What Happens Between Friends (23 page)

“Is that why you threatened to quit Montesano Construction if you didn’t get the partnership? To prove you’re not a pushover? You shot yourself in the foot if you ask me.”

“I didn’t ask you,” he said coolly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

He went into the shop, the lights he’d turned on when he’d first arrived glowing brightly. Damn it, he wasn’t about to discuss his personal life, his problems with her. They weren’t friends anymore. Even after what had just happened—maybe because of what had just happened—that much was clear.

He put on his tool belt. He’d come here to work on the frame of the kitchen cabinets for Bradford House. Though Eddie usually did the finish work, James, Maddie and Frank all pitched in when they were behind schedule.

Or, like tonight, when one of them needed work to keep busy, to keep their thoughts occupied.

Sadie came out, her purse over her shoulder, her hand on Elvis’s head as they walked side by side. “Look, I know you don’t want my opinion—”

He grunted.

“But I’m going to give it to you anyway. You love Montesano Construction.”

“Thanks for the insight.”

“You love it,” she repeated. “Until your father hired me, you were happy with your place in the company. Do you really want to leave? If Frank doesn’t agree to bring you in as a partner, will you be able to walk away from the company you’ve spent half your life with?”

He shrugged, though it felt as if he was lifting one hundred pounds on his shoulders. “Guess we’ll find out.”

“I hadn’t realized how completely stubborn you could be,” she said, not sounding impressed by that fact.

“Maybe we didn’t know each other as well as we thought.”

“I know you’ve always been a part of Montesano Construction, no matter who is listed as the owner. But you convinced yourself you were being somehow slighted. Now you’ve worked yourself into a corner—and you’re stuck there because you issued that stupid ultimatum. If you don’t do something to fix this—and soon—if you walk away from the company, you’ll spend the rest of your life regretting it.”

“You were right the first time. I don’t want your opinion.”

She looked hurt. Worse, she looked disappointed. In him.

It cut him to the bone.

He turned on the table saw, the loud whine of it making it impossible to hear any response she might give. Hell. He didn’t need her harping at him. He already wondered if he’d made the right choice—or if he’d let his anger and frustration over Frank hiring Sadie push him into making a rash decision.

One his pride wouldn’t let him take back.

* * *

“Y
OU
’
RE
ALL
PROBABLY
wondering why I asked you to be here,” Frank said Saturday evening.

“Don’t tell me,” Maddie said, helping herself to another scoop of their mom’s pasta salad, “Colonel Mustard did it in the pantry with a wrench.”

When James’s mom had invited him for dinner that night, he’d almost refused, hadn’t wanted to spend that much time with his father, not when things with the business were still up in the air. But when Rose had mentioned that the rest of the family was coming—with the exception of Leo, who was working—James had relented.

It was better than staying at his place alone, reliving making love with Sadie. Hearing her voice in his head.

You’ve always been a part of Montesano Construction, no matter who is listed as the owner.

If you don’t do something to fix this—and soon—if you walk away from the company, you’ll spend the rest of your life regretting it.

Damn her for voicing his own silent fears, for making them impossible to ignore any longer.

Now he and his family had finished eating—he eyed Maddie putting away the pasta salad—almost all of them were done eating, he amended, and Bree and Max had gone downstairs to play video games.

Frank leaned back in the dining room chair, linked his hands on his still-flat stomach. “We need to clear the air about this partnership business. Montesano Construction can’t go on like this. Neither can this family.” He looked around the table. “I’m proud of you, all three of you, and you have no idea what it means to me to know you all want to work for the company, to be a part of it forever, to take it into the future and possibly hand it down to future generations.”

“But?” James prompted quietly.

Frank sighed, seemed to age in front of James’s eyes, which was ridiculous as his father was only fifty-six. Not some old man. “I’ve seen it too many times. Families fighting once they’re brought on board a business. They’re torn apart.”

Eddie frowned. “The companies?”

“The families. I don’t want that to happen to us. The infighting and arguments. Things will change if we’re all owners. It’s already started.”

James sat back. So Maddie had been right. He’d been so sure his dad had been trying to hold on to his power, to keep complete control of the company, that this other stuff was an excuse. Clearly James had had it wrong.

Maybe Frank was just trying to hold on to his family.

“Things will change,” James said slowly. He thought of him and Sadie, of how they’d gone from friends to lovers to...what, he had no idea. “They’re meant to. But that doesn’t mean things will be worse. We don’t want to shove you out or take over the business, but we do want to be fully invested in it. We love it. We all love it. And we want a say about how the company is run, how we take it into the future. We deserve that.”

“I’m sorry,” Frank said, sounding as if he really meant it. But it did little to appease James. “I can’t risk this family. I won’t.”

Disappointment settled heavily on James’s shoulders. But he nodded. He’d asked his father to make a decision and Frank had done so. James didn’t have to like the end result. “Then I guess we have nothing left to discuss,” he said as he rose to leave.

His father opened his mouth but Maddie spoke before he could.

“You,” she said, pointing her fork at James’s jugular, “are seriously getting on my last nerve. I suppose this is where you make some dramatic statement, quit and then storm off, your lofty ideals and this sudden need for recognition intact.”

Sudden need for recognition?
Was that really what she thought of him? He scanned his parents’ faces, Eddie’s. Christ, was that what they all thought?

Worse, could they be right?

“This isn’t about my ego,” he said, his voice stiff. “It’s about me finally choosing what happens in my own life. I’ve never, not once, considered doing anything with my life other than working for Montesano Construction.”

Maddie shrugged. “So? Neither did I. At least, not seriously.”

“Shouldn’t we have?” he asked. They should have explored their options, seen what else was out there for them. Instead, they’d drifted into their jobs, taken the easy route. Settled.

He’d
settled.

“Seems to me,” Eddie said, “you need to stop worrying so much about what you did and didn’t do in the past and figure out what you want in the here and now.”

“And that,” Maddie said, nodding at Eddie, “is why he is the wisest of us all. He may not say much, but when he does, it’s pure gold.”

Rose’s eyebrows lifted. “Except when he disagrees with you.”

Maddie nodded. “Except when he disagrees with me.”

“Your father and I have discussed this,” Rose said, her back ramrod straight, her hands flat on the table on either side of her plate. “And if you—” she sent Maddie a pointed look “—could keep your thoughts in your head where they belong, perhaps he could tell you about our decision. Please sit down, James.”

“Mom, I—”

“Sit. Down.” This from Frank, said in such a no-nonsense tone, James found himself moving to sit, but he locked his knees. “Please,” his dad added gruffly.

James sat.

Frank pushed aside his empty dinner plate, clasped his hands together on the table. “As your mother said, we’ve discussed this and we’ve come up with what we feel is a good solution, a fair one for all involved.” He cleared his throat, seemed nervous. “But, if after you hear our proposition, you still feel it’s in your best interest to go out on your own, to start your own company,” he said to James, “then we want you to know, you’ll have the full support of this family.”

“He will?” Maddie asked incredulously.

“The full support of this
entire
family,” Frank said, frowning at his daughter.

She slouched in her chair like she used to when she’d been a taciturn teenager. “Fine.”

James was stunned. “That means a lot to me,” he said. “Thank you.”

Frank rubbed circles on the tablecloth with his palms. “Yes, well, we’re hoping that once you hear what we’re offering you won’t want to go anywhere. But it’s important to me for you to know—” he swept his gaze around the table “—for all of you to know that nothing means more to me and your mother than our family. I’d dissolve the company before I’d let it come between any of us. What we’re hoping is that you three will take Montesano Construction into the future, that you—and possibly your children—will keep it running long after I’m retired. If that’s what you want,” he added quickly. “In the meantime, we’d like to bring you all in as shareholders.”

James narrowed his eyes. “You want us to buy into the company?”

Most owners used shareholders as a way to raise capital in order to grow their business. But Montesano Construction was sound and could easily afford any type of expansion ideas Frank might have.

“We want to give you the shares,” Rose said. “Ten percent each.”

James and Eddie exchanged a surprised look. Their parents—their father—was willing to give them 30 percent in his company. It wasn’t a partnership, wasn’t even close to what James had wanted. Had thought he wanted. He still wouldn’t have a say in how the business was run.

But he would have ownership in it.

It was a compromise.

Sadie had been right. James had let his anger and pride push him into a corner. This was his way out.

“That’s very generous,” Maddie said, sending James a glare when he remained silent. “But I don’t feel right accepting. Not when I can’t guarantee where I’ll be a year from now.”

“You’re part of this company,” Frank said firmly. “You’ve helped Montesano Construction grow, have put your heart and soul into it. We want you to always be a part of it, whether you’re here or across the country.”

Maddie, her eyes wet, rose and went over to Frank to kiss the top of his head then press her cheek against his. “In that case, I accept your offer.”

Frank reached back and patted her upper arm. “Eddie?”

Eddie nodded.

Everyone’s attention turned to James, their gazes expectant.

It could work, James realized. They could make this work. But there was still one problem....

“What about Leo?”

“What about him?” Maddie asked.

“He may not be part of Montesano Construction,” James said, “but he’s part of this family.”

And James didn’t want him to feel as if he’d been slighted. Didn’t want to cause any bad blood between Leo and the rest of them because Leo had chosen a different path.

His dad was right—nothing was worth risking their family’s future.

“I want Leo to have half my shares,” James said.

Maddie straightened, kept her hands on Frank’s shoulders. “Why not just split the thirty percent by the four little Montesanos? Seven and a half percent each.”

A proud grin lit Frank’s face. “Looks as if we have an agreement then.”

“Another family crisis averted,” Maddie said, returning to her seat. She piled more food onto her plate then glanced at Rose. “What’s for dessert?”

As Rose and Maddie discussed the cake Rose had made and Frank asked Eddie a question about Max’s hockey team, James couldn’t stop from smiling. He was in for God knew how many more years of long hours, of listening to Maddie bitch about one thing or the other, of trying to get Eddie to meet with customers instead of hiding out in the shop. Years of endless customer calls and complaints, of dealing with distributors and employees.

But, for the first time in a long time, it didn’t feel as if he was stuck. It felt as if he’d finally set himself free.

* * *

“H
EY
,
THERE
, R
ED
.
Can I get you a sod-y pop?”

Charlotte glared at O’Riley’s owner. “Whiskey and diet cola. Please,” she added through gritted teeth.

He raised his eyebrows and she fisted her hands so she wouldn’t be tempted to slap that condescending smirk off his too-handsome face. Jerk.

“Drinking with the big girls tonight?” he asked, fixing her drink.

Was that what the big girls drank? She had no idea. She usually stuck with a beer or two.

“Here you go. Take it easy on those,” he said with a wink.

She took a huge gulp, just to prove she could, just to prove she didn’t have to listen to him. Dear Lord, it was strong. Her eyes watered; her throat burned. “Did you forget the cola part?” she asked on a wheeze.

Amusement shone in his eyes and in that instant, she hated him. “Maybe you should stick with beer.”

She worked up a sneer. “Maybe you should go to—”

“Hello, Lottie,” Sadie said, hurrying out from behind the bar. Char hadn’t seen her yet, but Sadie must have noticed her boss was giving Char a hard time.

Did she mention he was a jerk?

“Sadie.” Char tried to glare, but it was a weak effort. Even though she was mad at her sister, she still missed her.

She’d been so upset after James left the other night, so embarrassed, she’d stayed at the house, watching the candles burn down for hours. When she’d finally been able to get up and go to her apartment, she’d fallen onto her bed and slept for twelve hours straight, then had to work a double shift at the hospital. This was the first chance she’d had to track down her sister.

“What’s up?” Sadie asked. “You okay?”

Char opened her mouth to say she was fine, but what came out was, “No. Not really.”

Sadie studied her, looking more serious than her sister usually did. “Come with me,” she said, taking Char’s hand and leading her back behind the bar. “I’m taking a break,” she told her boss.