“He wants his son back even more,” Ron said.
The more she learned about Ron, the more she realized how he had become so powerful. It was odd he could see other people so clearly, could analyze their position in detail, yet he had no idea how he was perceived by the people around him. He only saw himself as an extension of his work, not as a man whose work was only part of his life.
“Will you agree to help me?” Ron asked all three.
Leigh agreed enthusiastically. Kathryn hesitated a moment.
“I’ll go along for the time being. But if you do something I think is wrong—”
“Don’t hesitate to stop me. Cynthia can tell you I don’t always get it right.”
Cynthia didn’t appear to like being put on the spot. “You’re not very good with ordinary people,” she said.
“I know,” Ron said, “but I’m trying to learn. Will you help?”
Cynthia appeared undecided.
“Of course she will,” Leigh said. “She wants things to turn out right for everybody.”
“I didn’t tell you they’d be better off with their parents,” Cynthia said, apparently peeved her friend had shared what she clearly thought was confidential.
“But you said it would be better if they could go home,” Leigh said. “Miss Roper thinks the same thing, don’t you?”
“Yes,” Kathryn said. “I consider my shelter a last resort.”
“You were my first choice,” Cynthia said.
Kathryn knew what Cynthia meant, but she doubted the girl realized how much the remark hurt her father.
“I think it would be best if we mingled before dinner,” Ron said. “I want to make everybody feel as comfortable as possible.”
“I’m not the hostess type,” Cynthia said.
“It’s like playing a game,” Leigh said. “Pretend you’re somebody like the president’s wife. I know,” she said delighted with her idea, “Queen Elizabeth.”
“In that case, I guess I should curtsy.” Kathryn made an elaborate but not very graceful curtsy. “I’m out of practice.” But she had achieved her goal. Cynthia smiled. It was only a small concession, but maybe she’d stop fighting her father. Kathryn didn’t know whether she thought his being successful would undermine her decision to leave home, or whether she resented that he hadn’t done any of these things for her first.
“I’ll let Leigh be Queen Elizabeth,” Cynthia said. “I’ll be Princess Anne.”
“I’ll be some duchess or other,” Kathryn said. “Who’re you going to be?” she asked Ron.
“I think I’d better be the head of the United Nations,” he said, grinning broadly. “It’s the only way I can outrank all this royalty. Now let’s get ready. We don’t have much time.”
He picked up his suitcase and disappeared into his room.
“Do you really think this is going to work?” Cynthia asked Kathryn.
“I don’t know. A lot depends on your father’s powers of persuasion.”
“He can talk anybody into anything,” Cynthia said.
“In that case I suggest we back him to the fullest so we can share his glory when everybody ends up living happily ever after.”
“Everybody except his daughter,” Cynthia said.
“I expect he’ll try his hardest to make sure you’re happiest of all.”
“He never has before.”
“I think he has. He just didn’t realize he was doing it the wrong way.”
“Daddy always thinks he knows the answer.”
“Not any more.”
Cynthia didn’t look convinced.
“All he’s asking is that you give him the same chance to show he’s changed the other kids are giving their parents. Remember, he’s the one who organized this weekend. Don’t you think that’s a good sign?”
“Of course she does,” Leigh said. “I’ve offered to trade fathers any time she’s ready.”
“It’s not just that,” Cynthia said. “There’s the baby and everything else.”
“We can’t fix everything at once,” Kathryn said. “For the weekend, concentrate on restoring communication, getting to be friends again, learning to trust each other. Don’t you want things to work out between you and your father?” she asked when Cynthia vacillated.
“Yes.”
Kathryn feared Cynthia had planned how she thought everything should go and wasn’t sure she wanted to risk this new development. Kathryn couldn’t be sure whether Cynthia was afraid to try for fear she’d be hurt again or fear she’d lose control over the situation.
“Then you’ll really do your best to help him this weekend. And not just with the others. He wants to help them, but it’s you he’s really concerned about.”
“Okay,” Cynthia said, “but I’m not going to believe things just because he says them. He’s going to have to show me.”
“Fair enough,” Kathryn said. “Now I’d better go, or I won’t be ready on time. I have a feeling your father wouldn’t appreciate that.”
“Yes, he will,” Cynthia said. “Dad always says a person’s appearance tells more about him than the words that come out of his mouth. Greg, that’s his secretary, says he can spend hours deciding what to wear for an important first meeting with a client or the first time he comes to the negotiating table. We might end up waiting on him.”
“Wouldn’t they listen to anything you said?” Ron asked Ted.
“Nothing,” Ted replied.
“You showed them the results of the poll?”
“They said they had more scientific polls that said just the opposite.”
“Have you seen their polls? Do you know how they gathered the information?”
“Yes. They’re skewed in the directions they thought the government wanted.”
“Did you tell them?”
“Yes, but they didn’t believe me. They said Americans will do or say anything for the sake of money.”
“The Arneholdts are behind this.”
“How do you know?”
“It’s not cheap to convince a respected polling company to falsify its results. You’ve got to find proof. Hire investigators if you have to.”
“That’s not the only reason they’re still refusing the merger,” Ted said.
“What is it?”
“You’ve always conducted merger negotiations personally no matter how long it takes. They say your being in America shows you don’t think it’ll succeed so there’s no point in wasting your time.”
“I’ve been back three times since we started.”
“Apparently that’s not enough.”
“Did you tell them I have personal business I can’t ignore?”
“I don’t think they believed me. Everybody knows this is the first time you haven’t conducted all the negotiations yourself.”
Ron was painfully aware of this. He could only assume none of them would have allowed a family crisis to keep them away from their work. He was also aware his absence was injuring the negotiations to the point the merger might fail.
“Tell them I’ll be back on Monday,” he said. “In the meantime, see what you can dig up on the Arneholdts. If it comes out the government is being manipulated by this family, they’ll be falling over themselves to vote for the merger to save their political necks. You can do this without my being there. I’ll call you early tomorrow.”
Ron turned off his cell phone. He’d reached a crossroads, a moment of decision he’d never expected to face. His whole life had been directed toward stockpiling so much success it would force others to acknowledge his achievements. Most important of all, it would force people at the highest levels of society to accept him and his daughter as peers.
That goal had never changed, could never change, as long as he remembered the years when he was ignored, looked down on, pitied, even despised merely because he didn’t have money, the proper background and social experiences. He felt as if he’d spent his entire life being invisible, performing herculean tasks without anyb
ody noticing. He realized it wasn’t an admirable goal, not the kind of thing you would want the world to know about you. It wasn’t even something he was especially proud of, but it was something he couldn’t get rid of, something that continued to drive him.
But that wasn’t the only reason to pull off this merger. He needed this one major triumph to position his company securely in the upper ranks. He especially had to make it work if he was going to assume a less conspicuous role in the company, a company that up until now had prospered primarily because of his personal reputation.
And he was endangering all of this by staying in Charlotte. But he risked losing Cynthia if he went back to Geneva.
Before Kathryn broke in on his meeting, he’d never thought that could be possible. He was certain the tie between him and his daughter was strong and unbreakable because it was strong and unbreakable for him. No matter how few hours he spent with Cynthia, she’d never been far from his thoughts. She was the center of his world. Everything he did was for her. No matter what happened in their lives, he’d assumed each held first place in the other’s heart, that nothing could threaten—much less sever—their tie.
But he’d been wrong. All that he had worked so hard to achieve seemed to come his way easily. All the things he’d taken for granted seemed about to slip away. He was faced with the decision of risking something he understood and wanted—his career—for something he didn’t understand yet found essential—the love and understanding of his daughter.
But he couldn’t give up one for the other. He understood enough to know he had to have them both. He didn’t know how he was going to manage that, but maybe Kathryn could help him figure it out.
That was still another problem. He was beginning to feel he wanted Kathryn, too. He didn’t see how he could have all three. But it seemed like all three were essential for his happiness. He was beginning to realize he’d never really been happy before. He’d been so busy chasing success, he’d forgotten to pay attention to himself.
Just weeks ago he’d been certain his life was on track, about to achieve the success he’d worked toward since he was ten. Now he was in danger of losing everything at once. How could he have been so blind?
The important question was, what was he going to do about it? He didn’t know, but he had a strong feeling he would have to depend on Kathryn to help him find the answers.
He decided she was the best part of being in the worst mess of his life.
Kathryn backed away from the door. She doubted Ron was saying anything he wouldn’t want her to hear, but she didn’t want him to think she was eavesdropping. Besides, she didn’t want to know what he was saying. Just the thought of a business conversation reminded her of the times her father was too busy to be involved with his own family. And remembering that always made her angry. He thought his family should behave with the same logic as his business. When they didn’t, he didn’t attempt to understand them. Kathryn had tried to be a dutiful, obedient daughter, but Elizabeth had been spoiled. She was beautiful from the moment she was born, vivacious, able to charm anything in pants. She became adroit at using the attention and indulgence of her mother and older siblings to protect her from her father’s strictures. When the break came over her pregnancy, their father had put his foot down. Much to Kathryn’s astonishment, her mother had supported him.
Kathryn had taken her sister’s side, and the argument ballooned out of control, everyone saying things they later regretted.
Now here was Ron, unable to go even a few hours without calling Geneva. He had a pregnant daughter who was estranged from him, a retreat full of angry parents, and he still couldn’t keep his mind off his work. She guessed she shouldn’t have expected anything different. People all over the world sought his help and advice. It was hard for a daughter to compete. A thirty-year-old woman who ran a shelter for unwed mothers didn’t stand a chance.
As soon as that thought ran through her mind, Kathryn knew she was in danger of becoming enamored of a man who represented everything she abhorred. Over the past two weeks he’d spent nearly every moment he was in Charlotte with Cynthia or with her. She’d given up pretending they weren’t dating, but she’d held fast to the belief that it was only a temporary circumstance. Apparently her heart had decided it liked Ron—liked his genuineness, his readiness to admit his mistakes and his resolve to correct them—and didn’t care about anything else. She didn’t know what her brain had been doing while her heart was cooking up this disaster. Whatever it was, it had been a strategic error. She had to run while she had a chance.
Yet for the next few days it would be impossible to keep her distance from Ron. Regardless of any personal danger, her primary responsibility was to start the girls and their families talking. From the moment she accepted them into her shelter, she had become in loco parentis. She owed it to everyone not to let this opportunity slip away.
Then there were Ron and Cynthia. Cynthia depended on her. Ron depended on her. She shouldn’t have assumed such obligations if she had any doubts about being able to carry through to the end. By accepting his help with her shelter, she’d tied herself to him in additional ways. She not only couldn’t ignore him, she had to pay close attention to everything he did. If he was successful, she had to know how to do it again.
After he was no longer here.
Ron looked at the people in the room and felt adrenaline start to flow. They had huddled together in distinctly separate groups in the recreation room, some around the pool table, others near the TV, one group at a large window facing a distant mountain, and still another backed up against the bar where they’d put the ice and soft drinks. Everyone seemed to be avoiding the food in the middle of the room. This was a challenge to Ron’s skill, and that always brought with it an eagerness to prove himself equal to the job. He decided to start with the most difficult task.
“Remember to keep moving,” he said to Kathryn, Cynthia and Leigh. “Don’t let anyone get you in a corner. Get people talking. That’s the first step in getting them relaxed.”
“They look like they’re afraid somebody’s going to attack them,” Leigh said.
“Somebody is,” Cynthia said. “My dad.”
She acted as if it were a terrible thing, but Ron heard a trace of pride in her voice. She might not like him right now, but she was proud of his abilities. He wondered if Kathryn felt the same way. She’d been mighty cool since she came out of her room. It was almost as though they were back to that very first night, her distrusting him and disliking him.
“I’ll start with Kerry’s parents,” Ron said.
“Do you think you should after the way he acted in the parking lot?” Kathryn asked.
“He’s got to know I’m not trying to undermine his relationship with his son. Until then, he’s not going to cooperate with anything we do.”
“I’ll take Betsy,” Cynthia said. “She’s scared of almost everybody else.”
“I’ll take Lisette’s parents,” Leigh said.
“I guess that leaves me with Julia,” Kathryn said.
“Battle stations everyone,” Ron said.
“This is not a war.”
“It is to Shamus.”
Ron headed over to the O’Gradys who were standing together by the door to the courtyard. It was obvious Kerry wanted to be with Lisette. It was equally obvious his father was standing in his way.
“Is your suite okay?” Ron asked.
Shamus’s looked angry, but his wife looked nervous. She kept glancing back and forth between her husband and her son.
“It’s very nice,” she said. “Very luxurious.”
“You can’t buy me with a fancy suite,” Shamus said.
“I’m not trying to. I only want you to be comfortable. The rest of the weekend won’t be easy.”
“It will be for me,” Shamus said. “I’m not staying. We’re leaving right after dinner.”
“You can’t,” Ron said. “The gate is locked, and I’m the only one with a key.”
Ron thought Shamus would explode. His wife looked as though she didn’t know what to do. Kerry smiled. “I guess that answers that question.”
“You can’t make us stay here. That’s kidnapping.”
Kerry laughed. “I can see the headlines now. Crazy Irishman accuses internationally famous businessman of kidnapping him in a luxurious mountain retreat along with several other families. Police didn’t understand the charge since the Irishman admitted he’d gone there willingly.”
“Don’t talk to your father like that, Kerry,” his mother said. “It makes him angry.”
“I can’t make him angry, but it’s okay if he makes me angry and you miserable.”
“Don’t say that.”
“Why not? It’s true.”
“Neither of you should be trying to make the other angry,” Ron said. “I’d hoped you’d use this opportunity to come to an understanding of what’s important to each of you.”
“And you’ve made that so easy, telling Kerry you’d bankroll him.”
“I asked him,” Kerry said, “but he said you’d want me to go into business with you.”
“He’s giving you ideas, making you feel too big for your britches.”
Kerry mumbled a couple of oaths under his breath. “I’m going to sit with Lisette. There’s no point in staying here. You won’t listen to anybody but yourself.”
“Kerry, come back here,” his father shouted. “If you don’t, you can find some other place else to live.”
“Shamus!” his wife exclaimed.
Kerry turned around. His expression had lost the anger of a moment ago. He looked tired. “I already asked Uncle Mike. He said I could stay with him until you came to your senses.”
“You call him back right this minute,” Mrs. O’Grady said to her husband. “If you don’t, you can live in that house by yourself.” When Shamus hesitated, she turned and walked off after her son.
“See what you’ve done!” Shamus said, turning to Ron. “You with your big promises.”
“Nobody could have done anything if you hadn’t driven Kerry away first.”
Family Merger Page 11
