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“That is true. It’s no hardship on me to do this. If you’d like my help in righting the ship, I’ll be glad to. If you don’t, I’ll understand completely. This is my way of giving back what I took. If I had the cash, I’d give you that instead.” I hadn’t even been tempted to keep the money from Sonya’s coin.
“What’s the catch?” my father asked, skeptical, as he had a right to be.
“No catch. I’m giving you the company, free and clear. That’s it. I seriously considered including Gabriel, but I hadn’t discussed it with Holly or any of you. If all of you are agreeable, I’d like for him to be part of this too. I still don’t want him to know I’m his father, but I owe him something.”
“You put my name on here too.” Mulaney said.
“You’re part of this family.” I shrugged, not bothering to elaborate. I still didn’t like her, but in time, my bitterness toward her would subside. Then maybe I could give her a real chance. Even if we never cared for one another, I’d behave a little better toward her because my brother loved her. That should have been reason enough all along.
They were all staring at me as if I’d grown two heads. “You can let me know if you want to leave it this way or if you’re forming a new corporation. That’s up to you now.”
“I’m having our lawyer read this over,” Dad said, the same way he had in countless business deals with people he respected. The man wouldn’t just roll over, and that made me secretly happy.
“I’d expect you to. Even if none of you want the company, it will be yours to do with as you please. Sell it, run it, close it. The bottom line is it’s yours. It has been all along.”
Easton leaned forward and folded his hands on the table. “I know what you paid for this and the pipeline and Carter Energy. It’s far more than what you took from us.”
“Consider it interest then.” The truth was I’d almost matched what I’d taken from Carter Energy with my own wealth. It wouldn’t change what I’d done and didn’t make it right, but it was a small price to pay compared to losing my family.
I’d been thinking a lot about the conversation I’d had with my father a couple of days ago. We were both right, and we were both wrong. I believed what he’d told me, his actions over the years proving as such for the most part. His exclusion hadn’t been intentional. He and Easton and Mulaney just had more in common, so they gravitated toward one another. My sensitivity and jealousy had overruled my ability to think rationally on the matter, and in turn, I’d retaliated instead of taking a step back and assessing the situation.
“I feel like I’m missing something,” Mulaney said.
“It’s all right there. Have the attorneys look at it. Martindale Keeling is the one who drew up the paperwork.” That was Mulaney’s attorney, one we all used too, and he was capable. It was also a sign of good faith that I was looking out for their interests by using someone they trusted.
“Excuse me,” she said, holding up an index finger and digging her cell phone out of the pocket of her jeans. In seconds, she had Martindale on the line, confirming he had written up the agreement. After promising to be in touch, she hung up and tossed the phone on the table. “Who the hell are you?”
“This is the Drew I know,” Mama said quietly. She hadn’t said a word the entire time, barely glancing at the papers I’d put in front of her.
Her vote of confidence had me swallowing around the lump in my throat. “I appreciate you meeting with me. That’s all I have. Let me know how you want to proceed.”
I closed the flap on my briefcase and left. No one stopped me, and I wondered what would happen from thereon. There was a time not so long ago when I thought I wouldn’t care. But now, everything was heavy . . . and unpleasant. Unbearably so.
As I dropped my briefcase in the guest bedroom, something rubbed against my leg. My brows knit when I found Sam looking up at me with those brown eyes.
I sat on the bed, and he nudged his way between my legs. He leaned into my hand when I rubbed behind his ears.
“Thought you were mad at me.”
He smacked his lips, his long tongue swiping the air. “Are you trying to lick me, or do you want a dried apple?”
I pulled one from my pocket, and he lapped it from my palm. He stomped his front paws a couple of times, then nosed my hand. I gave him another dried apple and stroked his head.
This dog had made Mama feel better, and I suspected Sonya too. Now he was here for me as though he had this sixth sense of people who needed him.
I leaned forward and kissed the top of his head. He licked my face, then took off. Probably to find Mama.
After he left,I went up to the rooftop deck as loneliness overtook me.
The last thing I wanted was to see anyone, but when I opened the door, laughter greeted me. Gabriel, Holly, and Carlos were playing soccer. Their two chocolate labs ran with them, barking and charging the ball. Fuck me, that scene was getting harder instead of easier, and I had nobody to blame but myself.
Holly was the first to spot me. Gabriel kicked the ball to her, but it hit her in the shins because she was staring at me. Carlos immediately went into watchdog mode, firing a warning look across the deck. Gabriel ran right over the second he saw what had his parents’ attention.
“Hi, Mr. Drew. Are we still on for the baseball game on Saturday?”
“Yeah, we are.” I was looking forward to a few days from now. My son had organized the game, and all the boys had agreed to play with him. I’d pawned a Rolex so I could buy him a ball, bat, glove, and a tee. I couldn’t wait to give them to him, no matter what I’d told my brother. Baseball had broken my heart, but I let it stay that way. Gabriel was better than that. Not teaching him what I knew was far worse than introducing him to the game.
“You’ll be there for sure?” He blinked, needing reassurance, as if he were already anticipating I’d let him down.
