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Turned out, I now didn’t have a choice in my future. It was made for me by the same man I’d revered all these years. The kicker was, I always thought I had a say. That the entire family, including Mulaney, had a say.
From the time Dad had first talked of merging with another company, it had felt like a gut punch. In all the discussions we’d had about our goals for Carter Energy, taking the business outside the family had never been an option. It was so far off course from the vision we all had, or at least I thought we had, I’d almost convinced myself I’d heard my father wrong. Once the shock wore off, I dove deeper into the numbers to find out what had prompted him to think a merger was necessary. Things weren’t as good as they’d once been, but I couldn’t find what had him even entertaining the idea we couldn’t make it on our own. Carter Energy was solid because we’d built it that way, together. Yet I trusted my father, so I’d trimmed the fat, taken precautions, and done everything I could to ensure our success.
I’d trusted Mulaney too, though God only knew why at this point. She’d destroyed that over the last few months, and yet it stung to know she wouldn’t have talked to me about the sale to SPE. If she was as blindsided as I was, she wouldn’t have sat there like a bump on a log. Her temper was worse than mine, and she wasn’t known to control it either. Then again, I didn’t know her anymore. Not like I thought.
I picked up the desk clock I’d been given for outstanding leadership in the energy industry and reared back my arm with a need to smash something else.
“Hey, I don’t have a helmet on.” Drew held his hands in front of his face and ducked.
I chucked the clock at the wall, nowhere in his vicinity. He sauntered to one of the chairs in front of my desk and sat.
“Tough day.”
“How did this happen? And how could he do this without telling us?” My voice echoed around the space.
“We were in trouble.” He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Dad’s been stressed, but I thought a lot of it had to do with Mom.”
I dropped into my chair, thinking about our sick mother, the final blow to this hellacious day.
“We weren’t that bad off. I’ve been through the numbers. Nothing indicates we needed a financial partner. And there sure as hell’s not enough reason for him to sell to another company behind our backs. I live with Mom and Dad for God’s sake, and I had no idea this was happening.” I shoved at the spreadsheets in front of me. Either they were lies or I didn’t know how to read them anymore.
“From what Dad showed me, it was pretty dire.” Drew’s tone was too casual for what had gone down today.
My brows pinched. “When?”
“Over the last few weeks. I thought you knew.” He lifted a shoulder and lowered it, as if it were nothing that he and our father had been discussing something that significant without me.
“Don’t you think if I had, I’d have done something about it?” I shouted.
“I assumed Dad told you everything. Guess I was wrong.” He raised both hands in surrender. “If we’d have done the pipeline project, this probably wouldn’t have happened.”
I stared at him in disbelief. The pipeline had looked promising, but after digging into the details, there was too much red tape to overcome, and the numbers didn’t work in our favor. Drew was well aware why we’d nixed the project. “We were solid financially. That pipeline would have been an albatross, and you know it.”
He gripped his thighs. “We lost everything anyway. Hopefully we can make sure things are done right with SPE in New York.”
“You seem comfortable with the idea.”
He shrugged. “What’s done is done.” Why isn’t he angry? He’s worked with CE for fifteen years. Why doesn’t this bother him?
“What about Mom? She needs us.” I looked away. She was fighting like hell, but there wasn’t much time. I knew better than to pray for miracles, yet I did it every single day.
“I need to be there. I’m leaving tonight.”
“Tonight? We’re supposed to be headed to Burdett in the morning. Grandma Carter is expecting us for Christmas.” Just like every year before. Drew could be selfish, but even he’d never skipped holidays. “And what about Mom? She’ll be devastated.”
He wouldn’t meet my eyes. “I have to go.”
“To Burdett, yes,” I argued.
“Let it go.” His fists clenched on top of his knees.
“There might not be another—”
“Don’t guilt-trip me. I can’t help it. Someone has to be there.”
I was grateful I hadn’t had to finish that sentence. Reality was a cold bitch sometimes, and when it came to our mother’s condition, I didn’t want to face it.
“Don’t do something you’ll regret.”
