privacy. “I have an idea. Two ideas, actually.” Gregg stared straight ahead as I talked. He looked beaten. “First, I’ve decided that Pa shouldn’t make decisions, the way he is. He signed that check for Uncle Aaron yesterday without even knowing what it was for. I have his power of attorney, and I’ll try to get that money back. But whether I do or not, I’ll approve the merger myself. I know Pa is dead set against it, and scares me to death, but I’ll do it. It’s my responsibility now.”
“Without the money, there’s no sense trying to merge,” Gregg said.
“Here’s my other idea,” I told him. “This one is for you. You own the cabin, and all that waterfront, on Lake Wiley. You told me people keep trying to buy it from you. It’s worth a lot, right?”
“Sell the property?” he said. “I promised my dad I’d never sell it. It’s his legacy.”
“Your uncle isn’t here any more. You’re in charge now. You have to make the decisions.”
“It was a deathbed wish. He trusted me.”
“What would he say about it if he were here today? If there was a chance to save his company, don’t you think he’d take it?”
“I can’t go back on my word.”
I was astonished. Here was the man who swore he loved me, and was ready to move heaven and earth to make his plan a reality. Now he says he has to keep his promise to someone who’s dead and buried. Yet he has no reservations about asking me to do precisely what my father said not to do. “Do you want the merger to happen?” I said. “I do.”
“We’ll find some other place to get the money.” The way he said it, I could tell he didn’t believe it. He believed we were at the end of the road.
I sat behind Pa’s desk. I wasn’t ready to give up, not just yet. “Do you remember telling me about you and your men getting ambushed that night in Afghanistan, and what a frightening situation you were in.”
Gregg glared at me. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“It was desperate. It took courage to take charge and get your men out of there alive.”
“So what are you saying ?”
“I’m saying let’s see some of that courage now. Do what has to be done.” I was sorry I said it as soon as the words were out of my mouth. Bad idea, wrong words. I was questioning his manliness, which was a stupid thing to do to the man you’ve been sleeping with. I tried to make it right, but I made it worse. “What I mean is that if you’ll only try —“
“I know what you mean,” he said. He stood and left the office, never looking back.
CHAPTER 14
Yes, I regretted what I’d said, but I was angry, too. I’d earned the right to say what was on my mind. I’d been working with Gregg to make the merger happen, right from the beginning. Now I hurt his feelings? He’d have to get over it. I didn’t go after him as he left Pa’s office. Let him think about it on his own.
I felt I had to tell Pa what was happening, even though I wasn't sure he'd understand it in his condition. After all, he’d invested his whole adult life in Porteous Limited, and the company was about to disappear. I wanted him to know I’d do my best to save it. I told him Uncle Aaron had lied to him, and taken money fraudulently, and I’d try to get it back. And so far as my relationship with Gregg was concerned — that was my decision to make, one way or another. I’m a grown woman, damn it, with my own life to live. Only I wouldn’t say damn it to Pa.
At the hospital, I sat by Pa’s bed, trying to lay it all out for him. His eyes were focused on me as I talked, and I was certain he understood what I told him. When I said we were still trying to put together a last-minute merger, he nodded his head. "Do it," he managed to say. He'd been lying there thinking for days, now. He understood he couldn’t manage the company any more. He was telling me to make the decisions.
I may have won the battle, but lost the war. Gregg didn’t call
“Without the money, there’s no sense trying to merge,” Gregg said.
“Here’s my other idea,” I told him. “This one is for you. You own the cabin, and all that waterfront, on Lake Wiley. You told me people keep trying to buy it from you. It’s worth a lot, right?”
“Sell the property?” he said. “I promised my dad I’d never sell it. It’s his legacy.”
“Your uncle isn’t here any more. You’re in charge now. You have to make the decisions.”
“It was a deathbed wish. He trusted me.”
“What would he say about it if he were here today? If there was a chance to save his company, don’t you think he’d take it?”
“I can’t go back on my word.”
I was astonished. Here was the man who swore he loved me, and was ready to move heaven and earth to make his plan a reality. Now he says he has to keep his promise to someone who’s dead and buried. Yet he has no reservations about asking me to do precisely what my father said not to do. “Do you want the merger to happen?” I said. “I do.”
“We’ll find some other place to get the money.” The way he said it, I could tell he didn’t believe it. He believed we were at the end of the road.
I sat behind Pa’s desk. I wasn’t ready to give up, not just yet. “Do you remember telling me about you and your men getting ambushed that night in Afghanistan, and what a frightening situation you were in.”
Gregg glared at me. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“It was desperate. It took courage to take charge and get your men out of there alive.”
“So what are you saying ?”
“I’m saying let’s see some of that courage now. Do what has to be done.” I was sorry I said it as soon as the words were out of my mouth. Bad idea, wrong words. I was questioning his manliness, which was a stupid thing to do to the man you’ve been sleeping with. I tried to make it right, but I made it worse. “What I mean is that if you’ll only try —“
“I know what you mean,” he said. He stood and left the office, never looking back.
CHAPTER 14
Yes, I regretted what I’d said, but I was angry, too. I’d earned the right to say what was on my mind. I’d been working with Gregg to make the merger happen, right from the beginning. Now I hurt his feelings? He’d have to get over it. I didn’t go after him as he left Pa’s office. Let him think about it on his own.
I felt I had to tell Pa what was happening, even though I wasn't sure he'd understand it in his condition. After all, he’d invested his whole adult life in Porteous Limited, and the company was about to disappear. I wanted him to know I’d do my best to save it. I told him Uncle Aaron had lied to him, and taken money fraudulently, and I’d try to get it back. And so far as my relationship with Gregg was concerned — that was my decision to make, one way or another. I’m a grown woman, damn it, with my own life to live. Only I wouldn’t say damn it to Pa.
At the hospital, I sat by Pa’s bed, trying to lay it all out for him. His eyes were focused on me as I talked, and I was certain he understood what I told him. When I said we were still trying to put together a last-minute merger, he nodded his head. "Do it," he managed to say. He'd been lying there thinking for days, now. He understood he couldn’t manage the company any more. He was telling me to make the decisions.
I may have won the battle, but lost the war. Gregg didn’t call
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