Page 93 of Hold Me Instead
“He’s a SOB who took off and left us high and dry,” Jeanie chimed in.
Daniel looked away. “I fired him, Jeanie.”
“What?” Jeanie sat higher in her chair.
“It’s true, he’s a son of a bitch, and he was screwing things up,” Daniel said in a harsh whisper. “So I fired him. I never got around to hiring someone new this year.”
She sank back against her seat.
“I’ve held my prices for years, working with our clients to make sure they could afford the care they needed, but with these other clinics getting bought out and lowering their rates, it’s become too much. The point is, I have a large amount of money due at the end of the year, otherwise, the practice will close. I’ve started to pursue options to sell.”
Zachary’s stomach lurched. “You mean Neptune, right? He came to the cookout to see you,” Zachary added when his dad’s eyebrows rose.
“Yes. Neptune is a very likely possibility. They’ve already drawn up an offer.”
“You’ve heard what’s happened to the clinics they’ve bought. They’re taking over, making them all the same. Driving out places like us.”
His dad paused, then continued softly, “I’m running out of options. If I can get a partner, that could help offset some of the money.”
“Charlie wouldn’t be able to do that?”
“It’s not right. It needs to stay within the family right now. I can’t in good conscience transfer this over to her. It’s like giving a gift of debt. The practice would hardly be part of it.”
“I thought you considered her family,” Zachary spat the words through gritted teeth.
“You know it’s not the same,” Daniel said.
Silence hung over the room. If Charlie learned about the dire straits of the clinic, she’d be crushed. Financially, emotionally…
If she heard the words they’d just exchanged, it’d do her in just as badly.
“I can’t keep this from her,” Zachary said.
“Find a way. Until I can convince you to buy into the practice with me. Those are our choices.”
Zachary stared at him. Selling to Neptune was an adamantnofrom him.But buy into the practice? The one he’d chosen to leave? The one he’d been removed from without a second thought? That’d mean moving back to Wisconsin. Uprooting his life in Chicago. Taking the practice right out from under Charlie.
It meant workingwithCharlie. As her boss. As the owner. Seeing each other every day, no longer in a temporary situation. What would that mean for them? When things finally fizzled out between them, then what?
She wouldn’t want to leave, and he’d hate to be the reason she did. He couldn’t shatter her dreams.
“Dinner’s ready!” Sandra appeared at the living room entrance, a proud Vivi by her side.
“Uncle Zachy, you’re sitting by me!” Vivi exclaimed.
“Perfect,” Zachary said, forcing a smile.
Unfortunately, the table wasn’t going to be enough distance between him and his father.
Chapter 27
Charlie
“ThankGodyou’rehere.”Amber yanked Charlie inside Brooke’s house and closed the door. Her maroon dress with tiny cream flowers floated around her knees, the sleeves cinched at the wrists.
“You look awesome. Look at those cute booties.” Charlie trailed off and looked around.
The house was quiet. It smelled of turkey, rosemary, and simmering spiced cranberries, but the small front living room was unusually empty. On any other Thanksgiving, the gray wool couch would house Brooke’s husband, Elliot, and their daughter, Mina, along with Brooke and Amber’s dad, Carl. Today? No one.
