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“Yes,” Tess said, even though a flicker of doubt grew stronger within her. She’d never stopped to really think about her father’s motivation for hiring Graham. Maybe it wasn’t that he hadn’t thought Tess capable of being the head honcho, but rather that she wasn’t prepared for the task at present. Or maybe she would have never been ready to step into her father’s shoes. Maybe she’d already found the shoes that fit her… and she hadn’t wanted to let go of her intention. “This is what I’d been working toward. I followed in Dad’s footsteps because my brothers didn’t. I did this for him. For Ullo.”
“Is that the right answer?” her mother asked, her expression thoughtful. Annoyingly thoughtful.
Tess wanted to slap her mother for making her think—no, doubt—all she had believed. “I’ve always thought it was the right answer.”
“Maybe it is, but your father never made any of you feel as if you had to work for Ullo. He made sure each of his children knew they were free to find their own path and follow it. He’s always been proud you chose to work in the world he loves, but he never said he’d give you the key to the company one day, did he?”
“No,” Tess said, feeling a lump in her throat. Those words hurt. God, they hurt almost as much as the day her father had said them from the chair in which Graham now sat. “I always thought that’s what he intended. That he had faith in me. He’s never questioned my abilities.”
“He does have faith in you, and he’s been amazingly patient while you’ve figured things out,” Maggie said, clasping her hands and leaning forward. “Don’t you get it, sweetheart?”
Tess stared at her mother, the woman she’d expected to be on her side, the woman that she expected to cajole her to reconcile with her father… not make her doubt herself. Not make her examine herself. Tess shook her head and blinked the tears away.
Maggie gave her a small smile. “Your father wasn’t slighting you or saying he didn’t trust you—”
“Then why didn’t he tell me about Graham to begin with?” Gone was the hurt of her mother siding with Frank, and in its stead reared aggravation. “Dad never had the conversation he should have had with me. He allowed me to think this, Mom.”
“Frank never wants to hurt you,” Maggie said.
“Really? ’Cause he did, Mom. He should have respected me enough to tell me I wasn’t good enough.”
“I’m not saying he handled this well.”
“Finally, something we agree on.” Tess folded her arms, feeling justified… petulant. No matter what her father believed, he should have been honest. Tess deserved as much.
“There is no black and white in this situation, Tess.”
“No shit,” Tess muttered.
Maggie briefly narrowed her eyes before sucking in a deep breath. “I can admit Frank made mistakes, but his frame of mind was to protect you. He’s a man who has spent his entire life working hard to take care of us all, and he found out he has pancreatic cancer. Can you imagine what he felt?”
“Of course I can’t imagine, but you can’t use his cancer as justification for tricking me.”
“Shut up,” Maggie said, her eyes crackling. “Just put your outrage on hold and listen to me for a minute.”
“Fine.” Tess pressed her lips together.
“All our dreams of retirement are—poof—up in smoke. And it’s not just about the family he leaves behind. It’s about the company with its fifty-plus employees. All of that places an enormous burden on your father. Have you thought about that?”
“You said ‘leave behind,’” Tess said, her heart trembling at the thought of what might happen. No. What would likely happen. Up until this point her mother had been super positive, refusing to even think Frank could leave anyone or anything behind. The possibility of Frank not beating this cancer had never been uttered.
Maggie’s eyes sheened and she looked away, blinking rapidly. “Look, I’m not giving up on your father, but you and I both know the percentage of people who have beaten this kind of cancer is not good. My point is, your father has a lot he’s worrying about and all of this has been very tough on him. Maybe he couldn’t face telling you one-on-one that he didn’t think you capable of running Ullo yet. You aren’t the easiest of people, Tess.”
“What do you mean by that? You make me sound like I’m some kind of unreasonable diva. I’m not.”
“No.” Maggie paused for several seconds before turning her gaze back to Tess. “You’ve never taken no for an answer. It’s a great quality … sometimes.”
Not easy? Never take no for an answer? Her mother made her sound… spoiled. So maybe she was a little manipulative when it came to getting her way, but she wasn’t a total pill. “I take no for an answer.”
“But only after you’ve exhausted every angle. You don’t make it easy.”
Tess stared at her mother, disbelief gathering inside.
Maggie spread her hands. “Remember when you wanted your ears pierced? Or how about when you wanted your soccer team to wear bright green cleats? Or when you wanted the VW Bug? Or when it came to picking colleges? Or the paint color in your condo? From sleepovers to cereal choices, you wheedled and wore us down until you got what you wanted. You’re not a diva, but you are a master manipulator.”
“No, I’m discriminating. That doesn’t mean I’m irrational or illogical…
or can’t accept not getting my way.”
