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“At least I have another reason to hire her,” Eric added. “She can boss you around.”
KATIE SMOOTHED HER knee-length black pencil skirt as she followed Brody and Chad into the Moore Timber conference room. She’d paired it with a white button-down shirt and a low heel that felt foreign on her feet. She stumbled, but regained her balance before falling onto the carpeted floor.
Chad smirked at her. “Tired from another late night?”
“Not at all.” She pulled out a chair at the large oval table and sat.
Chad selected the seat beside her and leaned close. “Liam was pulling out of the drive when I got home.”
“You’re not the only one who can use the apartment over the barn,” she said, turning away from her brother to face her friend’s fiancé. Seeing Eric at the head of the table in a three-piece suit left her fidgeting in her seat.
“Josh won’t be joining us today,” Brody said from his position at the opposite end of the oval table. “One of our drivers called in sick, and he agreed to fill in for him.”
Eric nodded. “Then let’s get started.”
Katie drew a deep breath, interlacing her fingers in her lap. She’d debated telling her brothers what Liam had shared with her last night, but they’d both been away from the house this morning. Brody had been out fixing a truck and Chad was just returning from his latest fling.
And part of her wasn’t sure what to say. She still hadn’t decided what to do.
“Liam was called away too, but I spoke with him this morning. We would like to offer you three million for Summers Family Trucking.”
Beside her, Chad let out a low whistle.
Eric smiled. “As part of the deal, we’ll keep your drivers at their current rates.”
“Thank you,” Brody said gruffly.
“Brody—” Katie said.
“I’d like to hear him out, Katie,” Brody said.
“We’d like you all to become part of the Moore Timber family. Brody, we’d like you to manage the day-to-day,” Eric said, and her oldest brother nodded. Eric turned his attention to her and Chad. Katie tensed, but Georgia’s fiancé wasn’t looking at her. Yet.
“Chad, Liam told me about your interest in helicopter logging,” Eric continued. “Moore Timber has been looking to invest in a chopper. We’d be willing to work out a deal on the start-up cost and hire you.”
“Wow,” Chad said. “That would be . . . thanks. That would be great.”
One look at her brothers’ expressions—even Brody was lit up as if proud of the number Eric had assigned to the business he’d worked so hard to build and maintain—and Katie knew she couldn’t walk away from this deal. Life had not handed the Summers family much. But Eric Moore was offering to unlock the doors to her brothers’ dreams.
“Josh has already been picking up shifts with us,” Eric said, turning his attention back to Brody. “We’re happy to hire him on full-time.”
“We appreciate your generous offer,” her oldest brother said, and she could tell by his tone that Brody was waiting for the catch.
Eric’s smile faded. “For the three-million-dollar price tag, we would need to include a contract for your biggest asset.”
“Sure,” Chad volunteered.
“We would need Katie to commit to two years, with the potential to extend,” Eric said.
Katie released the breath she’d been holding while Eric explained why her relationships and the contract she’d negotiated—the one her brothers had dismissed—made Summers Family Trucking worth millions.
“And if she says no?” Chad asked, his smile slipping away.
“If Katie is not interested, well, I’m afraid our offer drops.” He turned to her. “I strongly feel that without Katie the Black Hills contract will disappear and the relationships will deteriorate. I’m not exactly the go-to guy in the biomass arena.”
“I’m surprised you’re interested in it no
w,” Brody said, the brief hint of excitement that fate might finally rule in their favor erased from his expression.
