Page 29 of Pain in the Axe
Celine and I settled in the wicker chairs on the deck.
Rolling her shoulders, she regarded me with a concerned frown. “You said you’d only be here for a few months, but you bought a whole-ass house?”
“While you and the kids spend the summer on the lake, I’ll get changes implemented at the timber company, and then, come fall, I’ll bounce.”
“But a giant house?” She held out a seltzer she’d brought out with her when I arrived.
“Good investment.” I cracked the can, thankful it was still cold. “And I needed space for JJ and Karl.”
“Of course you brought your minions.”
“I don’t leave home without them. And they’re hardly minions.” I chuckled. “They’re valued colleagues, and they’re essential to helping me realize my vision for the company.” I would not have survived this long without them. We were a team, a small, scrappy team and a makeshift family, but a team, nonetheless, and we would get the job done.
She crossed her legs and leaned in, a smile dancing on her lips. “So what is this vision? Run it into the ground to punish Gus?”
“You’re evil,” I said, clutching my invisible pearls. “I don’t want to punish him.”
“Bullshit,” she coughed. “You’ve never gotten over his betrayal. Don’t lie to me. I see right through your tough act.”
It was true that I’d never gotten over it. No matter how hard I’d tried. Not that I would cop to it.
“I’m grown, Celine. And a successful businesswoman. Do I dislike him? Yes, very much. But while swooping in and buying his family’s disgraced company, the one he had always wanted to run—I’m only human after all—was one of the highlights of my life, I fully intend to make it successful.”
“Ooh, fun.” She dipped her chin in a teasing nod. “Now you’re lying to yourself, too.”
“There’s not nearly enough sustainable timber development in Maine. With these assets and my team’s expertise, we can update and future-proof this business to sustain the local economy for decades to come.”
“That sounds really nice. But I know you better than you think I do. Your black heart is full of revenge and blood lust.”
She wasn’t totally wrong. Seeing Gus after twenty years certainly ignited some,ahem, emotions. Again, not that I would dare admit it to anyone, including my sister.
“At least admit that you’re trying to stick it to Grandfather.”
“He’s in his eighties and recovering from a heart attack.” I’d never wish harm on my family or their business. In fact, I’d offered to help many times—loans, consultants, and equipment—but they were too proud to accept. Grandfather had made it clear when I was younger that he would never allow a woman to run the family business. Timber, he said, was for men.
Neither Cedric nor Calvin was interested in taking over.
My little brothers did not have a ton of direction. And Dad still hadn’t forgiven Cedric for dropping out of law school.
Mostly, they trained and competed in timbersports competitions. Not that I was criticizing their work ethic or their talents. They had both qualified for the professional circuit, but neither was successful enough yet to make a career out of it.
That meant my dad didn’t have a son who wanted the responsibility of the family legacy. Though he did have a daughter interested, he refused to even consider it.
Memories of his constant criticism flashed through my brain, his anger that I was too emotional after my mother died. The way he’d pushed me away, never acknowledging my achievements or hard work.
It was a raw, open wound, but it was one I’d long ago put out of my mind. I had a lot of unfinished business in Maine, and I knew better than to hope for closure there.
Story of my life. Over and over, the men I’d trusted and loved had let me down. It was hardly a unique tale of woe.
Unfortunately, Gus Hebert was proving more difficult to deal with than I had anticipated. In my mind, when I showed up, he would cower, do everything I said, and fade into the background as I kicked ass all day.
Instead, he was everywhere, questioning my every move, wearing a constant frown. Making his disapproval clear and rescuing me at town meetings. Bastard.
But the Chloe LeBlanc who had returned was not the delicate girl who had left. Nope, I was harder now. Stronger and meaner and more determined than ever.
I had goals. And no one, especially not my ex-husband, was gonna get in my way.
Chapter 8
