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“You two need to put your heads together and think of some kind of solution,” he snapped. “I have enough on my plate preparing for the transition.”
I nodded. “Okay. We can do that.”
“No,” Fred said. He leaned over Dad’s desk, one hand resting on the piece of paper, the other holding him up. “Hunter can’t help with this. I’m the one taking over for you, so this is my responsibility.”
“Lord save us,” I mumbled.
Dad narrowed his gaze at my brother. It was the same look he’d given us as kids when we were up to no good, the one that always had Fred slinking back to safety. I stifled a laugh at the memory. “I’ve not made any final decisions. Hunter knows far more about the Keelings Group. He’s an asset in this.”
Fred sunk into the chair next to mine, either in defeat or embarrassment judging by the huff.
“Hunter,” Dad said, drawing my attention back to him. “I want you to keep a tight ship on the breeding side. It’s always been a solid part of the business for us and we don’t need that crumbling as well.”
“Yes sir.”
“I’ve heard good things about the new manager,” he added. “Make sure she understands what’s happening and to keep everyone in line. That business is what built this company and what allows us to live the life we have now. It’s how I met your damned mother, for Christ’s sake. God forbid, but if the rest of the company falls, we must keep that intact.”
His words hit me like a goddamn brick. Fuck.
I let out a shaky breath and nodded my agreement. But when Dad’s focus fell from me and turned to Fred and his responsibilities, I realized the depth of what I’d done.
I’d given Lottie forty-nine percent of the breeding business. I’d offered it up like it meant absolutely nothing, not giving a second thought to what that would actually mean or how important it was to my father. I’d messed up—royally. It wasn’t mine to give away, at least not yet. If only I’d taken two goddamn seconds to think about it, to realize what the breeding side meant to him, to consider how my impulsivity could affect my bid for CEO…
I couldn’t tell him. Not now, at least. There wasn’t a part of me that could handle the backlash from that, the likely forfeiting of my potential to take over the company. Fred had fucked up over and over again, but this felt like a low blow at the worst possible time.
I’d have to take it back. Retract the offer and deal with her anger and her wicked mouth. As much as she excited me when she glared at me, I don’t think I’d feel the same way when she was hurtling horseshoes at my face. I had nothing else to offer to keep her on my side, to keep her playing the part I so desperately needed her to.
Fuck.
I didn’t have the faintest idea of what to do next. I knew retracting the offer was the only option but I’d have to hold off on telling her, I first needed a plan of how I was going to make it up to her. In the meantime, there had to be something else I could give her that was just as good. Start-up money for her own thing, no strings attached. Maybe a stable, her own horse.
I had a sinking feeling it would blow up in my face down the line, but I bit down the thought and pushed it away, promising myself to handle it later.
Chapter 12
Lottie
Things were moving too fast to keep my head wrapped around them.
Hunter clicked his glass against mine, the mimosa nearly sloshing out the top of the flute. “To us,” he said, not bothering to keep his voice down in the crowded restaurant filled with people trying to enjoy their breakfast. “And to you.”
“Stop showing me off,” I mumbled, trying to disguise the little smile I couldn’t hide as I lifted my glass to my lips. “No one’s paying us any attention.”
“I don’t care if they’re paying attention.” He sliced one serving of his eggs benedict in half, letting the gooey center pour over the salmon and spinach. “We’re here to celebrate you. In two days’ time, you’ll be the full-on manager. No more Hank holding you down.”
“That doesn’t exactly call for a celebration,” I chuckled.
I was genuinely surprised how easy it had become pretending to be Hunter’s girlfriend. This was the third date he’d dragged me on since our time at the lake, and the fourth overall. Although I wasn’t one for flashy restaurants or going out dancing, it hadn’t been as horrible as I’d expected. He still angered me to the core half the time, and I was trying to get used to having my photo taken unexpectedly with food in my mouth, but things were no longer as much of a nightmare as they had been at the beginning.
I would even go so far as to say I was getting good at being Hunter’s fake girlfriend.
“It absolutely does,” he grinned. “Have you told your dad?”
I shook my head and shoved a massive bite of gravy-covered biscuit into my mouth to avoid answering properly.
“Lottie, why? You know he’ll be excited for you.”
I forced myself to swallow. “He already knows I have the job as the manager. I really don’t think that fully taking over is all that special.”
