Page 22 of Miss Treated

“Juniper is where your brother is the vice president.”

“I’m aware, but why are you so concerned about the merger?”

“Because Arrow Communications has a big foothold in California, with their headquarters in San Diego. With that kind of money behind them, they could become a major competitor to us locally.”

I should have some kind of reaction. “Wow, how terrible.”

He rolled his eyes at my flat tone. “You sound like your mother.”

Which wasn’t such a bad thing. “You once told me we can’t control others’ actions, all we can do is control our reactions. Does this change the way we do business?”

He sighed. “It could. It’s worrisome. Especially with your brother at the helm. No doubt he’s gunning for CEO of the newly created company.”

“If Gabe wasn’t with Juniper, would you care as much about this merger?”

He took a seat, suddenly looking weary. “Probably not. But I think he’s out to prove a point. To go after me.”

“Dad, I appreciate you two don’t see eye to eye all the time when it comes to business, but let’s remember he does love you. He is still part of the family.”

“You and your mother talk about this already?”

I chuckled, taking a seat too. “Nope, but if she said the same thing, then maybe you should listen to us both.”

“Yeah. This is probably why he’s moving home. Because of the merger.”

It made sense. “Is he coming to your birthday party?”

“He told your mother he was. Hopefully, he’ll bring Samantha.”

It had been months since I’d seen my teenage niece, so I looked forward to catching up with her. “Hopefully. Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah.”

“If Gabe were to come to you tomorrow and ask for the position of COO, would you give it to him?”

He suddenly wouldn’t meet my gaze. “A lot would have to happen before I could consider it. Looking for a loophole to quit your job?”

Maybe. “No, but I think it’s a fair question since we both know he’s more qualified and was your first choice.”

He sighed. “It doesn’t matter. We both know your brother will never agree to work for me. We have different visions for the company’s future.”

What he wasn’t saying was if matters were different, he’d replace me in a heartbeat. And we’d both be relieved.

Chapter Nine

Kelsey

At the Starbucks, I hadn’t intended my remark to Dominic about working late to imply he wasn’t committed to his job. I’d only been trying to discourage him from spending too much time on the task. How the hell was I supposed to keep my fraud investigation a secret from him if he was in my business the whole time?

Of course I’d apologized. I’d spent my entire life doing so. What was striking to me was how quickly he’d apologized in return. My mother and Joel had never apologized. Ever. Nothing was ever their fault. Instead, they’d always gone out of their way to pin any blame on me.

Yet Dominic hadn’t exploited my apology but had instead offered his own.

“Come in,” I said when the knock came.

All his normal cockiness appeared to have been checked at the door he closed behind him. “I apologize for my defensiveness this morning. If I’ll be in the way of your audit, then I’m happy to sit it out. I don’t want to interfere.”

This humble side of Dominic was more attractive than his dimples and arrogance. I was seeing another layer to him. A vulnerable one. “How about you sit in on the interviews, and afterward I’ll walk through my questions with you and explain why I asked them.” It made sense for the COO to know about the accounting processes. “Then you’ll be able to help me with the follow-ups.”