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He ran a hand through his dark hair, which he inherited from our father. “Our father worked too damn hard to leave us an inheritance and a legacy. You can’t live your life with no care, Luke. I’m your family. Let me help you.”
“I have no interest in wheeling and dealing. I’m not like you, Colton. And I don’t have a law degree like Ryan. I went to college, but nothing grabbed me. You know?”
“No, I don’t know. What I do know, however, is what needs to be done. I’ve always carried that on my shoulders. You’ve had no responsibilities, and that’s going to change.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I want you to take over operations.”
When my face went blank, he continued. “You will oversee the major building developments and report back to me if there are any setbacks, and we will work through them together. I need someone I trust to tell me exactly what’s going on in the field. You’ll understand the issues, as you’ve always been good with your hands.”
I winked. “You heard the rumors, too. Have you?”
“Shut up. I’m serious.”
I blew out a frustrated breath. “I know little about the company. I’m not your man, Colton. I’m sorry.”
He persisted. “We have auditors coming in this week. I want you to help them with anything they need. It will be a good chance for you to familiarize yourself with our projects and how we run the company.”
“And if I don’t agree to your stupid game of Let’s teach Luke a lesson?”
“This isn’t a game, Luke. This is business.” His jaw did that funny tick thing it always did before he blew up.
I had said no to Colton so many times but he still didn’t get it. He never listened to me. Maybe I should show him how terrible I’d be at this job. If I messed this up, Colton would be furious, but he’d finally understand that I wanted nothing to do with the family business and get off my back.
I smiled. “Fine. I’ll do it.”
“That’s the Crawford spirit,” he said, returning my smile. Only my lips curled up a little more than his.
We’ll see who’s still smiling at the end of this.
Colton checked his watch. “That must be them,” he said, staring down the hallway.
Turning, I saw a pair of suits walking toward us. A man in striped navy pants and a jacket walked next to a woman in a tight black pencil skirt and a white silk blouse. The way she swayed her hips made my palms itch to hold them. Her short black hair framed a heart-shaped face and two dark eyebrows slashed into a straight line as she approached. Her eyes met mine and they narrowed.
That was when I recognized her.
Meaney Sweeney.
What the fuck was she doing here?
Her white blouse rose and fell with her rapid breaths and her nostrils flared. She looked as pissed off as I felt. Good.
I hadn’t seen Meaney Sweeney in ten years. That wasn’t long enough. I had hoped to never lay eyes on her again.
“Good morning. I’m Colton Crawford and this is my brother Luke.” Colton shook hands with the pair. The guy in the suit reached across to shake my hand. I gripped it, perhaps a little bit too long, as I delayed my next move. She hesitantly brought her hand forward and I took it, preparing to intimidate her.
Her small hand squeezed mine harder than I’d expected and her red-painted thumbnail pressed painfully into my skin. My eyes shot up and her smile warned me she’d done it on purpose.
Oh, game on, Sweeney!
I caressed my thumb across hers and wiggled my finger inside her palm. She snatched it back. I smiled, glad that I could still unsettle her.
“Why don’t we all take a seat in our boardroom? You can set up your laptops and work from there this week.” Colton led us down the hallway and into the boardroom. A large mahogany table and twelve white leather chairs filled most of the room.
Sweeney pushed past me to take a seat at the head of the table while the other auditor sat down beside her.
“This room will do nicely, thank you,” she said as she opened her laptop. “Have you brought the files we requested earlier? I’d like to get started right away.”
