The Passing Storm(69)
“It’s complicated, Dad.”
“Does this complication involve your sister?”
“The two issues are mildly related.”
Griffin speared a chunk of tuna. It was maddening how his father took every conversation hostage.
“According to your mother, Sally’s not speaking to you. Winnie said that’s why you missed our last family dinner.”
How to mend the relationship with his sister still eluded Griffin. Yet after Monday’s events, the falling-out with Sally seemed a minor issue.
Getting back on point, he said, “Let me make this clear. Mik was out of control when he confronted Rae in front of Design Mark. If I hadn’t intervened, he would’ve struck her. Dad, I’m a mature adult. I know when a man is a threat. Give him a severance package, then kick him to the curb.”
“He was mouthing off. Which is bad, I agree.”
Finishing his sandwich, Everett balled up the wrapper. He wasn’t used to anyone telling him what to do. He’d spent a lifetime calling the shots, with no one second-guessing his decisions. But three days of Griffin’s hardball lobbying was wearing him down.
Sensing an opening, Griffin pressed harder. “Mik has a drinking problem. His wife does too. Their homelife is a powder keg, and they aren’t happy about Quinn moving out. You do remember Quinn, don’t you? The little boy who used to spend every Saturday in the service bay because Mik dragged him to work? That kid should’ve been in Little League or horsing around on a playground. You remember, Dad. Mom used to show up at the dealership every Saturday to feed Quinn home-cooked meals and work on his reading skills.”
His father picked at his fries. “I remember.” Falling back in his chair, he began rocking.
“Quinn lives with Rae now. He’s been at her place since February.”
“That’s why Mik’s angry?”
“Correct.”
The chair stopped rocking. Evidently, hearing the whole story gave him pause. Griffin wondered if he’d made a mistake, burying the lede. He should’ve told his father at the outset about Quinn moving into Rae’s place—if only to make him take seriously the threat Mik posed. He hadn’t because the boy’s living arrangements shouldn’t matter. The way Mik had threatened Rae was reason enough to fire him.
The chair groaned as Everett set it back in motion, his expression cooling. Inexplicably, he sent the conversation in a new direction.
“Son, you’ve always been a disappointment. I’ve made my peace with it. I doubt you have a clue how much you’ve passed up, turning down the job as my second-in-command. Marks Auto is worth millions. The most profitable dealership in Geauga County, bar none. In plain English, I can’t make you assume control of my life’s work when I retire.”
The words were a blade, cutting Griffin to the quick.
But he managed to chuckle. “Not even if you beg.”
“Have it your way, smart-ass. I’ll leave the dealership to your sister and Trenton—who closes three sales a month, if he’s lucky. But you’re my son, Griffin. You have an obligation to carry on my name. You can’t do that by starting up again with Rae. She crushed your heart under her boot when she was a kid.”
“Drop it, Dad.”
Everett wasn’t listening; from his standpoint, his expectations were all that mattered. “Rae took off and had a baby on the fly,” he continued, “then dumped that guy too. Oh, there were people who wondered about her pregnancy, especially when she began to show that summer, after your high school graduation. But don’t you worry, Griffin. People knew Everett Marks raised his son right. Everyone in town knew my son would never stick a toe out of line. The Marks family, why, we’re upstanding people. I’m a pillar of the community.”
In anguish, Griffin briefly closed his eyes. He suddenly understood why he’d stopped dating Katherine in a hurry. She’d reminded him of Everett. Outward facing, concerned only with her image. Focused solely on how the world viewed her.
His father wasn’t finished. “I loved Rae back then,” he admitted. “It still tickles me, how a girl could heft a rifle and pick off a target every time. I looked forward to the babies she’d give you. Figured someday I’d have a grandson in the marines or heading a SWAT team. But Rae Langdon is flighty. Take my advice, Griffin. Set your sights elsewhere.”
There was nothing in the monologue worth dignifying. Checking his anger, Griffin came to his feet.
“Listen close, Dad. I’m going to spell it out. Mik isn’t finished with Rae or Quinn. Are you willing to gamble their safety?” Striding around the desk, he towered over his father. “Fire Mik. No one else in the county will take him on—everyone knows he’s not worth it. Let Mik go, and he’ll move someplace else.”
A chill descended between them. Welcoming it, Griffin kept his attention trained on his father. He’d had enough. If Everett made the wrong decision, they were done, over. He’d walk out of his life for good.
A prospect his father clearly sensed as he rubbed his chin with swift, agitated movements. “All right,” he muttered.
“Mik’s gone?”
“At the end of his shift.” Everett snapped up his wrist, checked his watch. “In three hours.”
“Do yourself a favor. Don’t tell him until he’s clocked out.”