Page 109 of All Bets Are Off

“No. You can’t. You’ll lose your job.”

“You’re more important than my job.”

“You can’t.” I was not going to give on this. “I can handle myself. Ryder isn’t going to kill me. He might blow up my marriage, but he isn’t going to physically hurt me. Just … let me handle this.”

Rex looked pained. “You’re my baby sister, Livvie. It’s my duty to take care of you.”

“Yes, and you’ve done a fabulous job. This time—just this one time—I have to do this on my own.”

Rex pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead. “I don’t like this.”

I didn’t like it either. I knew what had to be done, though. There was no choice in the matter.

26

TWENTY-SIX

My lunch meeting went as well as could be expected with the department heads. Everybody seemed happy, and there was a lot of encouragement being thrown around. It seemed they all wanted me to succeed when it was time to take over. The responses were welcome but somewhat surprising.

I’d grown up under the assumption that the employees loved my father. Since taking a more hands-on approach in recent months, I’d started to realize that wasn’t entirely true.

Nobody came right out and said they hated him. Little comments filtered through occasionally, though. Almost none of them were flattering.

Thank you so much for meeting with me. I’ve been trying to get through to your father for three weeks, but he’s always too busy.

Thank you for looking at my project suggestions. Your father told me to send my concerns in an email but never followed up.

I appreciate that you’re willing to consider changing the operation of the bar. Nothing has been updated for twenty years at this point, and we’re falling behind.

At first, I just smiled and nodded at the comments. The past few weeks, however, I’d been thinking about them more and more. Was my father really that out of touch with his own workforce? Did he stop caring, or had he always been this aloof?

I had a lot of questions for him. I was nervous to start posing them, though. That’s why, when he suggested a sit-down meeting after the lunch, I jumped at the chance. Maybe I could ask a few today and start doling them out. That might work.

I got my own coffee, arching an eyebrow when Dad poured himself a glass of bourbon. He was never one to drink during the day unless he was meeting outside businessmen he had a particular relationship with. This seemed like odd behavior.

Before I could ask if something was wrong, my father kicked off the conversation with a question I wasn’t expecting.

“So, how is married life?”

I smiled as I sat across from him and balanced my coffee mug on the arm of the chair. “It’s pretty good. It’s not nearly as hard as I thought it would be.”

Dad chuckled. “The first few months are the easiest part. It’s all sex and soft nothings whispered in the darkness.” His smile disappeared. “Talk to me again in a year when she’s bitching about you not being home enough.”

It was a dig at my mother, and I didn’t like it. “If Mom wants you home more, maybe we can start shifting some duties,” I started. “I mean… I know I’m not ready to take over yet, but if you want to start easing toward the retirement door, I get it.”

Rather than laugh at the suggestion, Dad leaned back in his chair and regarded me. “Do you think you’re ready for that?”

“I want to be ready.”

“That wasn’t really an answer.”

“We won’t know unless we try. Maybe we’ll start small so we’re both comfortable with it.”

Dad pursed his lips. “I’ve seen a marked change in you over the past few months,” he started. “It’s as if you’ve gotten more serious about things. I like that.”

I shifted on my chair, uncomfortable. “Why do I feel there’s a but coming on?” I hedged.

“But…” He dragged it out, amusement coursing over his features. “Do you really think Olivia is built for this life?”

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