking dare he? Scott didn’t have to sit here and listen to this shit.
“If you were going to teach me something you should have done it when I was seven years old. Back then, I would have been open to learning from you. Back then, I would have loved to know family meant more than business opportunities. It’s too late for lessons, old man. Way too late.” He surged to his feet, bumping the coffee table and making the cups rattle in their saucers. “I’m getting the hell out of here.”
“Scott, wait,” Cassy said. “Sorry, Ian, he’s had a rough weekend…”
“Don’t apologize for me.” He cut her off with a glare and stormed out.
He was almost at the front door, with Cassy running after him, when his father’s voice came loud and clear across the wide marble foyer, stopping him in his tracks. “I’ll agree to a US-based factory on the condition that you restructure. I can deposit the money in your account by the end of next week. Zero percent interest for the first five years or until net profits exceed the amount borrowed. No strings attached.”
“Say, yes!” Cassy hissed. “Don’t be an idiot.”
He was tempted, so very tempted. He’d worked so hard for so long for just such an opportunity. The prospect of seeing the Dreamcatcher rolling off assembly lines beckoned like a sweet tech trail down a mountain in spring or the thrill of putting the last algorithm on a program months in the making. He had his eye on a vacant factory in Tacoma that used to make cell phones. It wouldn’t take much to build a laboratory to produce nanites and fit out that factory to produce the Dreamcatcher.
He would hate himself if he didn’t make the most of it. Yet something held him back and it wasn’t just anger and resentment. If he found success by riding on his father’s coattails at this stage, his years of hard work and independence wouldn’t count. Any success would appear to have come from his
association with his father, the great businessman Ian Thornton. Whether Ian intended that or not, that’s how it would look to outsiders. He was trapped in an impossible position.
Scott shook his head. “I’ll wait and see what happens with Lorraine. If not her, others want a piece of my action. I’m hardly desperate.” Yet.
He strode down the steps to his vehicle, only vaguely aware that Cassy was hurrying after him. The bile in his stomach was threatening to rise. He needed to get out of here, pronto. He threw open the driver’s door and flung himself inside, jamming the keys in the ignition.
“Are you crazy?” Cassy demanded as she climbed into the passenger seat. “I know it’s impossible to make up for all the years of hurt and anger but at least he’s giving it a shot. He can never take away the past but maybe you could allow him to build some bridges for the future. He’s offering you an unbelievable deal. Lorraine, or anyone else, will never give you repayment terms that generous.”
“I don’t want his charity.” Scott started the engine with a savage twist of his wrist. “I don’t want anything to do with the man. Understand?”
Chapter Nine
Cassy couldn’t believe Scott was turning down his dad’s offer.
“Understand?” she repeated furiously as she yanked her seat belt into position. “Oh, I understand all right. You’re scared shitless. You talk big but when someone hands you what you want, you run like a coward. I’ve never been so disappointed in you.”
His mouth clamped in a grim line, Scott peeled out of the circular driveway with a screech of tires that left rubber on the concrete. He sped through the hilly streets of Seattle, braking only when he had to and at the last minute.
Cassy clung to the safety strap, feeling sick to her stomach. When he finally pulled into the parking lot beneath his apartment building, she continued to sit there while he got out.
