by Ava Miles
Eric set the receiver back in the cradle and wiped his brow again. “Tom hasn’t once asked for a share of the profits, Annie. I’m telling you the truth. They only set it up that way to protect you.”
She stalked over to the window and was silent a moment before turning around. Her face was eerily green, and Flynn knew she was holding on by a thread. “I’m going to ask you something straight out, and I want an honest answer.”
“I’m telling you everything I know, Annie, I promise.”
“I mean it, Eric.” She walked toward him and looked him in the eye. “Did Ben do this to keep me from divorcing him? Ohio isn’t a community property state, so he wouldn’t get half of the business or any of it. But Tom having fifty-one percent guaranteed I’d face some serious issues if we divorced. This way Tom could exert some influence over me, right?”
Flynn couldn’t believe what he was hearing. But when Eric’s Adam’s apple rippled in his throat, Flynn knew Annie had it right. He couldn’t imagine anyone going that low. Then again, he couldn’t imagine a man forgetting his girlfriend’s birth control accidentally either, hoping to get her pregnant so she’d have to come back to him.
“Maybe they planned on threatening me with the company so I wouldn’t file, or using it as leverage in a custody dispute. Heck, maybe Ben thought he could come in and save the day with his dad and win me back. Whatever the case, this little arrangement guaranteed I could never truly be free of Ben or his father. God, you all make me sick.”
Gesturing weakly, Eric said, “Annie, I know you’re upset, but that idea is simply crazy. Maybe you should go home and lie down. We can talk when you’re feeling better in the morning.”
He was talking to Annie like she was a hysterical female who simply needed to settle down. Flynn had to hold himself back from going after the guy and taking him apart. He was only here to support Annie, but Jesus… These people were despicable.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me after Ben died?” she asked. “I couldn’t have divorced him then, and my business was growing. Surely it must have come up amongst you guys at the Legion Club or a church pancake breakfast.”
Eric tugged on his cheap tie. “Ben dying didn’t change anything with the business since Tom was the one on the paperwork. He still wasn’t planning on taking any profits. He wanted you to succeed so you could take care of yourself and the girls. You know Ben didn’t have any life insurance to speak of, being so young and all. We didn’t see any reason to change things when they were working so well.”
She picked up the book again, her face gray now. “You’re fired. So is Neil. I’ll inform him officially tomorrow, but I know how you boys like to handle things without me. Any papers you have regarding my business will be delivered to my lab by the end of tomorrow. Do you understand me, Eric? We’re done.”
He came around the desk again, his arms extended. “But, Annie—”
“If you touch her, you’ll answer to me,” Flynn said, stepping closer to Annie.
“Let’s go,” she said, moving quickly to the door.
He waited until he and Eric were alone and lowered his voice to channel Connor at his scariest. “I’m going to do my best to persuade her to file misconduct charges against you so you’ll be disbarred,” Flynn said. “If you do anything to interfere with her or her business again, you’ll learn that losing your law license is a kindness compared to what I will do to you. You have my word on that.”
He held the man’s gaze for a beat longer and then turned on his heel and stalked out. In the past, he’d always thought his brothers were too hard, too serious. He’d heard them dress people down for failing to do their job, and he usually walked away feeling bad for the other party. But now he finally thought he understood.
Annie was standing by the car when he emerged from the building.
“Do you want me to beat up your accountant next?” he asked.
“Did you beat up Eric?” she asked.
“Not yet.”
“Too bad.” She yanked on the locked car door. “I just want to get out of here.”
He hit the unlock button, and she yanked again, the door swinging madly before she jumped in and slammed it behind her. Flynn noted people watching them from neighboring buildings, noses pressed to windows, and he didn’t like it any.
Driving out of town, he let her stew.
“I still can’t believe it,” she finally whispered. “If Ben were here right now, I would hit him. I want to scream at him. He knew how important my business was to me. To do this to me. Without telling me. It’s…”
“What?” he asked softly when she trailed off, wiping her eyes.
“It’s like he found a way to keep me locked up again. That’s how I felt when I realized he’d gotten me pregnant on purpose. This was his way of trying to stop me from divorcing him. I just know it. I’d been thinking about it.”
He’d wondered about that.
“The twins had started kindergarten, and I didn’t have them around all the time as a distraction anymore. I looked into the possibility that fall. I knew it would hurt Iris and Eloise, but I figured I could help them through it.”
He turned up the heater since she was shivering and held out his hand to her. She gripped it with all her might.
“I kept coming back to one thing, though,” she said in the quiet of the car. “I didn’t have a job or any money of my own for me and the girls. My mom wouldn’t have been able to help even if I’d felt comfortable asking her. I knew Emily would, but then what? I’d been out of makeup and fashion for so long I was a dinosaur. When I came back here to marry Ben, I never looked at another fashion magazine or had anything to do with makeup. I knew trying to hold on to it would kill me inside.”
Flynn’s throat grew thick as he listened, trying to imagine what those times must have been like for her. God, he wished he’d been there for her.
“So I decided I needed something that would give me money in case I wanted to leave Ben, something of my own that fed me. I was starving on the inside for something more. Ben must have known it. God, he always seemed to know. And now this…”
He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it, keeping his eyes partially on the road as they thundered down the highway. “I can’t imagine how you feel right now, but I’m here. So is my family. Annie, there are things you can do legally. This backdoor arrangement of theirs won’t hold up.”
She tilted her head back and closed her eyes. “When I get home, I’ll talk to Tom. But I know how it’s going to go. He blames me for Ben’s death.”
Shit.
“He’s never said it,” she said, her voice cracking, “but he’s hinted that Ben would be alive if he hadn’t been drinking in the next town.”
“You’re not to blame for that, Annie,” Flynn said harshly.
“I mostly believe that,” she said, sniffing now. “But sometimes I hear that dark whisper in the night. Wonder what his last thoughts must have been driving back drunk on that icy road before he swerved and hit the tree. God, what am I going to do?”
“You’re going to talk to Tom—”
“And I’m going to pay back the money he gave me,” she said harshly.
Maybe it would help, but he wasn’t sure. “Okay, and if he doesn’t see reason about relinquishing his shareholder rights, then we’ll talk to my dad and make a plan.”
“Your dad didn’t come here for this,” she said, turning her head on the back of the seat to look at him. “Flynn, this is even more complicated than I thought. If you want to go—”
“Don’t make me pull off the road and kiss you senseless right now,” he said. “I’m not leaving over this, Annie. I have a house here, remember? We have a future.”
Tears ran down her face.
“Babe, I know it looks bad, but I’ll help you figure this out. Bilberry is yours, Annie, and we’re going to make it legally so. Trust me.”
She squeezed her eyes shut. “I’m so glad you’re here, Flynn. It’s like you showed up
at the perfect time.”
“Uncle Arthur always said a person’s soulmate shows up when they’re needed most.” He rubbed his thumb over the top of her hand. “Here I am, babe, in all my incredible glory.”
He heard a loud sniff. “God, I’m going to lose it. Flynn… You know what this means, right? Even if your family’s company wants to buy mine, I can’t make that call. I don’t have controlling interest. But not being able to sell isn’t the worst. It’s that what I worked so hard to build isn’t mine.”
Her harsh whisper resounded in the car and pinged his heart. Her company’s future currently rested on the shoulders of Tom Loudermilk. If the man wanted to keep Annie tied to this place with the girls through her business, then no amount of money would induce him to sell. And he couldn’t imagine Tom would be willing to buy Annie out. Although the doctored documents wouldn’t stand up in court, the legal maneuvers available to her could take years, he knew. But that wasn’t the worst of it. Right now, Annie looked trapped but good. They had to find her a way out of it.
Failure wasn’t an option.
Chapter 27
Facing Tom was going to be one of the hardest things Annie had ever done.
When they arrived back at the farm, Flynn put his hand on her arm before she could reach for the door handle. “If I may…I’m no expert when it comes to this kind of conflict, but my dad basically wrote the book. I know you’re thinking about talking to Tom on your own, but it might be wise to have a few witnesses. Perhaps Arthur even? He knows people.”
She fell back in her seat. Did he think it was going to get that ugly? She supposed it already was. “I’d planned on meeting him alone. Dammit, I want to stand up for myself. I’ve been too passive my whole life. But you’re right. Maybe that wouldn’t be wise.”
Flynn clasped her hand. “As much as I hate to say this, I think it might be best if I don’t come. Tom has a strong dislike of me. If you’re hoping to reason with him, you’re better off with people he might be reasonable with.”
Reasonable, huh? Well, Flynn had seen up close and personal how Tom could dig his heels in. “Maybe June then? She can’t have known about this.”
His green eyes held steady on her face. “Good thinking. Amelia is racing to the car, by the way.”
She turned her head and spotted her daughter running through the snow-covered ground in her Elsa snowsuit, Carrot trotting behind her with reindeer antlers on his head. “If Tom doesn’t see reason,” she said in a small voice, “what will I tell the girls?”
“Don’t think about that right now,” Flynn said, waving at Amelia. “One step at a time.”
She repeated that to herself as a mantra as she exited the vehicle and swept her daughter up into her arms. “Hey, sweetie!”
“Mom! You know what I found out?”
Her daughter’s bright smiling face anchored her. It reminded her that joy was always available in life, even in moments where it was hard to find. “What? Something about your story?”
She waved at Arthur, who was emerging from the house with Shawn. Both men looked grim even from this distance. Flynn crossed to join them, and she imagined he was going to update them on their findings.
Amelia pointed to her middle. “Did you know that you can tell identical twins apart by their belly buttons? Isn’t that crazy? It’s because it’s a scar. Mom, we all have scars on our bellies.”
She giggled as she said it, and when Carrot nickered in accompaniment, Annie found herself giving her daughter a ghost of a smile. “Scars, huh? You’re a font of trivia.”
“Amelia!” Arthur called out. “I need your help, honey.”
“Coming, Mr. Hale,” Amelia said, squirming to get down. “He doesn’t need me because he’s old, Mom. He needs me because we’re friends.”
With that, she went racing off, Carrot speeding ahead of her like their yard was the Derby.
“Annie!”
Tom’s shout had her feet freezing in place. Flynn and his father started walking toward her, and seeing them, knowing they were there to support her, gave her the strength to turn around and face Tom as he exited the barn.
“I’ll find you later, Tom,” she said, moving toward the lab. She had a check to write, after all. It was going to make a dent in her business account, but she’d have plenty left once the order for the baskets was fulfilled.
“Eric called me!” Tom shouted.
“We’ll speak about that later,” she shouted, fisting her hands together. She wasn’t going to let him bellow at her in the yard. Flynn was right. This meeting was too important for her to jump in without first thinking it through.
When Flynn and Shawn reached her, she gestured to the lab, and they both proceeded to walk with her. The moment she stepped inside, Caitlyn pulled her into a hug.
“Oh, Annie, I’m so sorry! Are you okay? I can’t even begin to imagine what you’re feeling.”
She looked wan, and so did Clara, who embraced her as soon as Caitlyn released her. “Anything you need, dear. We’re here for you.”
Flynn and his father closed the door behind them. “I told Dad about our meeting in town, and he’s got some additional ideas.”
Annie didn’t bother to take her coat off yet. “I’m grateful for your expertise, Shawn. I need to put my feelings aside right now.”
“You’re stronger than I am,” Clara said, her mouth twisting. “What these men concocted is outrageous.”
“Yes, it is,” Shawn said, yet his whole demeanor remained calm. “I agree it might be wise to meet with Tom with a few reasonable parties who have your best interest at heart. Also, ones who would be willing to be called as witnesses.”
Her stomach twisted with bile. He was talking about legal remedies. “Did he tell you who we discussed?”
“Arthur and June sound like good people, and I would be honored to help as well. I’m still respected in business circles, and while I did come to look into buying your company and you’re involved with my son, my reputation is solid enough that people would believe what I have to say.”
“Arthur, eh?” Clara said, her diamonds tinkling as she fingered them. “You’re right. He could also write an article about this should it be needed. I expect I wasn’t considered since I’ve displayed a strong emotional reaction.”
Shawn touched her arm. “You can be outraged for me.”
She rolled her eyes. “Indeed. All right, I recommend Caitlyn look after Amelia since I’m more experienced making products. I can have Hargreaves bring June. Annie, you might ask if Gertie would want to be a witness. She has a good head on her shoulders, and since this issue is local, it might be good to have another ally in the community. What do you think?”
Mulling it over, Annie recalled that Gertie was also on a number of community boards and events like June was. “I think that’s a great idea, Clara.”
“Annie, do you want to find a new lawyer before you talk to Tom?” Shawn asked. “Given what’s transpired, I think you should select your own lawyer and someone we Merriams don’t use. I can ask some friends who they’d recommend with a license in Ohio. We don’t have deep connections in this state, I’m afraid.”
God, it would be expensive if she had to fight him. The big question was: did she want to fight him?
Yes, she realized, if it came to it. She’d spent her whole life going along with other people’s plans. No one should be able to do something illegal, with vast repercussions on a person’s life, without being held accountable. What would she be teaching her kids?
“I think I should talk to Tom first and see what he says. Then I can look into a new lawyer if need be.”
“I’ll just call Hargreaves,” Clara said.
The door to the lab flew open, hitting Flynn in the back.
Tom stood in the doorway. “You plotting with these people, Annie? Eric said you were all stirred up after slinging some pretty nasty accusations.”
A lawyer sharing her legal business. Another crime, not that she was surprised.
Flynn stepped in his face. “Like she said, she’ll talk to you later.”
“I’m here,” Tom said, pushing Flynn back. “We’ll talk now. She’s my family. Not yours. At least not yet, and not if I have anything to say about it.”
A wave of exhaustion rolled over Annie. So he was really going to use her business against her. Well, she wouldn’t let him have his way on any of it. They weren’t going to do this here and now, on his terms.
“I’ll talk to you later, Tom,” she said. “Please leave the lab.”
“This here is my property,” Tom said, pointing at her.
Shawn stepped up so he formed an even line with Flynn. “It’s still her place of business, which means she can call the police and charge you for trespassing. I don’t imagine you’d want that to occur any more than she does. Especially with your youngest grandchild in the house to witness it.”
“Who the hell are you to speak to me like that?” Tom asked. “Some fancy pants from the big city? You’re nothing.”
“Tom, please go,” Annie said. “I’ll find you when I’m ready.”
The man’s mouth flattened. “I don’t like this none. I’m going to remember this.”
But he left with a loud slamming of the door, which made Annie jump in place.
“He’s not going to be reasonable,” she said in an undertone.
Flynn came to her and put his arm around her shoulders, bolstering her. “Perhaps not. But you’ll have strong backup. I’ll be just outside if he pulls that intimidating crap again. Okay?”
“We’ve got you, Annie,” Shawn said, putting his arm around Caitlyn, who’d nestled against him.
She reminded herself of that support in the time it took for everyone to assemble. Writing the check for him had made her fingertips burn, and part of her wanted to throw it in his face. When June heard the full story, she pressed her hand to her mouth, fighting tears, and Gertie let out an impressive swear word.
“June, you don’t need to come with us,” she said, not wanting to upset her more.