Camden wiped her eyes. “I hoped that too. What will happen to the company now?”
Taya’s heart skipped a beat. It was a question she didn’t have an answer for. “I suppose it will be okay. Dad set it up to thrive without him.” Her words weren’t convincing. He was the heart of the business. How would it work without him?
“Your mother will take over, of course,” her mother said. “That’s what Grandpa wanted.”
“Is that true, Mum?” Camden blinked big doe-like brown eyes.
Taya swallowed. “Yes, he wanted me to take over. But I’m not ready yet, and I don’t know how the board will respond. There’s still a lot to think about and get through before we’re at that point.”
“The board knows what your father’s wishes were. He spoke to them about it and put it into writing. They won’t be a problem,” her mother assured her as she wiped down the spotless bench top with a wet cloth.
Was it true? Taya had presumed the board would have their own thoughts about who should run Paradise Resorts after her father’s death. They knew how green she was, that she’d barely had time to get to know the business. She’d only been there a little over a year—it wasn’t long enough. She couldn’t fill his shoes.
Seven
“Uno!”Harry called, laying down his hand of cards on the coffee table. He, Dani and Damien had flown to Coral Island for the weekend, even though it’d only been a month since their last visit. Dani said she wanted Bea to get to know Damien better. Bea grudgingly accepted that getting to know the professor allowed her to see her children more often.
Bea stared at the cards splayed out between her fingers, then grimaced.
Dani groaned. “No, not again. He’s won four games in a row. Mum…”
“What? It’s not my fault. I have three useless cards. I thought you’d at least have a Draw 4 card.”
“I told you I had nothing.”
Damien raised a hand to his forehead. “Do we have to argue about it? I’m getting a headache.”
Bea stifled a smile. “I’m sorry, Damien. Maybe we should take a break. I’ll make coffee and slice some of that cinnamon tea cake I made earlier.”
“I’ll help,” Harry said with a meaningful glance at his sister.
Dani paid no attention and lay back on the rug that took up most of the living room floor. “Harry’s a cheater!”
Harry laughed. “I never cheat. You’re terrible at card games.”
He followed Bea into the kitchen and pulled the cake tin close before searching for a knife. “You okay, Mum?”
“I’m fine,” Bea said, although she seemed to be experiencing the same headache as Damien. “A bit of a headache. It’s nothing.”
“Maybe you’re both coming down with something.”
“I don’t think so. I’m…” She bit down on her tongue. No need to say something snippy she’d regret.
“It’s okay, Mum. It’s only me. You can say it.”
“I’m still getting used to having Damien around. That’s all.”
He grinned. “He’s such a—”
“Harry,” she warned him. “Let’s be kind.”
“Mum, you want to call him names. Let’s say the things we want to say, and we’ll both feel much better.”
She laughed, slapping Harry’s shoulder gently. “You’re a bad influence. Did I ever tell you that?”
The phone rang, and Bea slipped it between her chin and shoulder so she could talk while she added coffee to the espresso machine.
“Hi, Dad,” she trilled. “Are you on your way? We’re having Mexican food tonight. I know you’re not a huge fan, so I’ve set aside some salmon for you to eat with your salad instead if you’d prefer it.”
