Page 75 of Beck and Call

"I wanted to come and talk to you about that actually, if you have time? I don't want to be a bother now that your cousin is there."

"You are never a bother. Often distracting, but never a bother."

"Should I just come down now?" she asked.

"Yes, I'll see you as soon." Just the prospect of seeing Evie made dealing with my obnoxious cousin more manageable.

I waited in my office for my father to arrive. It took him nearly forty minutes to breeze into my office without being announced, as usual.

"They are waiting in the conference room. Did you do anything else that would make Franklin think he has rights to the company?" I pushed.

"Before we start speculating what this is about, let's go and talk to them and find out for ourselves, shall we?"

We walked into the conference room. My cousin had seated himself at the head of the table and remained seated when we entered. His lawyer was a sleazy looking fellow who seemed like he'd be found chasing an ambulance. At least he had the sense to stand when we came in and offered both of us his hand.

Franklin threw a large manila envelope on the table. "Can we stop with the pleasantries already? I've got things to do, and this is taking entirely too much time."

I made no move to grab the envelope. I already knew what it was likely to be after the threats Chad spewed last night. My father picked it up and ripped the tab open. Out spilled photographs of Evie and a young man.

"Mr. Anderson," the lawyer addressed my father. "You stated it was your intention to parcel out the shares of the company to your other relatives if your son wasn't married in a year. Soon after he announced his engagement to Miss Evelyn Holmes. These pictures show that she has been involved in a relationship, and make it unlikely Mr. Beckett Anderson will, indeed, be getting married."

I reached across the table and looked at the pictures. One showed a man holding her elbow and standing near a car. There were a few standing near elevators, and one from the party last night. I had to give the photographer credit. It was taken at just the right angle to look like Evie and Chad were about to kiss.

Chuckling to myself, I finally understood why she asserted we needed time. Before she insisted we took time to get to know each other I would have reacted based on my prior experiences. Now that I knew her, I could see the slight furrow of her brow in the pictures. She always looked like that just before she erupted in anger. I didn't even need that bit of evidence though, because I finally knew her well enough to trust her. She was right. Love wasn't enough, but love combined with trust could see us through anything.

The elevator dinged, and before I could warn Evie to go back down to the lower level and meet me in the coffee shop, she came around the corner. My cousin practically rubbed his hands together as sight of her appeared from the window of the conference room. If he had a mustache, he would have twirled the ends.

"Why don't we just have Ms. Holmes discuss this with us?" Franklin suggested.

Evie poked her head in the door. "Did I hear my name?"

Finally, Franklin stood. "I was just showing these to your fiancée."

"What do you want, Frank?" I demanded.

"I just want what is owed to me. I want shares in the company, what my mother should have been given, large enough to restore the integrity of my family name. If I need to show these to the press in order to accomplish that, then I will."

"Franklin!" his lawyer hissed. "I will not be made party to extortion."

The lawyer stormed out of the office, leaving us with Franklin.

"What exactly do you think you are owed?" I asked him. Evie strolled to my side and I took her hand.

"My family has nothing, while your family has everything. You've got an empire, and what do we have?” Franklin rambled.

"Your mother got an equal portion of the company as the one I did. She never desired to be a businesswoman, and your father squandered away pieces of the company to support his failed businesses. You don't have any claim over the empire I built, young man," my father boomed.

"Unless you want these pictures splashed across the press, you need to make me an offer." Franklin sat back down, and regarded us with a smug expression.

"Beck, these aren't–" Evie began.

I put my finger against her lips. "I know. You don't have to explain these pictures to me. Not for a second do I believe what he's saying. And it isn't because I saw the look on your face last night when I picked you up. It's because I know you. There's no one more loyal than you are. When you love, it's fierce and forever. I'm so damn lucky you set your heart on me. I'll never be careless with it again."

"Isn't that touching. Now, can we get back to why I'm here?" Franklin demanded.

"Come to the board meeting tomorrow night," I ordered.

"And you'll give me the shares?" he pushed.

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