The Best Man's Baby(46)

The cold, sweating beer on the table in front of him reminded him of the time ticking by. He tried to look casual as he leaned across the table to grab the bottle of ketchup. He squirted it on his already-cold hamburger, trying to look as though he didn’t have a care in the world.

“Jake, sign on as a partner at Manning and Son.”

Quinn’s voice didn’t permeate. Instead, he heard another man, another voice, another time. Jake, you will never own a part of Manning and Son. It’s not yours. You have no right to that company, got it?

He felt Claire’s smooth, soft hand clasp his, triggering a heat wave through his body. Nothing like her touch to take him out of the abyss of the past and into the here and now. He squeezed her hand gently, not looking at her, knowing her eyes would be filled with questions.

Every night since she’d told him about her youth, he’d been tempted to just tell her everything. After making love to her, they would fall asleep together, and then at some point in the night, he’d wake up. In those quiet hours of the night, with Claire resting peacefully in his arms, he’d relive everything. What his life had really been like. What even his siblings didn’t know about him. The hurt, the pain, the lies. He wanted to tell her what really happened, why he left after his parents had died. Why he was the way he was. Why he was doing this. He wanted to tell her everything, but he couldn’t shake the fear that she would look at him differently, the way his parents had seen him.

He looked his brother squarely in the eyes. “Nope, told you before, I don’t want to be a partner,” he answered finally, squirting an obscene amount of ketchup onto his burger.

“What if I told you I’m not buying that anymore?”

Jake placed the bottle of ketchup down slowly, staring at his brother, not flinching. He knew that look. He knew by the way his brother leaned forward, he knew by the frown that creased his forehead, he wasn’t going to drop it. Quinn was stubborn, but he could meet him head-on.

Jake shrugged, trying to keep cool, trying to make it look as though this issue didn’t cut, even though every time Quinn brought it up it cut deeper and deeper.

“This is your company, Quinn.”

“It’s just as much yours—”

Jake shook his head. “No, buddy, you’re wrong. What’s the name of this company?” He gripped the armrests hard as he waited for Quinn to answer, finding it harder and harder not to get riled up.

Quinn groaned loudly. “That again. Dad started the company after I was born. I was the only son at the time. Big deal, we’ll change it.”

“Nope. If Dad had wanted it to be Manning and Sons, he would have changed it himself.”

Quinn frowned at him. “It’s you and me now.”

“You built it and saved it from bankruptcy. This is your baby.”

“No, you’re wrong. This company wouldn’t be where it is without you. I’m a business and numbers guy, you’re the builder, man. The best damn two hands. You could build a freaking castle with your two hands. You’re out there with the crew, you’re the guy everyone goes to on sites. If it weren’t for you—”

“Stop being dramatic. I can build things, big deal. I don’t need to be a partner,” he said slowly. “Drop it.”

“You still think that because you took off—”

“I did. I took off and left you here when you needed me most. I took off for a year and—”

“You came back.”

“Doesn’t matter. By that time—”

“Yeah, it does matter. You helped me make it a success, so stop acting like I’m the one who saved this company. Take some credit. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. Dad would want this.”

Jake slipped his hand from Claire’s and stood from his chair, its scraping against the floor the only noise that could be heard in the room. “You don’t know when to back down, and you don’t know when to keep your mouth shut. You don’t know a damn thing about Dad. This was his company and now it’s yours. I don’t want it.” He felt tense, his skin felt tight, his head pounded. Jake felt the antagonism in the room. No one here would understand.

“You can’t act like a teenager forever,” Quinn said in a low voice. Jake clenched the side of the table until he thought his hands would snap off his wrists.

“It’s time for you to grow up. Dad’s not going to come and rescue you when you total his car. Mom’s not going to try to defend you for stealing from them. No one’s here to protect you now—”

“No one ever protected me.” He needed to get the hell out of here.