Foolish Heart (MacLarens 0f Fire Mountain Contemporary Book 9)

by Shirleen Davies

  “If we go forward, what’s the timing for a final decision?” Trey had kept quiet, absorbing the process while listening to other opinions. He knew they might go easy on him for a short time, but he wanted to contribute as soon as possible.

  “We generally allow two to four weeks, depending on the size of the acquisition,” his father answered. “You’d rotate between all three.”

  “Throwing me into the fire fast, Dad?”

  “Real fast,” Heath replied with a broad smile. As the laughter quieted, Heath let out a breath, then glanced at his two brothers, who both nodded. “I know this will be hard, but for a little while, we need you to tuck all of what you’ve heard away. We’ll spend more time on it later, depending on how the next announcement goes.”

  “You mean there’s more?” Sean asked, raising his eyebrows.

  Cam chuckled. “You didn’t think three simple acquisitions was the reason for all the secrecy, did you, Sean?”

  He shrugged, leaning back in his chair. “If anyone can tell me how our fathers operate, I’m all ears.”

  Mitch’s gaze focused on Rafe. “So, Pops, if what you’ve already told us isn’t the big news, what is?”

  Heath looked at his brother. “Go ahead, Rafe.”

  Nodding, Rafe stood, looking at each face. Some showed excitement, others concern. He still didn’t know how he felt about it, and neither did his brothers. Rubbing a hand on the back of his neck, he took a deep breath.

  “We’ve received an offer to buy out MacLaren Enterprises.”

  Chapter Six

  Cam dropped the pen he’d been holding. Mitch mumbled a raw curse. Kade, Trey, and most of the others sat in shocked silence. You could hear the whirl of the air conditioning, traffic in the parking lot, and the measured breaths of those around the table.

  The first to recover, Cassie looked at Heath. “You turned them down, right, Dad?”

  Heath didn’t flinch. “No, Cassie, we didn’t.”

  “Must have been a heck of an offer.” Eric clicked his pen open, then closed, his voice flat.

  “I’m guessing you’ll go over the particulars so we can talk about it.”

  Rafe nodded, walking to a nearby table to pick up a stack of folders. “There’s one for each of you. Instead of discussing it now, we’re asking you to take a couple hours to have lunch, then return here at one thirty. We’ll stay as long as necessary to answer questions and hear all your comments.”

  Heath and Jace joined Rafe by the door, waiting until everyone had a folder before Heath spoke.

  “We know this is a shock and want you to know we haven’t made any decision. We’ll see all of you in two hours.”

  “What the hell?” Sean voiced the sentiment they all seemed to be thinking as they opened the folders and began to read.

  Matt turned to the offer amount, then blew out a low whistle. “That’s a lot of money.”

  “Yeah,” Eric and Brooke answered at the same time.

  Standing, Trey stretched his arms above his head, looking at the others. “I know this is my first meeting of this nature, but I suggest we order sandwiches and dig into this monster.”

  Cam reached behind him to grab a menu from a local sandwich shop. “Heath’s assistant can do that for us. She already knows what most of us want. For the rest of you, take a look and give me your order.”

  Mitch didn’t look up from reading the offer. “Whiskey. Straight.”

  “Make it two.” Matt skimmed the rest of the information, then leaned back. “Do you think Annie, Caroline, and Reyna know about this?”

  Sean nodded. “I have no doubt the wives know about this. Must have killed them not to say anything at the house yesterday. This is a bombshell.”

  Skye let out a breath, thinking of her younger sister and brother. “Samantha and Rhett aren’t going to like this at all. They’ve set their sights on being with the company a long time.”

  Kade tossed down the folder and stood. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I need some air. Brooke? Nesto?”

  Brooke stood to join him at the door.

  “I’m with you.” Nesto looked at Paige. She’d left everything behind to take the new job. Now it might have all been for nothing. “Why don’t you join us, Paige?”

  She glanced at him, her eyes widening at the offer. “I, um…”

  “It’s all right. I promise I won’t bite.” Nesto saw the curious gazes of the others, but didn’t care. He needed to start clearing the air with Paige and wanted to start now.

  “Sure.” She followed him into the hall, heading toward an atrium in the lobby where Kade and Brooke were seated. “Hope you don’t mind if I join you.”

  Brooke cocked a brow when she saw Paige walking next to Nesto. “Of course not. Take a seat so we can shake out this deal together.”

  “Quite a surprise.” Nesto sat back, folding his arms, every nerve in his body attuned to the fact Paige sat a couple feet away.

  “Nothing could’ve surprised me more. Mom didn’t say a word.” Brooke rested a hand on her growing belly, her thoughts jumbled.

  Kade reached over, settling a hand over his wife’s. “There’s been no decision, but it’s a lot of money. The brothers would be fools not to seriously consider it.”

  Brooke let out a deep breath. “I know. It just came as such a surprise.”

  “I don’t know why.” They turned to look at Paige. “Think about it. MacLaren Enterprises is extremely successful, diversified, with excellent management. I’d be surprised if they didn’t regularly receive offers on individual divisions or the entire company.”

  Brooke nodded. “Well, someone wants the entire operation. The proposal mentioned keeping the management team intact, but you know how that goes. We stay for a year, maybe two, then they bring in their own people. I highly doubt they’d keep either one of us, Paige. It’s mainly giant companies that include what we do in-house. Most outsource organizational development and merger and acquisition transition programs.”

  Kade grinned. “You could always stay at home with the baby. It wouldn’t hurt you to take some time off.”

  Nesto and Paige both groaned, already knowing where that comment would lead.

  Brooke glared at her husband. “And have you ever taken time off from any job? Hmmm, let me think. No, I don’t believe you have. What makes you think I want to?”

  Holding up his hands, Kade shook his head. “Just a thought, darlin’. The baby will change life for both of us. It wouldn’t hurt if one of us didn’t work for a while.”

  Nesto leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs. “This is all speculation, guys. Something tells me it’s a test case the brothers are putting in front of everyone to gauge our reaction. The question is, do you want to stay with the company, or will this give you an opportunity to stretch yourself somewhere else?”

  “I hate these expand your horizons talks. Right now, I just want everything to stay the way it is—at least until a year or two after all the babies arrive. I mean, how many of us are pregnant right now?” Brooke asked, again resting her hand on her stomach.

  “At last count, four. Mitch and Dana are talking about starting a family, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Eric and Amber are considering it, as well.” Kade leaned back in his chair.

  “They are,” Brooke confirmed. “Eric told me a couple months ago they’re ready to have kids. Geez, can you imagine seven or eight little ones running around the ranch house.”

  Paige laughed. “Lainey already runs the company daycare centers. Might need a new one just for family.” Her smile disappeared as a flash of pain rushed through her at seeing the look of regret on Nesto’s face.

  “Yeah, well…it’s something to consider when discussing the offer.” Nesto watched the door open, a young man carrying several bags walking inside. “Looks like lunch is here.”

  Kade stood, holding out a hand to help Brooke up. “Time to get down to business, boys and girls. This is going to be an interesting afternoon.”
/>   Paige lagged behind the others as they walked to the conference room, feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket. Instinct told her it was Paul. Still, she had to be certain.

  “I’ll meet you in there,” she said to their backs, believing they hadn’t heard her as she pulled the phone from her pocket and walked into a small alcove. Seeing the name, she answered, deciding to put a stop to his calls. “I’m at work.”

  “Sorry, sis, but it’s important we meet when I come to town.”

  Blowing out a frustrated breath, she turned her back, not seeing Nesto hovering a few feet away.

  “I already told you I’m not interested in hearing about your current business ventures. They are your decisions, not mine.”

  “Come on, Paige. I need your help. Can’t you spare me a few minutes?”

  Touching two fingers to her temple, she massaged, trying to calm her reaction to what she knew was another illegal scheme by her brother. “Call me tonight and we’ll talk. I’m not agreeing to anything until I hear more about it.”

  “What time?”

  “Eight.”

  “Fine, if that’s the best you can do. But don’t ignore my call.” He hung up, leaving her trembling.

  “You all right?”

  She jumped at Nesto’s voice from right behind her. “Um, yes…fine.”

  “That didn’t sound like it. Was it Paul?”

  Her eyes widened for an instant before she calmed her features. “Doesn’t matter. I can handle it.”

  “Yeah, I’ve heard that before.”

  Crossing her arms, she glared at him. “What does that mean?”

  Scrubbing a hand down his face, Nesto shook his head. “Forget it. They’re waiting for us.” He didn’t wait for her to respond before turning to walk to the conference room.

  “Nesto?”

  Without stopping, he held up a hand, silencing whatever she’d been about to say, then disappeared through the door.

  Dropping her head, Paige let her racing heart calm before following. Plastering a serene look on her face, she stepped inside, taking her seat next to Brooke. She knew they were in for a hectic afternoon and couldn’t afford to let Paul’s phone call or Nesto’s comments bother her.

  Opening her folder, she listened as the group went through each page and every detail. From the questions and comments, it seemed clear to Paige no one wanted to approve the deal. The missing piece seemed to be the buyer. They weren’t listed and nothing in the offer gave a clue as to their identity.

  After an hour, they’d finished their sandwiches, concluding the discussion as Heath, Rafe, and Jace walked back in, taking their seats.

  “Enough time?” Heath asked, looking at the serious faces around the table.

  “Who’s the buyer?” Mitch shoved the folder away, then crossed his arms.

  “Takaki Holdings.”

  “Damn. Aren’t they the Japanese firm aggressively buying American companies?” Trey asked.

  Heath looked at his son, nodding. “The same. You’ve heard of them?”

  “The wife of one of the pilots in my squadron used to work for them. Bright lady. Has a couple master’s degrees and speaks four languages.” Trey grimaced. “She always spoke highly about the company.”

  “Why’d she quit?” Kade asked.

  Trey chuckled. “Triplets.”

  “The offer says most employees would stay with the company.” Kade’s brows furrowed as he reread a specific page. “But they’d offer no guarantees and no severance after six months. Is that standard?”

  “Nothing is standard in these deals. It’s all a negotiation.” Heath uncapped his bottle of water, taking a long swallow.

  Mitch leaned forward, resting his arms on the table, looking at Rafe. “Pops, do you want to sell?”

  “It’s not my decision.”

  “That’s a horrible non-answer, Pops.” Skye shook her head.

  Trey tapped his pen on the folder, clearing his throat. “We’d lose control, the ability to expand and do deals the way we want. They could shut down operations or sell them off piece by piece and there’d be nothing we could do.”

  “I’d be surprised if they continued our support of foster kids or the camp Sean runs. We’ve worked so hard to keep those programs going, I’d hate to see them shut down.”

  “Cassie’s right. No Japanese firm is going to care about American foster children or the work we do with them.” Sean dragged in a breath, shaking his head. “Are we really that desperate for money?”

  Rafe answered. “It’s not about the money, son. We have to focus on what’s best for the company and our employees.”

  “Well, hell. Then I don’t see any reason to continue the discussion.” Sean stood, grabbing a bottle of water from the table behind him.

  Rafe looked at Heath and Jace, who made no indication as to their thoughts. “How about we do this. Let’s go around the table. Everyone vote either yes to continue discussion with Takaki or no to take it off the table. Sound good?”

  Everyone nodded.

  Rafe looked at Mitch. “Why don’t you start?”

  “No.”

  “Sean?”

  “Absolutely no.”

  “Skye?”

  “No.”

  Rafe turned to Heath and Jace. “I’m sensing a pattern here. Let me ask this. Is there anyone at the table who plans to vote yes?” No one responded. “No one believes it’s worth taking the next step?” They all shook their heads. “Heath?”

  Standing, Heath picked up his own folder and held it up. Grabbing it with both hands at the top, he ripped it in half. “Done. Now, let’s move on to the three acquisitions.”

  Paige closed her binder, excited at the turn of events and her role in reviewing the three companies. She was also mentally spent, dreaming of a glass of wine and another long soak in the tub.

  “Who’s up for drinks and dinner?” Sean strolled down the hall, his enthusiasm contagious.

  Paige followed behind Nesto, smiling at the exuberance in Sean’s voice.

  “Aren’t you tired, bro?” Kade glanced at his younger brother, who looked as if he hadn’t spent ten hours in meetings.

  “Heck no. I’m just getting started. Nesto, you’re good for staying out a while, right? Maybe you can hook up with that gorgeous redhead you’ve been seeing. Val, isn’t it?”

  Paige’s breath caught. It shouldn’t surprise her Nesto had found someone else. After all, it had been two years since she left. A man as good-looking and smart as him wouldn’t have to look hard for female companionship. Still, it hurt to think of him with someone else.

  “I’ll let you boys figure out your evening. See you all tomorrow.” Pushing past them, Paige walked as fast as possible, not wanting to hear anything more about Nesto’s woman.

  “Nice, Sean.” Kade shook his head, taking Brooke’s hand as they walked outside.

  Sean cocked his head. “What did I say?”

  Nesto watched Paige leave. He hadn’t missed the pain on her face at Sean’s comment or the way she’d almost run from the building. “No worries. I’m beat, though. See you tomorrow.”

  “Sure, Nesto. See you tomorrow.”

  He didn’t respond, heading outside to see if he could catch Paige. Searching the parking lot, he saw the empty spot where she’d parked the car Annie loaned her. It shouldn’t matter what she thought of him seeing other women. She’d made the decision to end their relationship, not him.

  Sliding into his truck, he followed the road to his cabin, more than ready for a cold beer and the chicken enchiladas tucked in the refrigerator. Pulling into the carport, he turned off the engine, seeing Paige slowly walking to her front door. Stopping to insert the key, she glanced over her shoulder, looking straight at him.

  A pang of desire, strong enough to suck the air from his lungs, ripped through him. She held his gaze a moment longer before opening her door to disappear inside. He wanted to follow her, force Paige to tell him why she’d left him. Had she met someone else? Or d
id she simply fall out of love with him? Had he misjudged her feelings for him so completely? He wanted answers to the questions that still burned in his mind.

  Climbing out of his truck, he entered the dark cabin, leaving the lights off as he walked to the refrigerator. Pulling out a beer, he chugged it down, slamming the empty bottle on the counter. Ignoring the pangs of hunger, he stripped, leaving his clothes on the floor as he stepped into the shower. The cold prickles of icy water stung, but it was a welcome pain.

  He needed to snap himself out of it, stop obsessing over Paige and put her in the past. Getting out of the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist, then grabbed his phone, doing the only thing he knew to ease the pain.

  “Hey, it’s Nesto. I know it’s late, but if you aren’t doing anything, I thought I’d come by.”

  Ten minutes later, he climbed back into his truck, not sparing a glance at the cabin next door as he headed into town.

  Chapter Seven

  Paige woke from a restless sleep to the sound of her phone. Before thinking, she grabbed it, putting it to her ear.

  “Hello?”

  “It’s Paul. Did I wake you?”

  “Do you have any idea what time it is?” She sat up, drawing the covers over her.

  “It’s after eight here. That would make it, uh…”

  “Just past five in the morning, Paul. Give me a couple more hours, then call back.”

  “Wait. I really need to talk with you, and you didn’t answer my call last night.”

  Paige grimaced. She had told him to call, but after such a long day, she’d climbed into the tub, forgetting all about it. “All right. Tell me what’s going on.”

  “Thanks, sis. I’ll make it brief.” She could hear the relief in his voice. “I’ve been working with an organization out your way and they want to expand distribution. It’s a big opportunity for me.”

  “What does that have to do with me?”

  “They want an introduction to the MacLaren family. I know you’re tight with them, so I thought you could set something up.”