Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 45045 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45045 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Well, shit. That was one hell of a loaded question. I glanced at Gus. I loved him, but he’d really cocked up this time.
“Yeah, I’d say there’s a complication,” I said. “Big one, actually.”
“What’s that?” Gage said, clearly surprised.
“Peaches Taylor is going to make Gus a cash offer tomorrow,” I told them. “She says she can outbid me.”
Silence fell across the table.
“There’s no way,” Gus said after a long pause. “She doesn’t have any money. She doesn’t have any credit, either.”
“I suppose she could be lying,” I replied, shrugging. “But I can’t think of any reason she would. And since she doesn’t have her own money, that means there’s another party in the mix. Gotta be her stepdad.”
Suddenly, everyone got really quiet.
James Carrington wasn’t Gus’s favorite person. Not that he’d have been okay with anyone who married Peaches’ mom, but Carrington also happened to own the property next to Gus’s house. There’d been a disagreement over an easement about ten years back.
I sat back, waiting for Gus’s reaction. Surprisingly, he didn’t blow up.
“Doesn’t matter,” he said. “We already made a deal.”
“Don’t you think Carrington will find it strange, considering he’s offering more money?”
“We’ll say it’s part of your inheritance,” Gus countered. “You’re my only heir. It’s a family deal.”
“I think we should run it by the club lawyers,” Gage said thoughtfully. “Carrington has a lot of connections, and the guy’s like a fucking bloodhound when it comes to money. Tinker sits on the hospital board with him. She says he drives everyone crazy. Because if something looks even a little bit off to him, he’ll spend hours tracking it down. We don’t want that kind of attention.”
“I’ve kept the books clean,” Gus protested. “There’s nothing for them to find. We should just sign the papers first thing in the morning. Then it’ll be too late for her to make an offer. Problem solved.”
Jesus. He was doing it again.
“You should talk to her,” I said bluntly. “We wouldn’t be in this mess if you’d communicated with her in the first place. I know you don’t like it when she gets upset, but this is ridiculous. Grow a pair and own your shit.”
Dead silence fell across the room. Conflict was nothing new among brothers, but Gus was essentially my dad. I’d never publicly questioned him before.
“Not your decision, Eli,” Gus finally said. I’d expected anger, but the words came out sounding almost weak. “And there’s no shit to own. I’m under no obligation to hear her out.”
“I’m under no obligation to sign the fucking papers tomorrow morning.”
“Is this really club business?” Gage asked, looking between us. “Or is it personal? Because it sounds personal.”
“It’s personal,” Gus said. “Eli and I can talk after the meeting.”
“It’s not personal,” I countered, starting to feel angry. “The club has a stake in the Starkwood. When you decided to sell to me, you got club approval first. I’m assuming that means you talked to them about carrying a contract for Peaches, too.”
“He did,” Gage confirmed.
“She does the bookkeeping,” I told Gage. “At least, she does the books we show the IRS. When you agreed to sell to her—something nobody bothered talking to me about until after the fact, by the way—you were planning to bring her into the loop, right?”
“Moot point,” Gus said. I ignored him.
“So, you were willing to trust her as a business associate,” I continued. “She’s been a friend of the club her entire life. If her stepdad is going to cause trouble, wouldn’t it make more sense to meet with her? Maybe give her an explanation? I know you’re afraid of pissing her off, Gus, but she loves you. She wouldn’t set you up. Carrington won’t get suspicious if he thinks she’s the one who changed her mind. So, change her mind. Problem solved.”
“I’m not afraid of anything,” Gus snapped.
“My bad,” I said, raising my palms. “I can’t imagine why I’d think you were… What time did you want to sign those papers again?”
Someone snorted with laughter, quickly turning it into a cough.
“Peaches doesn’t need an explanation,” Gus said, sounding more defensive with every word. “You made your point, Eli. I fucked up by not telling her that things had changed. That was a mistake. But beyond that, she’s just an employee. It doesn’t matter what she thinks.”
“She thinks you treat her like a dog.”
He gave me a confused look. “A dog?”
“A dog,” I said. “And I can see why. You’re treating her like a pet, not a person. She’s worked here for seven years. You made a deal with her to take over, and then you jerked it out from under her, saying you needed cash. She got cash. Now, you’re trying to hide instead of talking to her. It’s like kindergarten.”
“Eli…” Gage said, his tone warning me.
“All due respect, Gus, but have you considered that it’s my ass on the line once the papers are signed? Peaches may love you, but she hates me. If you burn her again, I’ll have to let her go. Is that really what you want?”