Page 9 of An Engagement for Erica

“There are all sorts of employees out there. We’ll get to the root of them and what they need, and want, and how you can get your business back on track.”

“And that is why I need you,” he said seriously. “Because all I can think about is how much time is left in this day rather than what tomorrow may bring.”

4

THE FAMILY NAME

“How did it go today, Tucker?”

“Better than I could have hoped for, Mom,” he said when he sat down to eat his dinner. His mother was on his open computer screen for their weekly video call.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Clara Nelay said. “Do you want to share what you’re doing or don’t you want to talk about it?”

His mother never concerned herself much with the running of a business that her ex-husband had been doing for twenty years. They’d divorced twenty-five years ago and she got a nice large settlement along with monthly alimony checks.

As far as Tucker knew, she was still getting them up until his father’s death.

She deserved every damn cent of them for what she’d dealt with being married to that asshole.

“Not much to say,” he said. “I hired a consultant. We got a lot hashed out and she’s going to reach out to my key management next week and set up times to meet with them. I’m hoping everyone will take this as a good faith effort on my end.”

“It’s hard to turn around someone’s opinion in that short of time,” his mother said. “I know.”

He snorted. “You lived with him for eleven years. Why?”

“You know why,” his mother said gently.

“Me,” he said. “I get it. But you left and could have left at any time. He didn’t give a crap about me any more than he did you.”

“I probably would have still been married to him if your grandfather didn’t buy me a house to get you out of it. I think he would have taken custody of you if I didn’t move out. I always wondered if he did it for you and not me.”

He smiled. “Now you’re exaggerating.”

“Maybe just a little,” his mother said, holding her fingers up in a pinch, widening the gap with both her hands.

He started to laugh. “Grandpa always meant well. And he did it for both of us once he got a good idea of everything going on.”

His mother sighed. “He always meant well, which is why you dropped the career you loved and came back to do this years before you thought you’d have to.”

“Don’t look at it like that,” he said. “I don’t want anyone to think I’m being a martyr.”

It was his idea to bring Erica in during the acquisition at his last job and his bosses were so impressed by how it was all handled and his time spent with the consultant that he’d gotten his long-awaited promotion.

Only to give his notice not long after.

He had a much bigger title, salary, and responsibilities now.

Not just for his job but the family name he was trying to repair.

That might be the bigger hurdle to jump.

“No one would think that,” his mother said. “Never.”

“I know,” he said. “When the sale of Dad’s house goes through, I’ll transfer the money to your account.”

His mother laughed. “You don’t need to do that,” his mother said.

“It’s in his will,” he said. “I saw it. You never remarried and part of your divorce was if the house ever sold, you got it. He’s gone; it goes to you.”

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