Kat smiled, her shoulders relaxing. “So? Does this mean we’re making it official?”
It was then that his smile faltered. And so did her own.
“Kathleen, I need to tell you something.” He pulled out his desk chair and settled into the seat. Then leaning back, he steepled his fingers together at his lips. “This is a big commitment. It takes a lot of energy to run things smoothly.”
“I know, and I’m fully prepared to?—”
He held up a hand and cut her off. She snapped her mouth shut and shifted again. Her father pressed his lips together before taking a deep breath then exhaling. “Charles is up for the promotion as well.”
Kat wasn’t proud of it, but her mouth hung open. She probably looked more like a fish than the put-together businesswomanshe’d strived to be. “W-what?” she stuttered. “You can’t be… serious.”
Her father gave her a sharp look—a reminder that he wasn’t just her dad. He was her boss, too.
She snapped her mouth shut, feeling the heat spread through her body until it reached every corner. Chaz wasn’t even related by blood. How could her father do this to her? It wasn’t supposed to even be a question who would take over. He’d been preparing her for this moment. Why dangle it in front of her only to snatch it away?
Her hands balled into fists, nails digging into her palms and causing a delicious sting that was enough to help keep her in check. The last thing she wanted to do was make her father question whether she should even be considered.
“The decision hasn’t been made, of course. The two of you are perfect candidates.”
Kat sensed a but coming at the end of that statement. She prayed to whatever divine being there was in the sky that this was all a big joke. Maybe he’d flash her a smile and tell her it was a test.
Yes, this had to be a test. Any second now he was going to tell her that she was the only one who could run the company he’d built from the ground up.
But he didn’t.
She continued to watch him, waiting for the punchline, and it never came.
Then her father sighed. “The thing is, I’ve been thinking a lot about who I want to run this company when I retire. And there’s this nagging feeling that I’m going about this all wrong.”
Should she be offended? “What does that mean, exactly?”
His eyes met hers again and without blinking an eye, he murmured, “Perhaps the two of you could run things together.”
If she’d been drinking something, she would have spewed it all over the office. “I’m sorry,what?” Kat choked on the question. “You want to give it to both of us?”
Her father frowned. “I want you to run it together, yes. That was the reason I pulled Charles into my office. He’s open to the idea.”
Shaking her head, Kat paced. “That’s not what I signed up for, dad. I’m sorry. But I didn’t work my butt off at Harvard to share the business with some random guy. Do you know what it was like growing up without you around? The hours you spent here while I was a kid—this is what I was raised to do. It’s supposed to be mine.”
She stopped when he didn’t respond to her ramblings. The look of sadness in his eyes gave her pause. Her heart stuttered. She hadn’t meant to say any of that. This wasn’t his fault.
“That’s what I’m trying to say. When your mother died, you were left alone. No one deserves to be alone, Kathleen. I don’t want that life for you. I worked long hours—time I can’t get back. It’s one of my biggest regrets.”
Kat fought the tears. “So you think I should share your legacy with someone else?” Her voice almost sounded timid. “But…”
“Not just someone else,” he insisted. “Your future husband.”
“What?” she hissed.
“Charles and you would make a great team. The two of you could take this company to the next level. Splitting it would?—”
“But I don’t love him. I barely know him,” she sputtered.
“My marriage to your mother was arranged. It’s not a terrible option. And as I came to love your mother, I’m sure you’ll find love with Charles.”
She gaped at him. “You can’t be serious.”
But the look on his face said otherwise. Hewasserious.
