AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Good. Good. Now let’s just forget this whole little nasty thing and move on.”
Marge’s voice once again comes over the TV. “Mr. Monroe, you asked me to remind you when it was one.”
Standing, my father smiled. “Stay here, Ricker. I need to go wish my daughter a happy birthday.”
My hand covered my mouth, and I forced the tears back. Marge reached over and squeezed my knee. She kept her hand there and turned back to the TV like she was waiting for a bomb to drop.
Ricker stood, walked around the desk and sat in my father’s chair.
“That bastard,” I hissed.
He hit a few numbers and smiled as he leaned back in the chair. “Knots, it’s me. I’m calling from Mike’s office. I told him it was taken care of. If he asks to see it, show him the fake one you drew up and then destroy it.”
I gasped. “Holy fuck.”
For the first time since I became acting CEO of CMI, Marge didn’t scold me for swearing.
“I doubt he’ll ask to see it, but if he does, we’re covered. There is no way in hell I’m letting some goddamn wet-behind-the-ears young girl take over this company. I’ve lost two wives for that bastard and this company … he owes this to me.”
Standing, I balled up my fists.
“That dirty, rotten, motherfucking, son-of-a-bitch bastard!” I screamed. “He and Knots both betrayed my father!”
“If I had known you were calling in Knots, I would have warned you not to.”
I paced back and forth, trying to think of what to do.
“There are eleven very educated men and women on the board, and not one of them thought this sounded wrong?” I asked, my hands flying up to my hips.
Marge looked at me and said, “You believed it.”
I stood there, staring at Marge.
“He thinks he’s going to steal this company right out from underneath me? Well, he has another thing coming.”
Walking back over to my desk, I reached for my phone and then back to Marge. “I’m calling an emergency board meeting. I want all those bastards here in an hour, and I don’t give two shits what they have to do to get here.”
Marge smiled. I could see the pride on her face.
The good thing about this shitstorm was that Tucker was the last thing on my mind right now.
GLANCING OVER TO the church, I watched as Lily, Tucker and their mother, Patty, forced smiles on their faces as they stood outside the doors and spoke to people. I’d wait until they went inside before I slipped in.
My phone buzzed.
Terri: Stop sitting in your car and please come in. Lily will want to see you.
Tucker wasn’t the only reason I was stalling. Memories of my own parents’ funeral came slamming back to the forefront of my mind this morning. Dressing in black with that heavy feeling in my stomach, knowing people will glance my direction and think how sad it was I lost both of my parents not very long ago.
Me: I’m trying. It’s hard for more than one reason.
Terri’s reply was instant.
Terri: I know, Charlie. I know.
Her words, although simple and direct, seemed to be what I needed. I swallowed hard and stepped out of my silver BMW. The closer I walked to the church, the more my heart pounded in my chest. The closer I got to Tucker, the more my feelings mixed together. I hated him. I hated what he did to me, but I was doing the same thing to him. I had gotten together with him under the umbrella of a lie. A trick. A plan to get him into my bed and show him how much he needed to be with me so that he would surely pop the question before my deadline.
Lily had sworn to me that Tucker was not planning any sort of revenge. He swore it to her. A part of me wanted to believe him, but I kept thinking back to that first night we spent together and the note he left asking if I regretted it. Maybe that had been his only plan of vengeance.
