The Prodigal Son. Beth Andrews. Читать онлайн. Newlib. NEWLIB.NET

Автор: Beth Andrews
Издательство: HarperCollins
Серия:
Жанр произведения: Современные любовные романы
Год издания: 0
isbn: 9781472027948
Скачать книгу
with.”

      CHAPTER FOUR

      “DOES THAT MEAN YOU’LL accept the partnership?” his mother asked in what Matt could only describe as a hopeful tone.

      Teeth clenched, he sat on a high-backed stool at the island, deliberately laid his arm on the back of the one next to him in a pose of nonchalance. “That depends. What are the terms you’re offering?”

      She seemed taken aback. Did she really think he’d just meekly go along with whatever stipulations she set out? “The terms,” she said, “are that you and your brothers agree to run the Diamond Dust upon my retirement, at which time I will sign over all shares of the company. Until then, the three of you will remain in Jewell, working at the winery under its current management.”

      Aidan grinned—an unusual and completely unnerving event. “That’d be me.”

      Matt was already shaking his head. “No way am I taking orders from him.”

      “It’s not about taking orders,” his mom said, sending Aidan a reproachful look. His grin only widened. “Aidan has been President of the Diamond Dust for the past eight years. It’s only reasonable that the structure remains the same until I step down as owner. Besides, until that happens, I’ll still have final say on any and all decisions.”

      “And when is this retirement scheduled to take place?” Matt asked.

      “July 27.”

      “That’s the day Mom and Al are getting married,” Aidan put in.

      “Yeah. I knew that,” Matt lied. He straightened, clasped his hands together on the cold counter. Met his mom’s eyes and asked quietly, “And if I…if any of us…don’t agree?”

      “I’ve told you—”

      “No. You haven’t. Not straight out. I need to hear you say it.”

      For a moment, he wondered if she’d back down. But then she lifted her chin and he remembered that his mother was made of stronger stuff than that. Strong enough to risk alienating one of her own sons just to make her deceased husband’s dream come true.

      “If any of you don’t wish to be a part of the Diamond Dust,” she said, her voice steady, “then I will sell the company, the property and this house to Lester Caldwell.”

      Sliding to his feet, Matt looked at his brothers. Aidan stood in front of the large windows of the breakfast nook, the setting sun casting his profile in shadow. Brady sat, one hand flat on the table, the other on Lily’s head.

      “Is this what you both want?” Matt asked them.

      Brady studied him with his cool, hooded gaze. “Does it matter?”

      He cleared his throat. “Yeah,” he admitted, not sure who he’d surprised more, his brothers or himself. “Yeah, it does.”

      Instead of answering, Aidan crossed to the island, pulled the contract from the envelope and, after flipping a few pages, signed his name with a flourish. He then handed the contract to Brady, who signed, as well.

      Looked like he had his answer.

      Son of a bitch.

      His mother picked up the contract and pen and set them in front of Matt. “It’s your decision.”

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEBLAEsAAD/4RNYRXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgABwESAAMAAAABAAEAAAEaAAUA AAABAAAAYgEbAAUAAAABAAAAagEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAExAAIAAAAUAAAAcgEyAAIAAAAUAAAAhodp AAQAAAABAAAAnAAAAMgAAAEsAAAAAQAAASwAAAABQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIDcuMAAyMDEzOjEy OjIwIDE3OjU5OjI4AAAAAAOgAQADAAAAAf//AACgAgAEAAAAAQAABXigAwAEAAAAAQAACMoAAAAA AAAABgEDAAMAAAABAAYAAAEaAAUAAAABAAABFgEbAAUAAAABAAABHgEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAIBAAQA AAABAAABJgICAAQAAAABAAASKgAAAAAAAABIAAAAAQAAAEgAAAAB/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEASABI AAD/7QAMQWRvYmVfQ00AAv/uAA5BZG9iZQBkgAAAAAH/2wCEAAwICAgJCAwJCQwRCwoLERUPDAwP FRgTExUTExgRDAwMDAwMEQwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwBDQsLDQ4NEA4OEBQO Dg4UFA4ODg4UEQwMDAwMEREMDAwMDAwRDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDP/AABEI AIAAUAMBIgACEQEDEQH/3QAEAAX/xAE/AAABBQEBAQEBAQAAAAAAAAADAAECBAUGBwgJCgsBAAEF AQEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAEAAgMEBQYHCAkKCxAAAQQBAwIEAgUHBggFAwwzAQACEQMEIRIxBUFRYRMi cYEyBhSRobFCIyQVUsFiMzRygtFDByWSU/Dh8WNzNRaisoMmRJNUZEXCo3Q2F9JV4mXys4TD03Xj 80YnlKSFtJXE1OT0pbXF1eX1VmZ2hpamtsbW5vY3R1dnd4eXp7fH1+f3EQACAgECBAQDBAUGBwcG BTUBAAIRAyExEgRBUWFxIhMFMoGRFKGxQiPBUtHwMyRi4XKCkkNTFWNzNPElBhaisoMHJjXC0kST VKMXZEVVNnRl4vKzhMPTdePzRpSkhbSVxNTk9KW1xdXl9VZmdoaWprbG1ub2JzdHV2d3h5ent8f/ 2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AOf6TLc5h/ku/Iu96DY44bCeN7/yrhOlOBzGBo12u/IvQ/q06j9ntNkDa55c T21VjYN34sP1wAP6Mf8Au3XrewglxgRr5gKhl9JxXvLwTtcdWx2PMLUw3Vh+xwaYKj1Fm5xa1hs3 iAGydPzo2pokQdNHOIBGurzjemDEqtzcovpxcVjrbrXMbBZXz6W53ufb/gvYuAzvrT1TM6i/KxLX YOO4gVY0B7Q0D6Lq9rmP9Vx9V+9v/nteifXOnIy/qzkY2Ox1t9vpiulv0nkvbua0fn/vrmOnfVPG xKCOpkZT7trrXgENrI9wrbY337Pb7lBzOc8Q4jt8oH/SbHLYAYnh/wAIn/osPqpmdS6tbfjZbaya mOsbc1pa4kFrnMc1v6La1r/orWv9PFrbblWMxmOgtNzgyQ47WP2u93pue3bv+gtXpFVWPnWuxcTY 2qojeyA0uPvNLK2+53q7f9f0aybOidN+sNeVmZjjbm5Bcas30xW+r/QNrbU/9PTRXsY31v55GPOz hjjepkf0tfSET5OEskq0EQPl09UnpcXJrvxKctgbteAQWEbHAe39E6sva5m5WmWnIeZkmd2vC4b6 v1t6P9ZcrpOIbfswxWXXtsgtFxLNtrC1rGsdbU79z/g/8AuwpdkOc17WbWTrA0+akjLjjxAVbFKP BLhJun//0Of6KN/UWjxY/wD6ldrgVNb0rbZJFrrGQNBBOpkfS/qrjvq4CerMAAPss0P9VdN1TqfT MTp9GPmZT8T3i4+kSLHVm3a5tEbd/wDMvbd7v0Nf84nZpSGMiO5Ij/jOlzgieZiZbCPF/i8b0v2n IqY11DG2X2CWteS1p4+k7+U5y4/68fW3quNa3pVlTK80bLn302O2ejq6iql22u39N/2o3fmfo/8A CLses3YvSenZHVMt7BTS0msHUPsI/VqmNZ/OepZsXiORlZOXkW5eZYbci9xfdY7Ulx/7636LE2Y9 VmV7afoufCXpoREfH9J2OkfWC/8AaVFeZlurxBYLj6khtb2stpa9v03fzeRaz+36n5i7HrGfZjdD zMujZZ+jLqbSQ9hDg1lL2bJbZ9L+ovMwGOGoV6nqubR0nI6QHb8LJc14a76Vbg4WWei7/R37f0ta iyY+KQl5X5M2PLwgg9bo/wBZ7L6ofXjpuHjNw8vGvGULG7HMcLW2l4bX9O41fZWMc1v6L9Kr/Ts7 7TnZVfo2V1Yt5Yxtr2Ha8m232147aWejsqdt30/ov5r1F5sx/p2VOmA17SSOwldF0vqn2TJdeIyL XjbaC5xc/cd261zR9D272f8ACfpLU7JDijQG3yoxyok/vfMXrrs2qn60v6aMch+fjsyxkgzuNYfU 2hzNv+CY23a7etyi8Nb6enu/OPA0Xnb83Jfk/aTkW15MyLg4hw/4Nn/Bf8E32Ltvqvks6vgWfaH/ AK3iWbLiG7ZDx6lL3D+ruap4DhgAejDljqZDq//Rxvquzd1asDk12an+qt766dGsyfqpj9Vqbuf0 620XNAk+ja5u9/8A1m5lbv8AivVWF9Uz/lxnh6dp/wCivVOiOxbenHFe6u02GwPqJBlpO1wcz91z SnTPR0fiNcYkOwH/AEnwzI6j1XNxsPpll9uRj4p9PCxdXQ55itrK2+66z3+lR9N7K/0NX6NbPVPq Tn9M+qdPW86t9OXZkhtmOT/N4727aHXMaP0d7r/p+/2erVV/Or07oH1A+r/Qco5uIyy3KALarclw eamnRzaGtbWxnt9nq7fW2f4T+cVzr9OF1Xo3VOmetXZacewOq3Dc17Rvre9v0m7LPTemNC9fB8Bb ypmdqEwnY1x0kAx8QjVPFdtVjhLWPa4g8EA7o+jZ/wCe7P8Ai0kr2V2tfS2xrmertezcCN1bp22s n6bHbfprXxiH0RI2uhzQTABGn9b6I/NcugPTejdW6Jc6sjHdgudfSzGspyWMc7+d9BlTzZRiZXtd fjWMxNl36amjG/SV2Yn2J4EsdXM7nRuaP5WnvRxy4r8N15iY/VBTkTnPoJNjfTmHTpqJHv8AcvQP 8XTGOr6jtEWF1O6f3QLQ138r85cBbiOZa/MrcA6prWmtp3OeXnbtr/M/RN/SWLrf8XnUq6+p31Wx UzIpguc4gB7Xeyt2/wCj6jS/apOhWy1iQ//S5jp7s2i/1sWp1riHVloYXgh42vYdo/OYtjpfVbsV zr2ssx7qngNqcdxaQQ9zbDeQ7b6n0Pz/AOX/AKSnhY+Rn4bsTGaHONxeZE+1jW7nR7Wv2tO+xm9a V+dTXj4eO54zLcep1N+WNDY71HvrFPua9/2