Page 21 of Christmas with the Cowboy
Once upon a time, that tone, coupled with the ice in his eyes, would have had her backtracking, then doing what she could to curry his favor once again. She wasn’t in the mood today.
“Community relations matter to me, Dad. I’m not going to stand by and watch you screw over the neighbors.”
“Especially now that a certain neighbor is back in the picture?”
Trenna felt her cheeks heat, and casually tucked a stray curl behind her ear, hoping to look more nonchalant than she felt. “Reed?”
“Who else?”
“It wouldn’t matter if he’s back or not. What you’re doing isn’t right.”
“Carter.” Dawn spoke on a note that brought both their heads up. She was standing in the doorway with a tray of coffee cups in her hands, and had obviously been there long enough to have heard some of the conversation. “Listen to the two of you. You’re family. Theonlyfamily either of you have.”
“Your point?” Carter grumbled.
“Behave.” She put a cup of coffee in front of each of them. “Drink your coffee and make peace.”
She left without another word, and Trenna was surprised to see her dad’s eyebrows lift.
“Dawn is correct. We are family,” he said. “Notbusiness partners.”
Trenna knew he was insinuating that if she’d played her cards right and did as he’d asked, she could well have been his partner and then she would have had a say in matters. She wasn’t about to tell him she considered that a bullet dodged. After all, they were family.
“Don’t make me embarrassed to be part of this family.”
“I’m not doing anything illegal. I’m taking advantage of a law that was put in place for a reason.”
“Dad…”
“Haven’t we fought enough?”
Trenna blinked at her dad. “How much is enough?”
“Dawn is right, you know. We’re the only family each other has now that Uncle Davis is gone.” Not that her father and her uncle had a thing to do with one another.
Trenna gave a slow nod. “Let this property matter die, Dad. You’ve lived this long without that piece. You don’t need it.”
Carter let out a long breath as he regarded the antique desk at which he sat. “I’m a businessman, Trenna Rose.”
“I’m not asking you to stop being a businessman. I’m asking you to let things remain as they’ve been for decades.”
Her dad continued to study the desk, then raised his head as if a thought had just occurred to him. “Do you know what would make Dawn happy?”
Trenna shook her head, half afraid of what her dad was about to say.
“She would love it if you would come to the big soiree she’s throwing in July.”
“What soiree is that?”
“A fundraiser.” He gave her an ironic look. “For the community.”
Trenna gave her dad a mental touché. “I’ll do that if you’ll back off on the other matter.”
“I’m not big on tit for tat.”
“I disagree.”
Her dad smiled, reminding her of the times when she’d basked in his approval. Even now the tug was there, the desire to be the good girl. Imprinting was a bitch.
