ed at him from beneath his brows.
Otis scratched his head and looked uncomfortably toward his wife, who was sitting silent and rigid on the sofa. “I don’t rightly know what to do, Ivan. She’s offering seven hun’erd and fifty thousand and giving me over a year to move out. You can’t hardly beat a deal like that.”
“We can and we will.” Neal’s jaw appeared carved in granite, his eyes as brittle as glass. Throughout the meeting with the Parkers, he had declined to sit down. After carrying Ivan in and depositing him in the easy chair with the greasy headrest, he had stood, negligently leaning against the wall, appearing to be more at ease than he was.
It had been a hell of a week. He wanted this deal consummated, the sooner the better. He didn’t like being in hock up to his eyebrows. But he’d gone this far, so he’d just as well go the distance. If it meant mortgaging a few luxuries like the boat and the beach house on Hilton Head, he’d do it. He gave his father an imperceptible nod.
“Give us a few weeks to match her offer,” Ivan said, turning back to Otis. “You owe me that after all the times I’ve extended you credit.” Then Ivan did what he did best. He employed subtle fear tactics. “I don’t mind telling you, Otis, that I’m disappointed in you. The first time Jade broached the subject of buying this place, you should’ve come and told me. I wouldn’t have found out if I hadn’t had spies on the lookout for my interests. I thought they were lying the first time they told me you were involved in that Sperry gal’s scheme to ruin me.”
“I ain’t in on no scheme, Ivan.”
“Well, it sure as hell looks like that to me. There’s my offer still lying untouched on the table. And here I am, figuring we were friends, figuring I’d promote that son of yours who’s working for me. Yes, sir, I was about to promote him to a foreman’s job and give him a big raise, just on the basis of our friendship. Figured he could use the extra money with another baby coming.” He snorted, leaving the Parkers to fill in what had been left unsaid.
Neal picked up his cue. “You ready to go, Daddy?”
“I reckon I am, since it looks like no deal is going to be struck tonight.” Ivan motioned for Neal to come and get him. “I’m tired of this dilly-dallying around, Otis. I’m ready for you to make up your mind about this, you hear?”
Forlornly, Otis nodded.
Neal gathered Ivan into his arms and lifted him out of the chair. Otis ambled toward the door and held it open for them. As they went through, Neal said, “I can’t believe you’d do business with Jade after Gary hung himself on account of her. If you sell this place to her, he’ll roll over in his grave.”
Mrs. Parker made a small, injured sound. Neal shot each of them a contemptuous look, then carried his father across the creaky porch and strapped him into the front seat of the El Dorado.
As they pulled away from the house, Ivan said, “Good work. Putting in that last dig just might make the difference.”
“We can’t count on that, though.”
“What do you mean?”
“Money’s a better motivator than sentiment. Instead of matching Jade’s offer, we should come back with a better one.”
“In hell’s name why?”
“She’s waiting for him to call her with his answer, right? We could get the jump on her, bowl the old fool over and get his name on the dotted line before he has a chance to recover his wits. This game could go on indefinitely. With the resources she’s got behind her, she can keep upping her bid till doomsday. And there must be a lot riding on this acquisition or she wouldn’t have increased her offer by so much so soon.”
“Do whatever it takes, boy,” Ivan grumbled, absently rubbing the center of his chest. “I’m not going to get a good night’s sleep until that bitch is out of my life.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Do you think I could play professional soccer, Mr. Burke?”
“I told you to call me Dillon.”
“I know, but it feels weird.”
“Call me Dillon. That was a good move you made with that knight, Graham. In answer to your question, yes, I think you can make it to the pros, if you want it badly enough.”
“That’s what my mom says, too. She says I can do anything I want to if I want to bad enough.”
From the hallway where she stood unseen, Jade smiled.
“Smart lady, your mom.”
“Uh-huh. Did you see her picture in the Sunday magazine?”
“Sure did. That was some write-up. You should be proud of her.”
“I am.” Graham’s enthusiasm gradually dimmed. “But she’s still being uncool about me riding my bike out to the site.”