11. Beckett #3
“If he catches wind of what I’m doing. My father has made plenty of enemies doing business the way he has, and there are more than a few key players in my pocket who’d love nothing more than to see what he loves dismantled. I’m sure you can understand that.”
“But this is different. You’re not turning nothing into something. We already have the land, the building, the business… Your firm would be nothing more than a consultant in this process,” Olivia said.
“And for this project, that’s all I’m asking for. I’m not in the market to buy people’s broken dreams and turn them into a Starbucks. I want to elevate them. Give them a chance to soar. I want to be everything Edward Montgomery isn’t.”
“Fucking hate Starbucks,” Duke muttered, taking a sip of his drink.
“My father is a petty asshole. He’s already dug his claws into a shit ton of businesses in Pinecrest and surrounding towns just because he can.”
“Because he’s pissed at me,” Olivia mused.
Duke huffed a laugh. “I’m sure I’m on his shit list, too, since I kept messing up his name.”
She leaned into her husband’s massive frame. “But it made me laugh on one of the worst days of my life.”
I glanced away as Duke pressed a slow, lingering kiss against his wife’s temple. “That’s all I wanted.”
Seeing them love one another so openly had an ache cropping up in the middle of my chest. My parents had never really shared that kind of devotion to one another, so romantic displays were few and far between unless my father needed to push the happy family routine for the press.
Even then, it was a chaste kiss on the cheek for my mother and an awkward shoulder squeeze that felt more like a warning for me.
I blamed my inability to settle down on them, reminding myself I had no fucking clue what a healthy relationship even looked like. How could I take responsibility for someone’s heart when mine was such a mess?
Duke’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen and sighed. “Liquor shipment just showed up. I’ve got to take care of this.” He turned toward me. “How long are you in town for?”
However long it takes.
“Indefinitely,” I said, standing along with him.
The last thing I wanted was to overstay my welcome, even though this initial meeting had gone so much better than I had intended.
“My father has no idea I’m a turncoat. He still believes I’m in town on Montgomery Holdings business, and to put the pressure on you to sell.
We’ll have to play the long game. Entertain him just enough to believe he’s got you where he wants you.
In the meantime, I’m going to pay the new zoning and permit manager a visit and see how deep my father’s claws go. ”
Duke looked at Olivia, a silent conversation taking place that I had no idea how to read. “Leave your contact information. We’ll call you in a few days to set up another meeting.”
“Sure. I’m going to give you my new business number and email so our correspondence doesn’t get intercepted by one of my assistants at Montgomery Holdings.
” I grabbed the nearest napkin and jotted down my name, number, and email before sliding it over to Olivia. “I look forward to hearing from you.”
She took it with a dip of her chin, running her fingers along the indentations. “Your father’s a real prick, huh? Couldn’t even spring for business cards?”
Understatement of the year. “Secret business ventures require unconventional means.” I laughed. “I’ve been a pawn in his game for too long. That’s not the kind of man I want to be.”
“I get that. I didn’t want to end up like my mother.” She looked away, jaw set in a tight line. Then, as if nothing had happened, she shook it off and stuck out her hand. “It was nice meeting you, Mr. Montgomery.”
I took it, matching her strong grip. “You too, Mrs. Hart-Bennett.”
Duke clapped my shoulder a bit harder than was necessary, stealing my focus. “I’ll walk you out.”
Grabbing my bag, I dropped a twenty in the tip jar before following Duke out to my car.
I was about to reach for the handle when he slapped his hand across the window, stopping me.
“Let me make one thing clear…” he began, staring down at me with nothing short of contempt.
“This bar is more than a business. It’s a community.
And it doesn’t just provide for my family but for the rest of this town as well.
If I catch even a hint that you’re lying—”
“I’m not,” I said quickly. “I swear it. I’ve taken a personal interest in not only your bar, but”—I coughed—“those in your employ as well.” Might as well lay my own cards out.
He’d already seen me run after Sawyer. To pretend that she didn’t mean anything to me would’ve been a lie.
“I want to see it flourish, Mr. Bennett.”
His green eyes flicked back and forth between my brown ones, no doubt trying to figure out exactly what my angle was. Whatever he saw must have satisfied him, because he removed his hand and stepped away from my car. “Don’t fuck it up.”
“I won’t,” I said. “You have my word.”
I just wasn’t sure if he was talking about Sawyer or the bar.