by Nicole Helm
“I know you need your certainty, Dinah. I get that, and I’ll even try to match it. It’s going to be great and everything will work out, but . . .”
“Certainty doesn’t have buts.”
He cracked a smile, but it faded rather quickly. “On the tiniest off-chance that it doesn’t work, I need you to understand that’s okay.”
“How is that okay?” she demanded. He kept saying he understood how important this was, but she was having a hard time believing him.
He took a deep breath and let it out. He shook his head and she knew he didn’t have an answer. Just like she didn’t have an answer. Because if this venture didn’t go through, she would still have to work on finding a way to buy his land. No matter how horrible it made her feel, that’s what she’d have to do.
Gallagher’s was her soul and her life, and nothing was going to change that. Not even possible love-type feelings.
What did romantic love—if that’s even what this was—have over centuries of family and roots and importance? What did feelings have over the knowledge and the surety she belonged here—in this neighborhood, making a difference with Gallagher’s Tap Room?
“We need to get moving.”
“Dinah . . .”
“I know this is what’s best for Gallagher’s,” she said. If she focused on that, and not what she might feel for Carter, or what might happen if she failed, she could get through this in one piece.
“So you keep saying.”
“I just need you to have half as much certainty as I do,” she implored as they made their way to the door.
“I don’t know shit about Gallagher’s, Dinah. Maybe it would be helpful to them, but maybe it wouldn’t.”
“What about you? Aren’t you certain it’ll be helpful to you?”
He sighed. “I think . . . I think it could be good, and I think it could be a challenge that I would really enjoy. But it isn’t necessary, and the more you make it seem necessary, the more uncomfortable I get.”
Dinah frowned as they walked out of his house. She tried to come up with a response as he locked the door and they moved toward the gate, but she didn’t know how to deal with her certainty causing his uncertainty.
That’s where she kept circling back to with the whole feelings-for-him thing. She didn’t always agree with him, and she didn’t always like what he felt or said or wanted to do.
But no matter how she wondered over it, her feelings for Carter dominated. The flutter in her chest, the painful desire to be with him when she wasn’t, the way he made her laugh or sigh or just . . . relax.
She couldn’t think about love right now. She couldn’t think about Carter right now. She had to think about Gallagher’s, and only Gallagher’s. Her entire life had been navigating the weirdness of running a business with family and people she loved. This shouldn’t be a new thing, all in all.
In fact, it should be comfortable and old hat. But Carter wasn’t like her family. She and Carter didn’t have a common good to rally around. She needed Gallagher’s to succeed. He needed his farm to succeed. While she had found a way for them to do that together, it wasn’t the same as having that same goal.
But as they walked toward Gallagher’s, Carter did what he so often did when they were walking together. He took her hand in his, linking their fingers.
She’d never been with someone who was so effortlessly affectionate. Even her family was so not that.
Gallagher’s loomed in front of them—her home, her heart, and a threatening tower of brick, all in one.
“We’ll just go do everything like we practiced,” he said, sounding sure for the first time.
She realized clearly in that moment that he said it for her. And for him. It hit her, harder than she’d allowed it to yet, that he was doing this because of her. Just as she had come up with the idea because of him.
She wanted to make this work beyond almost anything else. Which was intimidating and made this whole thing that much more complicated. But she had never been afraid of complication, and she’d never been afraid of a challenge, and she wasn’t about to start now.
“We’ll blow them away. And when they agree, we’ll celebrate in grand fashion.”
“Oh, baby, your grand fashion scares the hell out of me.”
She laughed because he probably should be scared by her idea of celebrating. They were so different. She didn’t understand what it was about him that worked, or even what about her attracted him. All she knew was being with him made things feel comfortable and right, even when they weren’t.
Now she just had to jump over one more hurdle to make sure she got to keep everything she’d been building with Carter.
* * *
Carter wasn’t sure what he’d expected exactly. The cozy meeting room with exposed brick walls and comfortable seating had certainly not been it.
There was a big oblong table that people sat around after they filed into the room. Most of the members were older, and definitely dressed in suits. Carter immediately recognized Craig Gallagher, the man who’d so condescendingly tried to buy his land.
He should hate the guy for that, but he found after hearing Dinah talk about him, he was even angrier that Craig Gallagher treated Dinah so poorly. That she had someone in her family who would sabotage her, who would follow her like some kind of creepy stalker.
It wasn’t right. He’d had his share of family disagreements, his share of downright awful moments, but his family had always clearly loved each other, and supported each other as much as their opposing viewpoints would allow them to. He couldn’t imagine anyone in his family purposely hurting him or his chances to do what he wanted to do.
So when Craig Gallagher sneered at him, Carter sneered right back. Dinah’s hand rested on his leg under the table. She gave a little squeeze and he knew it was a signal to ignore Craig. She wanted him to put the business face on.
The problem was he had no business face. No poker face whatsoever. When he felt disgust or discomfort, which he felt in equal measure here, it was really hard to mask his expression, but he gave it a shot.
The last person to walk into the meeting room was an older woman. She was so well put together and steady, Carter couldn’t quite discern her age beyond much older than everyone else in the room.
Which was when it dawned on him she must be Dinah’s oft-spoken-about grandmother, whom Dinah feared and revered in equal measure.
It was surprising how seeing someone else’s grandmother could remind him of his own, could hit him with a visceral pang of grief out of the blue.
Once he breathed through it though, it was an odd comfort. His grandmother would have approved of this venture so much. She would’ve loved it, and so he would renew his efforts at a poker face and succeeding for Grandma as much as for Dinah.
Craig Gallagher opened the meeting with roll call and personnel issues Carter had no interest in whatsoever. He was here for one reason only.
“Dinah, you have a proposition for the board.” Dinah’s grandmother’s voice was crisp and authoritative and Carter couldn’t help but fidget a little when that shrewd hazel gaze landed directly on him. He felt as though he was being summed up and wholly found lacking.
“Yes.” Dinah pushed back from the chair and stood. “I know Craig has had an idea in place to buy the land around Gallagher’s for expanded parking and a brand new neighborhood farmers’ market. While we’ve managed to obtain some of the properties, most of the remaining owners are steadfast in their loyalty to their land. Ms. Mila Washington and Mr. Carter Trask have both flat-out refused to sell.”
She was so incredibly smooth. It didn’t surprise Carter in the least as she began their spiel. She spoke with authority and confidence and everything about her looked sleek and polished. It was amazing to see. Intimidating, actually. But not too much, because he also knew how to make that woman writhe and beg underneath him, and he thought maybe he knew the real Dinah beyond all of this business stuff, in a way he didn’t think her family did.
Dinah turned the presentation over to Simone, the head chef. Carter had had a long discussion with the woman this morning and he liked her. She had a no-nonsense demeanor about her, and she was passionate about ingredients and food. They would likely argue over what he grew, the quality of the produce, but that was the kind of business relationship he wanted. One that was about quality and care, not the bottom line.
Carter noticed that most of the board was rapt. They had listened to Dinah’s presentation and now Simone’s, but the more the two women spoke, the angrier Craig appeared.
And the more Dinah’s grandmother’s gaze focused in on Carter.
Once it was his turn to speak, he’d have been lying if he’d said he wasn’t sweating a little. Dinah’s grandmother was really unnerving him.
He stood as Dinah had instructed in their preparations, and he began his practiced speech.
“It’s no secret that I have no great affinity toward Gallagher’s. I have been treated poorly at the hands of some of you, and I have been underestimated by I think a lot of you. But I also know how much you love Gallagher’s, because this is the same thing that drives me to hang on to my land and my farm. I’m not giving up my piece in this world. There’s nothing that Gallagher’s could do to make me give up my roots, my family, and my heart.”
It didn’t escape Carter’s notice that Craig snorted and leaned back in his chair, clearly agitated and angry. For some reason, it only spurred Carter on to make this more personal and more honest.
“When Dinah approached me with a compromise that would allow us both to have something that we wanted, and help this neighborhood, I was skeptical. I don’t trust a lot of you, and I’ve been shoved off land by the likes of you people for decades.” He was going a little off script, but he thought it was working. Some of the people who’d clearly gotten a little bored had sat up and taken notice again.
“You can’t have my land, but I do think we could create an effective partnership. One that would extend your local food and sustainability reach, and one that allows me to keep what I will not give up. I’ve been selling at farmers’ markets for years now, and my farm has grown in profits exponentially. I’m an expert at getting the most out of my yields, and as Simone discussed, working one-on-one together would allow her to create a unique menu that only Gallagher’s would have. This is the only way I will work with Gallagher’s, and quite frankly, if you say no, it’s no skin off my nose.”
Dinah nudged him under the table, but for as much as he understood business maneuvering and faking it, he had to be honest. He had to put all of his cards on the table so everyone understood what they were doing here. It was going to be a partnership, not a fiefdom.
“I can tell you, few people take as much pride in their produce as I do. My product is my everything, and I know that’s something Gallagher’s understands. I think a partnership would be beneficial to both of us. There’s just no good reason to say no.”
With that, Carter sat down. He felt oddly exhilarated and right. That certainty Dinah was always asking him to have, he felt it now. Because they could say no. It didn’t matter. He knew it mattered to Dinah, but surely if she felt half of what he did, she would see it really didn’t. Not once she got over the shock.
“This kind of endeavor requires a vote.”
“Then I move that we have one,” Dinah said to her grandmother.
“Very well. Simone, Mr. Trask, Dinah, please leave. Our vote is for board members only. You will be notified of the result at a later time.”
“Technically, I am part of the bo—”
“Technically, your vote is noted. Dinah, please step out of the room with your . . . group.”
“I have something to say before they leave the room,” Craig said with a smirk, standing and carefully buttoning his suit jacket.
Carter felt Dinah tense, almost as much as he did to keep himself from lunging at her bastard uncle.
“As we all know, Dinah comes from a certain kind of genetic material.”
“Yes, a Gallagher. Just like you, Craig,” Dinah shot back through gritted teeth.
Craig continued as if she hadn’t said anything. “We know how dependable her side of the family is. How much we can entrust that side with members of the opposite sex.”
“I don’t know what this has to do with anything, Craig,” Dinah’s grandmother said sharply. “Sit down.”
“Then you must not know, Mother. Because Dinah Gallagher here and Carter Trask have been engaging in a sexual relationship for weeks.”
If it surprised Dinah’s grandmother, she didn’t show it. Based on the way she’d been analyzing him all meeting, Carter would be surprised if she didn’t know.
“My personal life has nothing to do with this proposition. You have the facts in front of you in the handouts, and from our presentation. If you want to make this a personal attack, Craig, I think we all know why.”
Though she was clearly vibrating with rage, Carter gave Dinah credit for the calm way she spoke.
“My boardroom will not be a soap opera,” Dinah’s grandmother said, a little bit of anger vibrating within her as well.
“It’s my boardroom. I am the director of operations.”
“And I gave birth to you, which makes me the only reason you are here. You will sit down and you will listen to me.”
Carter could only blink at the way everyone jumped to do Dinah’s grandmother’s bidding. He could see Dinah there in sixty years or so. In charge, even if she wasn’t supposed to be. A leader. The head of all this.
“If the three of you would now exit, we will send someone to give you the verdict once we’ve reached a conclusion.”
Carter was ready to do whatever Dinah asked of him. If she wanted to refuse to leave, if she wanted to confront her uncle, well, he would stand right here with her.
But she graciously and calmly got to her feet. “We’ll wait at the bar until you have an answer.” With that, she strode out of the office door with her head held high. Simone followed, and Carter walked after her.
“Worthless slut.”
Carter whirled around at the murmured words. “What the hell did you just say?”
Craig smirked. “I believe you were told to leave, farmer boy.”
“Carter.” He looked at Dinah, standing in the doorway and gesturing him toward her. Only that kept him from demanding Craig repeat his childish insult. So he could slam a fist in the smug asshole’s face.
“We cannot vote if you do not leave, Mr. Trask.”
Carter leveled Dinah’s grandmother a look, no longer intimidated by her, from the sheer force of his anger. “Yes, some business meeting.” He stalked out into the hallway.
“What in the hell are you doing?” Dinah demanded.
“I’m not going to let him say shit like that about you. Not on your damn life.”
“It’s just business. You have to let it go.”
“Like hell I do.” He only kept himself from jerking away from her hand resting on his arm because she probably needed comfort more than she needed his anger. But, damn, he was fucking riled now.
“Carter, calm down. He’s . . . he’s a bully and he’s lashing out.” Dinah blew out a heavy breath, her gaze drifting back to the closed meeting room.
“Yeah, clearly I missed some background here.”
Simone disappeared into the kitchen. Dinah led him downstairs, winding her way through the somewhat crowded restaurant to a little corner of the bar that was mostly empty this early in the day.
They slid into seats, and he noted Dinah looked exhausted. Back there she’d been a force, but it seemed to have leaked out of her. He took her hand in his, gave it a squeeze.
Her mou
th curved, barely, the saddest attempt at a smile he’d ever seen from her. “A couple months ago my father had an affair with Craig’s wife. They ran off together and obviously . . .” She looked down at their joined hands, drawing her thumb over the bumps of his knuckles.
He wished he could offer her some other kind of comfort, but he didn’t know what to do with that kind of information. That was a pretty huge deal, not that he thought it excused Craig’s behavior.
“Craig’s never been a great guy. He’s always been a little bit of an arrogant prick, and quite frankly, so is my dad. But . . . my dad was in the wrong on this, so a lot of people are cutting Craig a lot of slack. I happen to think he’s spiraled out of control, but he lost his wife to his brother, and that’s not exactly easy stuff.”
“It doesn’t explain why he blames you.”
“I’m here. I’m in his field of vision. My mom left too, so it’s just me here for him to focus his blame on. It might not be right, but it is what it is. If I let it get to me, I lose sight of what I have to do, and I refuse to let that happen. He won’t beat me.”
“You’re allowed to be hurt by what your uncle said to you,” Carter said softly, reaching out to brush a finger across her soft cheek. She seemed so certain she had to be this impenetrable force, and he saw how that could break her eventually.
“Now is not the time for this. The vote should be our complete and utter focus.”
“Dinah.”
“I’m not talking about it anymore. It isn’t important. He doesn’t know anything about me, Carter. He’s nothing. All that matters is they vote yes. That’s it.”
He covered her hands with his, realizing with a harsh pang of regret she was perilously close to tears. “Take a deep breath.”
She jerked her hands away from him, but then she did take a deep breath and closed her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“Baby, you don’t have to be sorry about that. Someone in my family said something like that to me? I’d . . . It is not right. It’s okay to be pissed.”
“No. It is what it is, and I have to accept it. I can’t change him. All I can do is take my rightful place. Once they vote yes on this, I’m one step closer to doing it.”