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Remember our plan.
Damn it. They had a plan. Tasha was going to be her vibrant, vivacious self, and he would be able to talk to Huisman and figure the man out a little. She knew what she was doing, and he had to trust that she would tell him when she didn’t want to do it anymore. She wanted to help, and she wasn’t a precious doll who needed a man to do everything for her.
“She’s quite a stunner,” Oakley said.
And she was his. That was what he had to remember. He couldn’t act like she was his favorite toy and he was a ten-year-old desperate to keep it from being thrown in the trash so his father could teach him a lesson. The scared boy needed to take a backseat. Tasha was a gift, a partner who could hold his hand while he made his way through this storm he found himself in.
Damn it all. He was going to marry her.
“She is indeed. She’s an amazing woman.”
He sat down across from Oakley, leaving the seat next to him open for Tasha.
“What happened to your business partner? He was supposed to be here originally, right?” Huisman gracefully sank to his chair, dragging the black cloth napkin over his slacks. “What was his name? Peters?”
“Yes. Brian. He got called away on another meeting.” He wasn’t about to say they might lose an important investment partner.
“I hope nothing went wrong.” Huisman took a sip of the water in front of him.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if his meeting wasn’t with that bombshell with the pink hair,” Oakley said with a chuckle. He leaned over, giving Huisman a friendly pat on the arm. “You should see this beauty. She’s with Millhouse Pharma. They’re a nothing player in this industry, but I give them credit for sending her. I wouldn’t mind spending a bit of time with that one. I might invite her along to our weekend and see what happens.”
He knew what would happen. If Brian didn’t kill him, Dare would have to make things clear to the man. “She’s Tasha’s cousin.”
A brow rose over Oakley’s eyes. “Really? That family has some nice DNA. Anyway, it’s been fun watching poor Brian chase after her.”
“She sounds intriguing,” Huisman replied with the first real interest Dare had seen from him. “I am not much of a player, but I do enjoy the company of a vibrant woman. And I’m ashamed to admit it, but I enjoy a bit of drama. Yes, I think both Mr. Peters and Tasha’s cousin should come with us. I’m eager to relax a bit. I would like to meet Mr. Peters. I’ve heard he’s an interesting man.”
It was good to know Brian was making an impression. “I assure you he’s at a meeting and not chasing a woman around. He’s serious about his job and is looking forward to this weekend. It’s been a bit of chaos for us here. I wasn’t supposed to take the lead at all.”
“Yes, it was supposed to be Middleton,” Huisman murmured. “Sorry to hear what happened to him. I’ve met him a couple of times, and he knew what he was doing. But I’m sure you do as well. It’s hard to start out a trip like this with a bit of chaos.”
“Chaos can be good. Shake things up a bit,” Oakley said, settling back.
Chaos was the enemy in his line of work. “I think I like things to play out in an organized fashion. It tends to keep the boss happy.”
“The boss being your father,” Oakley prompted.
“It is his name on the door.” But did his father have to be his boss? The longer he spent with Tasha the more he asked himself if there was another way. He needed to sit down and figure it out because leaving her behind was rapidly becoming an option he couldn’t consider.
“Oh, I’ve seen that door, mate. All it says is the Nash Group. There’s more Nashes than your dad.” Oakley’s fingers played on the lip of the Scotch glass at his side.
“I assure you, my father has a firm hold on the board of directors. Don’t expect a coup anytime soon.” His father ruled them with the same iron fist he did his family.
“That’s the funny thing about coups. They happen when you least expect it,” Oakley mused. “See that’s where chaos can come in.”
“There’s no amount of chaos my father isn’t prepared for.” What he needed was leverage.
“I understand the nature of a family business,” Huisman said. “It can be especially difficult when the business or foundation has been in the family for longer than a generation. The Huisman Foundation was started by my great-great-grandfather. I suspect he intended for it to move down through the generations, employing all the Huismans. He brought the company to Canada from the Netherlands. He had three sons. Now it is only me.”
