‘That’s a crock of shit.’
‘But a legal one. I’m sorry, Ryan, but these are the facts. Selling the wharf is perfectly legal, as is terminating Stan Dawson’s employment and evicting him from his home. If your father’s feeling charitable, they may find him somewhere else to live, but they’re under no obligation.’
‘Then what can I do? Surely there has to be something.’
‘Honestly? I don’t think you can do anything apart from accept that sometimes the bad guys win. And there are some positives, the resort should bring in some employment and wealth to this town.’
‘Yep, it’ll help the rich get richer.’
‘That’s business. And life.’
Ryan stood up, pacing the floor between the window and the door. ‘But it doesn’t make sense. My parents love Shaw Haven, they love the small town feel. This development is going to change the town completely, why the hell would they want that?’
‘They’re your parents. You tell me.’
He came to a stop in front of the window, overlooking the town. The familiar roofs of the central business district greeted him – old-fashioned churches and shops mingled with modern glass office blocks. On the far right-hand side he could see his father’s building.
‘I don’t think they would. Not Mom, anyway. I guess Dad’s another matter. Money’s always been more important than sentiment to him.’
‘There’s always the option of selling your shares,’ his lawyer reminded him. Ryan went to speak. ‘Hear me out. I know you don’t want them to win, but really it’s not about them is it? It’s about what you want, and you want to save the wharf.’
‘But not at the expense of what’s right.’
‘There are no easy decisions here, I know that. I wish I could give you some other options. But the way I see it you either take their offer of the wharf for your shares, or you do nothing and walk away from the whole thing.’
The second option was sounding pretty appealing right then. He’d never imagined that coming back home would have unleashed a whole new set of problems. He couldn’t help but feel it was his fault that the wharf was being sold and Stan was losing his job.
‘What about if I sold my shares to a third party? Would I get the same amount for them?’ It would still mean breaking a promise, but somehow it felt more palatable.
Frank leaned back, staring at him. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘I need to get the money, but there’s no way I want to give in to my father’s demands. So what if I sell those shares to somebody else, then buy the wharf with the proceeds? That way I get to save the place without him winning.’ Ryan started to pace again, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets. ‘That could work, couldn’t it? If we quietly looked for a buyer?’
‘I can certainly put some feelers out. But then you’d need to work out how to buy the wharf, because presumably they won’t be seeing you as their preferred option. You’d need to set up an umbrella company. And all this takes time, Ryan. Who’s to say they won’t have completed the deal before you even get someone to take the shares off your hands?’
‘It’s a risk, granted, but one I’m willing to take.’
‘And if you buy the wharf, what the hell are you going to do with it? You told me you’re not planning on staying around in Shaw Haven after the school year is over. Owning a property is completely different to holding shares, it takes time and decisions and needing to be contactable.’
‘I don’t plan on changing anything. I’ll get a manager in.’
‘And who’s going to check on the manager? How do you know you’ll be able to trust him? I’m not trying to stop you from doing this, but it’s my job to point out all the pitfalls. As the owner of the wharf you’d be liable for the safety, for any problems, hell you could be sent to jail if something goes wrong. It’s a liability, and one that could end up being a millstone around your neck. You need to really think about whether this is what you want.’
None of this was what he wanted. The wharf had been part of the Shaw family for centuries. It was inconceivable that it would ever be sold off. His mother had always loved the wharf, and his father had always kept a boat there. He’d thought they’d loved the place as much as he did.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, checking the screen.
London.
‘I gotta take this okay? Don’t go anywhere.’
Frank pointed at the door at the far end of the boardroom. ‘You can use that office. It’s private.’
He strode across the room, swiping his finger on the screen to accept the call. ‘Hey, you all right?’
‘Not really. The wedding we’re doing this evening has grown by about twenty floral displays. Lily and I have been working all day, and we still aren’t ready yet. There’s no way I can get to school in time to p
ick up Poppy. I’ve called everybody I know. Melanie is out of town, and all her other friends have after-school activities. I wouldn’t ask you if I didn’t need to, Ryan—’