Page 54 of So Wrong It Must Be Right

“Grandmother,” Dinah croaked.

“I suppose you think you love him or that he understands you or whatever young people think. I’ve been where you are, but this is the law of the Gallagher woman’s life. The choice.”

“I don’t understand what I’m choosing,” Dinah replied, feeling sick and teary and hoping to show neither of those things to her formidable grandmother.

“You’re choosing Gallagher’s. First and foremost. When you do that, you’ll want a marriage that’s more of a business proposition than love. I didn’t marry your grandfather because he was the great love of my life. I married him because he would allow me to continue my work with Gallagher’s. I married him because he was a businessman himself and understood. Love has no place in this family if you want to continue a legacy. Your uncle married for love. See what that got him?”

“Grandmother.”

“Your young man is dedicated to his farm, and you found a way to combine farming with our business. Congratulations. Now, what happens at the first roadblock? The first time our business needs don’t meet with his? What happens when we have to decide what is more important—Gallagher’s bottom line or his?”

“It would be business. Something everyone worked through as business people. Just because Carter and I have a personal relationship doesn’t mean it has to bleed into our professional one.”

“You’re young and idealistic. It doesn’t work that way. The only way you can combine personal and professional is to do what I did. Trust me, Dinah. This is for your own good.”

“You loved Grandpa,” Dinah whispered, feeling small and young and stupid. This wasn’t true, or right. It was just a test or something. “You did, and he loved you.”

“We’d been married for over twenty-five years by the time you were born. We certainly grew to love each other in a fashion. We grew to love Gallagher’s together. Will your man ever love Gallagher’s more, or even as much, as he loves his farm?”

That landed like a blow too, because she knew the answer beyond a shadow of a doubt. Never. Carter would never love something more than his land. His roots.

“The reason Gallagher’s is so important to us is because it’s in our blood. It beats as our hearts. The person you end up marrying has to understand that at least half our hearts, if not all, is with Gallagher’s. First and foremost. Before marriage. Before children. Before everything.”

Dinah was shell-shocked and numb. She wasn’t ready to think aboutmarriage. Love was still that scary thing she was trying to figure out, but giving it up before she figured it out seemed cruel.

“Those are my terms. You can take them or leave them.”

“I don’t know what to do.” Dinah wasn’t sure she’d ever admitted to her grandmother she didn’t know something. That she was confused and hurt. A normal grandmother-granddaughter relationship would probably include something heartfelt or understanding, but Dinah was under no illusion that she’d get any of that.

“Take a few days to break it off with Trask, and when you do, come back to me. I’ll make my recommendation to the board at that point.”

Dinah blinked. This all felt surreal. Like it was happening to someone else. Like it wasn’t real. “What about Craig? He won’t take that well.”

“You let me handle my son. I want your answer by Friday, Dinah.”

She forced herself to stand and didn’t even bother with a goodbye.

“I know you’ll make me proud, Dinah,” Grandmother said as Dinah walked out the door.

In her whole life all Dinah had wanted was to make her grandmother proud. Make Gallagher’s proud. To take herrightfulplace.

Now here it was, within reach, and it was coming at such a cost. Dinah didn’t know how to wrap her head around it, and she sure as hell didn’t know what to do about it.

* * *

Carter was elbow deep in compost when Dinah finally showed up. He looked up at her. She was pale and drawn, and he immediately assumed the worst. “They voted no.”

Dinah forced a smile and shook her head. “They voted yes. The partnership is a go.”

“So why do you look like your dog just died?”

“Grandmother hadquitea talk with me,” she said, sounding small and far away, so unlike Dinah, he pushed to his feet.

“About?”

Dinah studied him long and hard. “You know, I don’t really want to talk about it right now. It was all kind of personal stuff.”

Carter rocked back on his heels. Personal. She said it in a way that seemed to insinuate he had nothing personal to do with her.Ouch.

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