by Ava Miles
And walking the line of trespassing, Arthur imagined, although he didn’t know much about Irish laws.
“It was faster,” Quinn said with a Gallic shrug.
“We needed to speak to Trevor urgently,” Connor said. “It’s a business matter. Flynn, go get him.”
Flynn transferred Caitlyn to Clara, which was what a good brother did in Arthur’s opinion. “Go get him? Are you kidding? Who am I? Your assistant? Besides, he’s with Becca, and she needs him.”
Connor’s face turned red as Flynn turned to him. “Don’t throw Ms. O’Neill’s name in my face. She’s the reason he’s blowing this deal.”
The words were almost spat out, and Arthur weighed the wisdom of saying something.
“He loves her!” Caitlyn said, freeing herself from Clara. “We all do. She’s a special person, and she has an incredible thing going here. It would be a travesty to drill for oil in this place, Con.”
Connor’s head spun her way, and his neck popped in the silent room. “You know about Trev’s business here?”
She crossed and poked him in the chest. “Yes, and you’re wrong to do it.”
“Caitlyn, you’d best stay out of it,” Quinn said, glowering like a Dickens ghost.
The front door blew open, and Trevor ate up the distance separating him and Connor and grabbed him by the lapels. “What in the hell is wrong with you?”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Connor asked, rancor in every word.
“As an officer of this company, your behavior is totally unacceptable, Trevor, and I’m relieving you of duty,” Quinn said, pulling on his cufflinks.
Cufflinks? His Grandfather Emmits wouldn’t have been caught dead in cufflinks.
Trevor looked ready to punch Quinn in the face. “The hell you—”
“How’s Becca, Trevor?” Arthur asked, hoping to avert violence.
Trevor threw his hands up. “Finally, someone asks the million-dollar question. She’s lying on her closet floor in the fetal position with Aileen.”
“Oh, Trev,” Caitlyn said, crossing to him and wrapping her arms around him. “It’s so terrible. She just kept shaking. I’ve never seen anyone so afraid.”
“And you’re going to blow a multi-billion-dollar deal for a woman who reacts like that to a mere helicopter?” Connor asked. “What’s gotten into you? Have you forgotten what happened to Corey?”
Trevor lunged at him, and Quinn stepped in the way. “Stop this! Trev, you’re totally out of line.”
“Out of line?” Trevor asked, pushing Quinn in the chest. “Me? You said I had three days.”
“That was before the Croatian ambassador to Britain pulled me aside at a party last night and told me he and the rest of the government were looking forward to Merriam Oil & Gas coming to his country. You went behind my back.”
“Our backs!” Connor said, coming around Quinn and getting in Trevor’s face. “You had no right to make this kind of business decision without talking to the board.”
“Like the call you made about forgoing future offshore projects?” Trevor asked. “You didn’t ask the board about drilling in Ireland, Con. Besides, like I told you earlier, I was planning on talking to you about it tomorrow.”
Connor’s eyes were flinty, and Arthur could feel the chill in them across the room. “I’m the chief executive officer of Merriam Enterprises. I don’t have to run things by the board. You, however, do.”
“That’s bullshit,” Trev said. “You made an emotional, unilateral decision based on Corey’s death, and it’s a big one for Merriam Oil & Gas.”
“Trevor,” Quinn said.
“No, this needs to be said.” He put his hands on his hips. “We all loved Corey, and I know you loved him best. God knows, I want to protect Patrick and every other employee. But deciding we aren’t going to drill off shore anymore is crazy. That’s half of our oil business. The accident in Indonesia was a fluke. There was nothing we could do about that underwater earthquake.”
“Trev,” Flynn said, a warning in his tone. “Take it easy.”
“What happened to Corey wasn’t your fault, Con, or anyone else’s. And I’m sick to death of you putting it on me.”
The room was as silent as a wake, and Arthur realized even he was holding his breath. God, he hated to see brothers in discord like this, but he knew they had to get it off their chests.
“Are you done?” Connor asked, venom in his voice.
“That’s all you’re going to say?” Trevor asked, pushing his brother in the chest. “When you call the woman I want to marry a piece of ass?”
Caitlyn gasped. “Connor, how could you?”
But their brother only remained silent.
“Don’t you dare go all ice on me.” Trevor had always respected his brother, but right now he wanted to grab him by the jacket and shake him. “Talk to me. Say something, dammit.”
“You’re fired,” Connor said.
Now Clara and Caitlyn both gasped. Arthur felt a hitch in his heart.
“Now, Con, don’t be rash here,” Flynn said, nudging Quinn, likely hoping for an ally. “Right, Quinn? This is a horrible misunderstanding and bad things have been said. Let’s sit down like adults and work it out. I’m not saying Trev went about things the right way, but he’s not wrong about offshore drilling. It’s a big decision to discard one of our most profitable business models, and it’s something that should have gone to the board.”
“Is that what you think?” Connor asked, glancing at his brother like he was a flea he’d like to flick off. “If you feel like that, Flynn, you know where the door is.”
Flynn shook his head. “You’re serious.”
Quinn turned and faced Connor. “Things are escalating here, and we need to stop before we say anything more. Connor and I will find somewhere nearby to stay while we all cool down.”
Trevor snarled, “No, if he wants to treat his own brothers like this, I’m done. You want to fire me, fine, but you’re still wrong. Oh, and you’ll never get this property so long as I draw breath.”
“Stop it!” Caitlyn cried, stepping between the two men. “We’re family. This isn’t how we treat each other. Con, say something. Please.”
“Tell him,” Trev said, inclining his chin Connor’s way. “I guess it’s a good thing J.T. already resigned because he agrees with me on this one.”
“I thought someone helped you with the Croatian deal,” Connor said. “The minute Quinn called me, I was on a plane this way. Thanks for clarifying that point. It will make it easier when I call J.T. later.”
“Stop it!” Caitlyn shouted again. “Connor, what’s gotten into you? Why are you acting like this?”
“I’m acting like the chief officer of the company,” he told her. “Since you feel like I’m wrong, too, Caitlyn, you know what you can do.”
Her sharp intake could be heard throughout the room.
“Please stop this,” Clara finally said, her eyes wet with unshed tears. “My grandfather is rolling over in his grave, hearing you talk to each other like this over the business he started.”
“And yet, Aunt,” Connor said with a cold smile, “you became estranged from this family because of a business matter.”
Arthur put his arms around Clara. “Watch yourself, boy.”
“No, he’s right,” Clara said, patting him reassuringly on the chest. “And I regretted that for nearly sixty years, Connor. You can never know how much.”
Arthur had had enough bullshit. “A good leader listens to the people he works with, the ones he trusts. He certainly doesn’t fire a brother and threaten two other siblings with termination because they disagree with him.”
Connor smiled. “I thought I could trust my brother. I thought he cared about this family. I was wrong.”
“Let’s go,” Quinn said, walking to the front door. “Trev, I’ll be in touch.”
Trevor flicked his hand up like an angry Italian might. “Whatever. I’m done. Just don’t come after Becca or her land, or I’
ll have to punch you straight in that pretty face, Con.”
“I’ll have this land,” Connor said, “and I’ll use her crazy stunt today to take it from her.”
Trevor lunged for him, but Flynn stepped in the way. “Don’t! Let him go. It’s not worth it.”
Connor gazed at Trevor long and hard before he and Quinn opened the front door and walked out. Arthur patted Clara on the back. Her muscles were rigid with tension.
“It’s going to be all right,” he whispered close to her ear. How, he had no idea, but he’d try to make it so for their sake, and hers.
“It’s so terrible,” she whispered back, turning her face into his chest.
“Connor has lost his mind,” Flynn said, storming in a straight line while Caitlyn sat down, her face white with shock. “I’ve never seen him like this,” she said.
“If he comes for Becca, he’s dead to me,” Trevor said, his voice harsh.
“Quinn and I will talk to him,” Flynn said, running a hand through his hair. “I still can’t take it all in.”
“I can’t believe he fired you or talked about Becca like that,” Caitlyn said, extending her hand to Trevor. “I’m so sorry.”
He cleared his throat. “Don’t be. He’s not acting like the brother I know. I don’t want to work with him anymore if this is the way he does business. I need to call J.T. Then I should check on Becca.”
“Is there anything we can do to help her, Trevor?” Arthur asked.
Trevor’s throat worked before he said, “I…don’t know. She’s agoraphobic.”
Caitlyn surged out of her seat. “What?”
“And I was going to take away her home,” Trevor said, his voice almost rueful.
That sweet, enthusiastic woman was agoraphobic? Arthur couldn’t believe it. “Are you certain?”
“Cian told me.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Christ, I… She didn’t tell me. Why didn’t she tell me?”
Caitlyn put her arm around him. “Maybe she was embarrassed.”
“She didn’t trust me,” Trevor said. “And how could she? I came here for her land, and now Connor and Quinn have followed me here.”
“And she can’t leave,” Flynn said. “God, I’m sorry, Trev. So sorry.”
“Me too.” He walked to the door. “I don’t want my beef with Con to mess things up for any of you. If you want to leave, I won’t take it personally.”
“Leave?” Caitlyn asked. “What do you mean? I’m with you on this, Trev. All the way. I love Becca. And Con isn’t thinking straight.”
“Even if it means losing your job?” he asked, and Arthur had to admire his guts for asking.
She swallowed thickly. “Like you said…I don’t like this side of him. It was like talking to a different person. I mean, he can be cold, but… He’s never been cruel.”
“What about you?” Trevor asked, turning to Flynn.
The other man took a deep breath. “I figure there’s power in numbers. After seeing Connor today, I agree he’s making emotionally unsound decisions. I mean… He told me where the door was. Are you kidding me?”
Arthur could hear the hurt in the younger man’s tone. God, what a horrible day. He’d never expected to see the Merriam children at odds like this.
Flynn punched the air. “Even if you resign your position—”
“He fired me, Flynn,” Trevor interrupted.
“You’re still on the board,” Flynn said. “You still own part of the company like the rest of us. He can’t kick you or any of us off the board.”
“Maybe I should resign from the board like J.T. did,” Trevor said sadly. “God!”
Caitlyn poked him in the chest. “No, you should not! J.T. resigned to protect the family from his ex-wife, and that was the only reason. You’re a Merriam. You worked hard like the rest of us to make this company great. I will not hear of you leaving it. Do you hear me? I couldn’t take it, Trev.”
Her voice broke, and Trevor pulled her into a hug. “Hey, it’s okay. Don’t cry.”
“It’s not okay,” she said. “This is horrible. I’m going to call Mom.”
Arthur thought that was a good plan. Assumpta Weatherby Merriam was a force of nature. He’d always admired her, both as a woman and an educator. But he kept his mouth shut. He hadn’t reached eighty years without learning when it was best not to butt in.
“You call Mom,” Trev said. “I’ll call J.T. I’m sorry you’ve been caught in the middle of things. Both of you.”
“It’s not your fault,” Flynn said. “Con crossed so many lines. Of course, I’m not saying you’re in the clear either. This Croatian deal—”
“Was an alternative I thought I had to put to Con,” Trevor said, opening his arms like a white flag.
“That makes me feel a little better,” Flynn said.
“I wouldn’t make a deal like that on my own,” Trevor said. “But it bothers the shit out of me that Con and Quinn thought I would. And to call Becca those names… Okay, enough of this. I need to call J.T. before Con sets the dogs on him or something.”
His shoulders were stooped as he walked to the front door and opened it. Buttercup hummed in the shade at the front of the house. It had a mournful tone to it. “As long as Becca and her land is safe, I don’t care what else happens.”
“You have our support on that,” Caitlyn said.
“One hundred percent,” Flynn said. “I’ll even pinky swear if it would make you feel better.”
His mouth tipped up on the side, and he walked to Buttercup and stroked the animal’s neck. She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Thank you.”
“You have our help too,” Arthur called out. Although it wasn’t his place to interfere, he’d do what he could to help the boy. “In whatever way you need. I might be retired, but I could write an Op-Ed for The Irish Times about the possibility that onshore drilling might be on its way to Ireland. Rouse some public outrage. It’s a highly controversial subject in this country.”
“I know it is,” Trevor said, “and I’ve told Connor the same. I appreciate the support. Really.” He glanced back in the direction of the house, his gaze pinning on Becca’s tower. His whole face scrunched for a moment before he turned his head back toward them and said, “Everything has to be about Becca now.”
Watching the man walk off, Arthur’s only silver lining was that Trevor Merriam, one-time cynic, had learned what it truly meant to love someone.
Chapter 33
Once her off-the-charts heart rate finally settled, Becca found herself pulling away from Aileen in shame.
Her cheeks turned red, and she wanted to cry. Trevor had found out about her condition in the worst possible way—and so had his entire family. How could she ever face them again?
“Is the helicopter still here?” she asked Aileen, whose singing tapered off.
“Yes, love,” she said, “but Trevor’s grounded it for now. Oh, Becca, I’m so sorry this happened. And when you were doing so well.”
She had felt more empowered than ever, what with the new psychiatrist, the steadying power of Trevor’s love, and her new enterprise. How foolish she’d been to think her nightmare over. She looked toward the closet door. The steps to the threshold seemed endless, and her heart sped up at the mere thought of trying to leave it.
“Don’t rush things,” Aileen said, wrapping the blanket more securely around Becca. “You can stay in here as long as you need. There’s no shame in it. Who would have imagined someone would land a helicopter here?”
And yet Trevor’s brothers had done just that. She’d seen the Merriam logo on the black body as Trevor carried her out to Cian’s car. The two men in crisp gray suits standing beside Flynn were unmistakably Merriams, but they’d seemed so much colder than the rest. They were here about the land. Connor hadn’t listened to Trevor. Her breath hitched. Was everything still in danger?
“I need to see Trevor,” she said, sitting up and gripping her knees. He’d have questions surely, but she’d simply have to rea
ch deep and answer them, no matter how much it hurt. Why had she thought love and some doctor could fix her? What a fantasy.
“Are you sure you’re ready to see him, love?” Aileen asked.
She wasn’t, but that didn’t matter. “I need to ask more about why his brothers are here.”
“For the land, I expect,” Aileen said. “Should I leave you alone with Trevor?”
“I’ll be fine. Let’s get me up to the desk, at least.” Meeting him in her closet was bad enough, but she wasn’t going to do it on the floor. She didn’t want to see the pity in his gaze.
Her muscles were as jiggly as an undercooked pudding, but she made it to the chair. The window was in her peripheral vision, but she couldn’t face looking out yet. “All right, Aileen. Thanks for finding him.”
“Once I do, I’ll wait outside your chambers, my dear,” Aileen said, kissing her head.
“No, you take care of the guests,” she said. “We have a full house. Are Trevor’s brothers planning to stay here? Oh, you couldn’t know.” Aileen hadn’t left her side. “I’ll ask Trevor.”
“I’ll be back to check on you,” Aileen said. “Do you want to call the new psychiatrist about what happened?”
“I don’t imagine he takes emergencies,” Becca said. “Besides, I’m a new patient.”
“We could try,” Aileen asked, wringing her hands.
She was silent for a beat. “Maybe later. Let me…face one thing at a time.” That was the only way she knew how to move forward after an episode like this. It was so easy to get overwhelmed at times like these.
“Of course,” she said, backing out of the closet.
“Thank you, Aileen.” She gripped the edge of the desk, trying to take strength from the solidity of it beneath her fingers.
“Oh, love, it’s what family does for each other. You’ll be right as rain in no time, you’ll see.”
She wasn’t so sure. The last time she’d had an attack this bad had been when a local transformer had blown, killing all the power for twenty square miles. The boom had sounded like a bomb, and everything had gone dark in its wake. She’d fallen to the floor immediately and crawled toward the nearest wall like her parents had taught her when they were living in Angola. She’d scraped off the tops of her fingernails against the stone wall. Cian had found her like that, huddled in the corner, with his flashlight. She’d been in the closet for eight weeks after that. Her heart broke, wondering how long she’d be condemned here this time.