Footsteps sounded on the front porch and a woman’s voice floated into the house moments before the front door screen slammed. Matt walked into the kitchen laden with shopping bags. “Hey. You okay?”
She put on a happy face. “Sure am. You don’t have to worry about me so much, Matt. I’m fine.”
“It’s my job to worry about people. It’s what I do.” He put the bags on the counter. “Ryan is going to be fine. Stop stressing over him and enjoy your weekend off.” He pulled out a tray of seedlings and walked out to the vegetable garden with them. Seconds later he was back. “Tell me what’s really worrying you.”
She chewed on her lip before answering. “I think he’s going to retire. He’s hinting at some big changes.” She found it hard to keep the worry from her voice. It wasn’t that her uncle wanted to walk away from the business, not entirely. She knew it would be hard to replace him and she wanted what was best for him after his near death experience. What worried Mia was what to do now. She felt like she was at a crossroads with no idea which way to go.
“I can understand that. If it was me, I’d feel the same way. The doctor did warn you that’s what he should do. You shouldn’t really be surprised about it.” He put a bag of apples on the counter. “If I recall correctly, you agreed with the doctor so I don’t get why you’re fighting it now.”
She nodded, licked her lips, and continued. “I know and I shouldn’t be. It makes me look pathetic and nasty. He deserves a break. He’s worked so hard since my folks died, not only helping to keep me grounded but backing my dream with the business. When things got really hectic, he even gave up his job at the bank to take over management and helped me take the company public.”
Matt turned to her. “So why are you so scared to let him go then?”
“I don’t know. Maybe that’s it. I just don’t know what’s going to happen with him not there. I hate that.”
He stepped over and put a hand on her shoulder. “You know, Mia, you can’t control everything. Sometimes you just need to let go and let things fall into place.” He smiled and tipped his head to the front porch. “Gigi is out there with him and it looks as though they’re hitting it off just fine. Maybe it’s time he got a chance to live his own life, make new friends, see new places away from the stress of it all. He’s going to be okay no matter what he does, so don’t worry.”
But would she be okay?
Chapter 16
“Keep in touch, please?”
Mia held the door of her car open. “Sure. You look after Ryan for me. Don’t let him do too much.”
Matt grinned. “You know I won’t. Will you be back next weekend?”
Doubt flickered through her eyes. “Not sure. We’ll see how the week goes.” Mia got into the car and pulled her door shut. When she started the engine, she hit the window button. “I’ll let you know, Matt.”
“Good. I have a full house for the next few days but I’ll pencil in a room for you anyway.”
Matt stood and watched as she drove away. He waited for her to slip her hand out the window and wave but she didn’t. The more relaxed Mia he’d grown accustomed to was now gone. Back in her place was the overworked, singularly focused, and utterly different Mia. Matt sighed and headed back indoors.
He was cleaning the breakfast dishes and planning lunch when Ryan wandered into the kitchen. “Hey.”
Matt grinned. He’d come to really like this man. Besides being calm and kind, Ryan told him stories about his father he’d never heard before. He seemed to have made an impression on Gigi too. “Hey yourself. Coffee?”
Ryan nodded and perched himself on a stool at the island. “Sure. So long as I’m not interrupting anything.”
“Are you kidding? It’s good to have someone to talk to. That’s the reason I opened this business.”
“And because you’re good with people.” Ryan accepted the coffee. “Thanks.”
“Some, yes. It doesn’t seem as though I can make much of an impression on Mia now that she’s back in charge of the company.” He placed his hands on his hips. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be talking to you like this. I had great hopes for the two of us when she first came over. Now, she’s like a different person and I don’t know how to deal with that.”
“My fault for disrupting your plans. But don’t lose hope.” Ryan sipped.
“Perhaps once things settle down, Mia will rethink us.” At least, that was what Matt hoped.
“Listen, between you and me. Your aunt Gigi is a lovely woman.” Ryan cleared his throat. “Is she seeing anyone?”
Matt’s lips twitched. “Not that I know of. There was someone but that seems to have run its course.”
“Good. That’s good, then.” He tapped his fingers on the wooden surface and then gave Matt a wistful grin. “I’m thinking of announcing my retirement. Not sure if anyone’s said anything to you yet. Mia skipped over that and doesn’t want to talk about it yet. I think it’s all a bit of a shock to her.”
“Just seeing you in hospital when you had your heart attack was a shock. I think she’ll get used to you retiring eventually though.”
“I guess so. But the thing is, I think I want to move to Hope Island. Make a clean break of it. If I get out of the city I might slow down a bit. Staying in Seattle can only lead me to do things I don’t really want to do. I’d end up back in the office; I can see it now.”
Matt stared at him, mouth open. Wow. This could change everything. Without Ryan there, would Mia want to continue on with the company? It took a couple of seconds for him to form any words in reply. “Well. I wasn’t expecting that. Did you actually say that to Mia in so many words or only hint at it?”
Ryan rubbed his hand over his chin. “Well, I wanted to bring the subject up of me retiring but I need to think about how to handle it better. This is going to hit her hard, no doubt about it. I want to make my decision one that she can live with, so she’s none the wiser about me wanting to move yet.” He clasped his hands together before continuing. “Atticus is coming down shortly to discuss the business. We’re planning on calling a board meeting this week. I’ll do that via Skype so I don’t have to go to Seattle. But, Matt, I wanted you to know so you can be there for Mia.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea me hearing any of this. It kind of feels like I’m going behind her back.”
The back screen door opened and his father walked in. “Going behind whose back?”
“Atticus, good morning. I was just telling Matt things are changing and I was keen for him to be in on our conversation.”
His father looked at him from under his bushy eyebrows, a gentle smile on his face. “I agree with Ryan, Matt. You seem to like Mia and she likes you. The poor girl is going to need support when the board meets and I have some other ideas that I’d like to throw into the mix.”
It still didn’t make him feel better. “Fine. But let it be noted that I’m not happy about discussing her behind her back in case it ever comes up.”
Ryan got his attention. “Matt, do you really like my niece? Enough to want to have a relationship with her, not some holiday fling?”
Of course he did. Surely that was obvious. But being asked made him feel like a child. “Yes, I do.”
Ryan ran his finger around the top of the coffee mug and chose his words. “You have to understand how she works. Mia’s always been very driven, even from when she was a tiny child. Such a ball of energy. She found her calling young and put that energy to good use. When her folks died, well, that just kicked it up a notch or two. She had this crazy idea that she had to do better than before and that’s when I stepped in and took over the management of the company. I was there when she made the decision to take it public.” He sighed. “It was a move I was against, but now I think it might have been a good decision.”
“Why do you think that?” Matt poured some coffee for his father and himself and pulled up a stool.
“Because when it happened, it was the only way I could see to get her to s
low down. The money was dealt with when the company went public. She’ll never have to work again if she doesn’t want to. She’s famous now, constantly being asked to do spots on television shows or to overhaul some rich person’s home on their own reality show. Mia can do what she wants, but she can’t seem to make herself step away from the business. I think the more famous she gets, the more she feels she has to stick to her guns and take the company to new heights.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Matt couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Sad, but it’s true. Success can be addictive, Matt. I don’t think Mia sees it that way though. To her it’s just hard work that she has to do.”
“But what about your health? What about hers?”
“That’s the thing that made me want to step back, as you know. And it’s the reason your father and I want to discuss things, to make the right decision for moving forward. It’s just a shame it took my health scare to start the discussion about what direction the board wants to go.”
“So what are you going to do?”
Atticus and Ryan shared a glance. “Ryan and I have been discussing the idea of selling off the shops, as I mentioned to you already. I’ve been working with the figures before we discuss it with Mia and put it to the rest of the board. We want to restructure as a franchise business. That way the day to day responsibility will fall to the owners of each individual store, much like it does with those hamburger joints you see everywhere.”
Matt nodded. The more he thought about it, the more he decided it was a good idea. “What about management, Ryan? Doesn’t the parent company still oversee a lot of the ideas and monitor things?”
“Yes, generally they do, and this is what started the whole thing. We were approached before I had my heart attack,” Ryan said. “So what we propose is to sell that off too. It isn’t generally done that way because the parent company still makes money off the franchisees. But the thing is, we don’t need that money. As an investor, I’m more than happy to take a payment from dividends each quarter, and that won’t change if we sell off the shops. I don’t need the manager’s salary, nor the stress.”
“So, that leaves the obvious question. What happens to Mia?”
Both men sipped their coffee, suddenly finding the black liquid compelling.
“Dad?”
Ryan held up his hand. “Let me answer that one, Atticus. I think she’ll be happy with the idea once she thinks it through. The thing with Mia is this: you can’t go to her with half an idea. It needs to be well thought out with everything planned to the last detail so she can see the end result. It’s how we do things at Morgan’s Homewares and the way Mia prefers it. That’s what your father and I’ve been working on so don’t think we’re hiding anything from her.”
He paused while Matt digested it. “Knowing how much she was enjoying being on the island with you before I got sick, I’m hoping she would consider opening a small shop here. That way she’d be close to me.”
“And me.” Matt sighed. “You’re trying to set us up.”
The coffee cups became very interesting again. That’s what happened when two old men didn’t have enough to entertain them—they got involved in your life. Matt had the feeling his father had attempted to play matchmaker with his siblings, but so far he’d ignored the hints as they didn’t really apply to him. Until now. That was a mistake.
“Look, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but keep me out of it. I don’t want to be involved in the business side of things anyway, because that’s way above my paygrade. If you want Mia to move to the island and open a shop, you two suggest it. I’m not going to be part of this because it will come back and bite me in the ass.”
His father held up a placating hand. “Don’t be like that, son. Mia needs to slow down. You know that. Ryan knows that. She still needs to be convinced to a degree and you can do it. That’s if you want her like your brothers claim you do.”
Those damned sneaks. He might have known they’d be talking behind his back. Just because they’d found the ones they wanted to spend their lives with, they thought they could all gang up on him.
“Sure, I like her a lot but this isn’t going to make things any easier. She’s going to be gutted that Ryan is retiring even though the doctor told her he had too. All she wants is for him to be healthy and happy.” Matt blew out a breath and turned to Ryan. “I know how much she cares for you. I held her together when you were in hospital, Ryan. But that doesn’t change the fact that you’ve always been there for her, business-wise. I think stepping away, totally letting go of the reins, and not knowing what she should do after is what’s scaring her.”
“I know that, and it’s my own fault. I let her work as hard as she does. Encouraged her, even, because it helped her get through the loss of her parents. But with what we know now about my heart condition and how it’s genetic, I think it’s time to change things. Before it’s too late.”
“So you didn’t know about it being genetic before?”
Ryan shook his head. “No. Do you seriously think I would’ve let myself get to that point if I had known? When my brother died, they just said it was a heart attack. At no time did anyone suggest any genetic problem that might affect me—or Mia.”
“I had to ask just for my peace of mind. I agree that it’s time to change things though, and I’ll be here if she wants me, but I can’t be the one to ruin her business plan. She has to figure that out for herself, to make her own decisions.”
* * *
“Mia, your uncle is on the line.”
“Thanks, Barb.” She waited until her uncle’s secretary was out the door and took the call. “Hey, how are you? Everything okay?”
“Yes, yes. Don’t worry about me. Matt’s keeping an eye on me and Atticus is taking me for walks most days. I’m feeling better than I have in years.”
She leaned back in her chair and smiled. “That’s good. So long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters.”
“Listen, kid. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Got a minute?”
Tension hit her in the back of the neck. This didn’t sound good. “Sure. What’s up?”
“You know I’ve been thinking about retiring. You didn’t want to talk about it on the weekend, but I think we have to discuss the future.”
“I don’t want to think about it, to be honest, but that’s just me being selfish. Your health comes first. It’s more important than me missing your smiling face in the office.”
A sigh of relief came over the phone. “Glad you feel that way. Listen, I’ve had a really good chance to sit back and think about what I want to do. I’m selling my condo and moving to Hope Island.”
She bolted up. Retiring and moving? “What? How come?”
“Because I like it here. Reminds me of what life’s meant to be like.” He paused a moment before speaking again. “I’ve been looking at property. I can buy a house with a view for half of what I’d get for my condo.”
Interesting. She made a quick mental note. She’d have to hire someone to replace Ryan because, as she’d found out, she couldn’t do it all. “Okay. So, moving forward, when are you telling the board?”
“I’ve called a meeting for Friday morning—three weeks since my heart attack. Thought it would be symbolic.”
“You’re coming back for it? I’d love to see you but you’re supposed to be taking it easy.”
“No. Atticus and I will be there via Skype from Matt’s kitchen. I’m putting together a proposal for how the company should run after I leave. It’s up to the board whether my plan is accepted or not.”
“What’s it got to do with Atticus Hope?”
“He’s a board member. You haven’t seen him because I usually have his proxy and you rarely attend anyway. Atticus likes to hide under the radar, but I’ve insisted he participate this time because we’ve come up with some good ideas.”
Have they, now? That was interesting. Whatever it was, Mia knew it would be detailed an
d accepted by the board without any fuss. Her uncle was a very clever man when it came to figures and making money. If he said it would be a good idea, chances were, it would be.
“I haven’t finalized the details yet, honey, but it will make life easier for everyone, I promise. Give me another day or so and I can tell you what it is if you like.”
Mia looked around the office that suddenly felt like a prison. She had a yearning to be in Hope Harbor with Ryan. She’d left the running of the company to him for a reason and she wasn’t about to change that because he was talking about retiring. “No, that’s okay. Wait until everything is sorted out. You know I trust your judgement.”
He coughed. “You doing okay, though?”
She smiled. He still worried about her even though he was the one who was sick. “I’m doing great.”
“Made that doctor appointment yet?”
It was lucky he wasn’t Skyping her now, or he’d see the guilt on her face as she lied to him. “I have. I had a test early this week and go back next week to get the results.”
“Great. I’m pleased to hear it. Well, I’d better leave you to it, then. You’re probably crazy busy. See you at the board meeting.”
“See you then. And Ryan, don’t worry. It’ll all turn out great. I know it will.” She hung up and stared at her computer screen, the email that had come through from the doctor’s office at the top of her inbox. She’d been too scared to open it, and Ryan’s call had saved her from finding out what was wrong, for five minutes, at least.
What concerned her the most was what she was going to do if she had the genetic heart issue like her father and uncle. She couldn’t keep going on like she was. The doctor had made it very clear at her first appointment what would happen if she did. Her blood pressure was already elevated, and her heart rate was erratic enough to start her on medication.
As much as Mia wanted to carry on like she was used to, she knew that wasn’t possible if the report showed the worst news. The thing niggling at her now was how she could ensure the business would continue to flourish while still taking care of her health. It’d be interesting to see what Ryan and Atticus had to say on Friday. With any luck, they’d come up with a solution to the problem so it was out of her hands. She certainly hoped so. The investors were the ones who had to be kept happy, not Mia.
Worth Fighting For (Hope Harbor Book 4) Page 12