Sweet Dreams (A Sugar Rush Novel) (8 page)

“I wouldn’t doubt that Crown approached me because they heard things are grim around here,” Evan continued. “It’s only a matter of time before other companies start sniffing around.”

Luke grabbed a handful of Sweeties from the bowl on Evan’s desk. He tossed a couple into his mouth, the hard-shelled fruit candies making a satisfying crunch with every bite. Hailey’s favorite. Funny how he could remember all of his siblings’ favorite candy.

“Luke, if you want to change things around here, give me the acquisition of Alpine Chocolate,” Evan said. “Prove to the c-suite you still know how to delegate strategically.”

Luke hesitated a flash of a second too long. Evan nodded.

“Yeah,” he muttered. “That’s what I thought.”

“Come on, man.” Frustration flooded Luke’s chest. “They came to me two months ago. With the new facility in Bern getting off the ground, I have to handle Alpine.”

“No. You insist on handling Alpine.” Evan frowned. “Meanwhile, I’m still spinning my wheels running marketing reports and focus groups and doing the grunt work that David doesn’t want to bother with. And you told the board Sam should spearhead the Fair Trade Foundation, so that leaves me out again.”

“That’s what this is about? You’re still mad about the Fair Trade Foundation?”

Evan’s frown deepened. “The foundation was my idea.”

“And I told you before I went to the board that I can’t afford to lose you,” Luke said. “To get the foundation structure in place, you’d have to travel to all of our regional centers, probably nine months out of the year. I wanted Sam to do it because I need you here.”

“You wanted Sam to do it because you still don’t believe I’m capable of that kind of work.”

Luke couldn’t respond. Because it was the truth. Evan could do the job. He’d always been good at everything. But Luke would not send his brother out on a grueling travel itinerary that involved trekking to remote farms in Africa and South America to inspect warehouses and processing facilities, set up technical training, and build strategies to improve local infrastructures.

“I’m sorry, man,” he said. “I can’t. But if you want more responsibilities here, I’ll give them to you.”

“It’s not about responsibilities.” Evan turned back to the computer, frustration flashing in his eyes. “It’s about making an impact and doing some good. It’s about me being part of the company in the way I want, which means without you sidelining me at every turn.”

His “sidelining” came partly from Evan’s health issues, which had intensified his protective streak. And he would not let Evan run off to remote areas where hospitals were five hundred miles apart, if they existed at all. If Luke had to be the bad guy to ensure his brother’s safety, then fine. He’d take the hit.

“Okay,” he finally said. “I’ll reassess, talk to Tyler. Maybe we can get you on board with the China division.”

Evan’s shoulders slumped, his gaze fixed on the computer screen.

“Remember that you didn’t build up Sugar Rush by being a dictator,” he said. “You did it through great leadership and a focus on our company heritage and culture. I’m telling you now you’re losing sight of both those things.”

Not wanting to hear any more of the truth, Luke pushed up from the chair. “Board meeting in ten.”

He left Evan’s office and went to the boardroom, finishing the rest of the Sweeties as he walked. He hadn’t been able to shield his family from the bad publicity wrought by the paternity suit. Though they hadn’t wavered in their support of him, even when he’d come close to losing his job amidst the scandal, the damage had been done.

And regardless of Evan’s warnings, Luke would fix the damage or die trying. His brother was right about corporate headhunting, though it still galled him that Evan hadn’t told him about Crown Foods. Maybe because he and Evan didn’t hang out together anymore, what with Luke’s self-imposed work schedule.

The other night had been the first time in months he’d gone to the Troll’s House to grab a drink and shoot pool. After hearing about Crown’s attempt at poaching, he’d needed a distraction.

Which had unexpectedly come in the form of Polly Lockhart.

Luke tried not to think about the fact that if Evan had been at the Troll’s House with him, he would very likely not have ended up kissing Polly in the back corridor.

And wouldn’t that have been a damn shame.

Reminding himself of his resolve to protect Polly the way he did everyone else, he blocked another memory of her as Evan and the other executives came into the room. After the meeting started, their Chief Financial Officer gave a finance report.

“Profits are up by eight percent this quarter, with a gumdrop growth of ten percent, and an indication that we’re gaining market share in the non-chocolate category due to . . .”

His voice droned on. Luke listened, even though he knew all the details. He studied the reports every night before bed, and the numbers were embedded in his brain.

The COO gave an update on the progress with new vitamin-infused lollipops and the latest on edible candy pencils. After another lengthy discussion about the launch of an ad campaign for their new candy pinwheels, the meeting ended.

Luke returned to his office and tossed his briefcase onto the sofa, turning as his father entered.

“Paula down in HR called me yesterday.” Warren closed the door behind him and crossed to sit in a chair in front of the desk.

Luke sighed. Paula in HR had been with Sugar Rush for thirty years, which meant that she’d known all the brothers since they were kids. Under normal circumstances, that would have been nice for a family-run company, but it also meant that Paula looked a little too closely at employee records and got nosy about things that weren’t her business.

“She said you have three months of outstanding vacation time and haven’t requested any of it,” his father remarked. “I thought you were planning a trip to Hawaii.”

“Yeah, uh . . .” Luke scratched his head. He’d told his father that to get Warren off his case about working too hard. “Hotel was booked.”

Warren frowned. “Come on, Luke. You need a vacation.”

After his encounter with Evan and the knowledge that other corporations might be sniffing around Sugar Rush again, the last thing Luke wanted or needed was a
vacation.

“I can’t take one right now, Dad. Not with the Alpine Chocolates acquisition about to get off the ground.”

“You need a vacation,” his father repeated. “A real vacation, not one of those fake ones where you say you’re taking time off and you end up in meetings or working from your hotel room.”

“I took time off a few months ago.”

“You took two days off and worked from home,” Warren corrected, frustrated anger hardening his expression. “You haven’t taken a single day off since the board agreed to let you stay on as CEO.”

“I haven’t take—”

Warren held up his hand. Luke fell silent. His father was still the only person in the world who could silence him with one gesture.

“You don’t have to punish yourself anymore, son.”

“I’m not.”

“Then prove it by taking some time off.” His father pushed up from the chair, looking at him from beneath his heavy eyebrows. “I want that vacation time used by the end of the year. Your mother would hate to know that you’re pushing yourself to breaking point.”

Luke’s shoulders tensed. “Low blow, Dad.”

“So is lying to me about your time off, son.”

The intercom on the desk buzzed. Hoping for a way out of this conversation, he turned to answer it.

“Mr. Stone, reception just called to say your aunt is on her way,” Kate said from the intercom. “Should I head her off at the pass?”

He groaned. “No, she’ll just barrel through. Let her in.”

Not that Julia
let
anyone do anything. She swept into his office with a worried-looking Kate at her four-inch heels. In her late forties, tall and elegant with blond hair sweeping to her shoulders in a smooth pageboy, Julia Bennett had a crackling, don’t-mess-with-me force field that had served her well since she’d become the self-appointed matriarch of the Stone family after her sister died.

“Thanks, Kate,” Luke said. “I can take it from here.”

Kate nodded and left, closing the door behind her. Julia put her hands on her hips, her gaze sweeping over Warren before coming to a stop on Luke.

“I’m not an
it
,” she said.

“Hello, Aunt Julia.” He smiled. “You look lovely, as always.”

“Oh, no.” She wagged her red-painted fingernail at him. “Put your charm away, Luke Stone. And I strongly suggest you stop using your charisma among the general female population because my friend Barb spent our entire lunch yesterday bemoaning the fact that you dumped her daughter Cindy.”

“You mean the Cindy who left an engagement ring ad in my car? After
two
dates that I only agreed to so you’d get off my case?”

“Oh please.” Julia threw up her hands and gave Warren a beseeching look. “Warren, tell your son that dreaming about marriage is what women of a certain age
do
when they’re dating a rich bachelor.”

Luke’s jaw clenched. “You know the rules, Julia.”

“Maybe it’s about time you changed those rules,” his father suggested.

“Or at least acknowledged that not all women are out to get you,” Julia added. “Not in a bad way, at least.”

“Are we done here?” Luke waved his hand toward the papers on his desk. “Because I have more important, and less weird, things to do than discuss vacations and women with my father and my aunt.”

Julia arched an eyebrow at Warren. “You got him to take a vacation?”

“I threatened him to take a vacation.”

Luke felt the combined forces of Warren’s and Julia’s penetrating stares.

“You could bring Cindy along,” Julia suggested. “She’s never been to the Bahamas.”

“I’m not taking her there. She’ll be expecting a beach proposal.”

“Oh, Luke.” She pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers and closed her eyes. “Cindy is not a vindictive bitch. In fact, she used to be pathetic. I spent six months reworking that girl’s image and personal style. Before me, she had five pashmina shawls. Five. Pashmina. Shawls. And a waterfall cardigan and wedge boots. Seriously.”

“Crisis.”

“I just don’t want her to regress,” Julia said. “And I have you and her on the guest list for the Manet exhibition opening at the Fine Arts Museum next month. Couldn’t you have waited until after that to dump her? You screwed up my whole seating arrangement.”

A headache started pounding at Luke’s skull. “So put me at a different table.”

“They’re all full,” Julia said tartly, crossing her arms. “And everyone is paired up, except for you.”

“So I won’t go.”

“The hell you won’t go,” Julia retorted. “This is for your mother’s foundation, Lucas Stone, and you will not start any gossip by not showing up.”

Luke didn’t bother looking at his father. He wouldn’t find an ally there. Though Warren and Julia often clashed, they were united on the fact that everyone would continue to honor Rebecca Stone’s memory. Eleven years ago, Warren had lost his beloved wife and Julia had lost her older sister, but they’d pulled together for their family’s sake.

And especially for Hailey, the only Stone daughter who had been in the backseat of the car when it careened off the road and overturned in a ditch. Rebecca had died on impact, and Hailey spent months in a hospital bed, wrapped in bandages and attached to enough machines that she’d been almost unrecognizable.

In the wake of the tragedy, larger corporations circled Stone Confectioners like vultures looking for a weak spot to attack. With his father both focused on Hailey and ready to retire, Luke had stepped in to run the company.

He realized now that his drive to protect and improve Stone Confectioners had been his own way of dealing with the tragedy. He overhauled the product line, streamlined production, rebranded the company, modernized manufacturing, and renamed it Sugar Rush.

In the eleven years that Luke had been CEO of Sugar Rush, the company had raked in millions in profits, turned down multiple offers of mergers and acquisitions, established an international presence, and had been on a trajectory leading to the same level as the biggest names in the candy industry. Then the paternity lawsuit had hit the company hard, damaging all his hard work and progress.

But Luke had saved Sugar Rush once. He’d do it again.

“This is important,” Julia said, tapping her finger on his desk. “Call Cindy and tell her you made a mistake.”

“No.”

“Leave the boy alone, Julia,” Warren said. “There are plenty of other women he can ask.”

“Like one of his harem harpies?” Julia rolled her eyes. “No, thank you.”

Warren slanted her a look as he opened the door. “They’re good women from good families.”

“So was
she
,” Julia replied tartly.

Resentment tightened the air. Luke’s teeth clenched.

“And because of
her
,” Warren told Julia, “you want Luke to be with a woman you can control.”

“I want him to be with a woman we can
trust
.”

“Then stay out of his business and let him find one.”

Warren strode out of the room. Julia gave an exasperated cluck of her tongue.

“As if
he
knows anything about women,” she said. “When you marry your high school sweetheart and spend the rest of your life mourning her loss, you’re not exactly an expert on the female species. I, on the other hand, know what I’m talking about.”

“Julia.” Luke’s headache pounded harder. He didn’t want to be reminded of how deeply his mother’s death had changed Warren. And not for the better. “I’ll be at the dinner with a date.”

“Not one of the harem.”

Luke shook his head. He didn’t want one of them. For the past few years, he’d had a select group of women—acquaintances and former girlfriends—whom he called when he needed a date or a fuck, or both, but they’d all lost their appeal. The sex was good because it was sex, but a couple of the women had gotten too clingy lately, culminating in Cindy and her engagement ring ad. Luke wouldn’t tolerate that, especially not when he was still putting everything he had into the company. Tenfold.