More Than Words(48)

“Well, you can anchor yourself to me,” Tim said, smiling. “I’m the most solid rock around.”

Nina had to force herself to smile back. That wasn’t what she’d meant at all.



* * *



? ? ?

Later that night, Nina and Tim were in bed. Nina had just put her phone away, but not before seeing that Rafael had texted to ask how she was doing, to see if she wanted to get together for coffee. She put him off but couldn’t bring herself to say no. She didn’t want to think about what the reason was, especially not when Tim was here in her bed. Not when they were supposed to spend the rest of their lives together. Not when she was afraid to let herself go around him, to tell him what she wanted. Not when their relationship felt like it was changing, had been changing, in a way she didn’t quite understand.





47



The next morning, the doorman called up from downstairs. It was TJ Calder, there to see her. Nina was worried he was coming by because of the conversations she’d been having with all of the department heads. She hadn’t spoken to him yet. She felt too weird about the fact that she would basically be his boss. It would be like telling her father what to do. Incomprehensible. Impossible.

“Nina, Sweetheart,” he said when the elevator door opened. He looked better than he had the last time she’d seen him. His eyes weren’t swollen, his face didn’t seem as hollow. “How are you?”

“I’ll be okay,” she said. It was how she’d decided to answer that question. It was the truth, and also didn’t invite more discussion.

TJ sat down at the island in the middle of Nina’s kitchen. “I brought muffins,” he said, placing a bag on the counter in front of him. “Apple cranberry’s your favorite, right?”

“It is,” she said. And then she found herself getting choked up. TJ knew that about her. He’d remembered. It was like having a second dad. A bonus, a backup. Maybe he could retire. And then she wouldn’t have to be his boss. After she married Tim, she could just be his daughter. Maybe she should talk to Tim about that. She opened the bag of muffins and brought some napkins over from the pantry.

TJ took a lemon–poppy-seed muffin and rested it on a napkin in front of him. “I’ve been trying to stave them off, but the board of directors would really like to meet with you. I came in person because your dad would want me to impress upon you how important this is.”

Nina thought about the last time she’d planned to meet with the board. Her meltdown. She was afraid to put herself in front of them until she was more sure of herself, more sure of the business. “Can’t I take another week?” Nina asked. She was unwrapping her muffin, not looking at TJ. She needed to figure out what she wanted to do. And that meant with TJ, too.

“This week would be better. There’s a lot of talk about what’s going to happen to the company now that your father’s gone. It would be helpful if you held a meeting. I’ll be there with you. I can limit it to fifteen minutes. Twenty tops.”

Nina massaged her temples. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll try for Friday.” Even though she knew she wasn’t likely to be ready by then.

“That sounds good,” TJ said. “You remember Ned? He’s been grumbling about having an investment banker evaluate strategic options.”

She knew what that meant. The board was thinking about trying to convince her to sell her majority stake in the company.

Nina felt herself physically recoil. It was a gut instinct. Intuitive. “I’m not selling,” she said immediately. “That’s my family’s company. That’s my name. No one else can have it.”

Then she heard TJ sigh. “I know,” he said. “But are you ready to run it?”

“I will be soon,” Nina said. “Maybe you and I can sit down tomorrow and talk about your vision for the company. The next three years. Five.” Maybe he would tell her that he wanted to retire, now that her father was gone. Then she wouldn’t have to bring it up.

TJ sighed. “I know you’re capable of running it, Nina. And I know your father expected you to, but I’m going to ask you something he never would: Do you want to?”

She was supposed to. That was what she knew. It was her responsibility. A job she was born to do. The future she’d always known she would have. And she’d accepted it. She expected it. It was part of who she was.

“Just think about it,” TJ said, getting up to give Nina a hug. “I have to go to the office.”

She hugged him back and insisted he take the rest of his muffin with him, wrapping it up in tinfoil. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” she said.

“Call Rita,” he told her. “She’ll find time in my schedule.”

“Oh wait,” Nina said. “Before you go. I was flipping through the financials my father gave me. From 2008 to 2011 there’s a $60,000 fee paid to a consulting firm each month. Manxome Consulting? Do you have their reports? I’m curious to see what they said about the business. They don’t seem to have a website.”

An expression Nina couldn’t name crossed TJ’s face. “I’m not sure where they are,” he said. “I’ll look into it and let you know if I can locate them.”

“Thanks, Uncle TJ,” she answered.