“It’s good you’re here,” Gareth said, pointing to a chair next to him. “Now we can get started.”
Penny nodded again, wiped her damp hands on her floral dress, and walked around the desk.
“What exactly is going on?” her father wanted to know, frowning. “Why are you treating us like we’re defendants in court?”
“Well, Dad,” Gareth replied slowly, “to use your own words: We have to be able to separate family from business, so that’s what we’re doing.”
Her mother sighed heavily but Darron Clark smiled. “Okay, fine. What is there to discuss?”
Penny sat next to her brother and patted him stiffly on the shoulder. “You go ahead and say it. I’m certain you have a prepared speech.”
Gareth grinned. “As luck would have it, I do. Mr. Clark, Mrs. Clark,” he said soberly, “you have behaved like pricks over the last few months, and we are here to talk to you about that today.”
Penny looked at him, impressed. She had to hand it to Gareth, his speech was starting strong. And he claimed thatshewas brave!
“Gareth!” her mother replied, shocked.
“Mr. Clark to you, Mrs. Clark,” he replied dryly. “To be honest, Penny and I think that after you spent half a day judging us in front of the whole team, it’s our turn now.”
“That’s right,” Penny added, taking a deep breath. “Our verdict is that you just don’t seem to be neutral enough to make such an important decision about who takes over the team.”
“Exactly. That’s why we’re taking over that task — and we’ve decided to share the team.” Gareth nodded firmly. “I’ve takenthe liberty of finalizing the paperwork for the takeover. All you have to do is sign and that’s it.”
He pushed a sheet of paper across the table and pointed to a series of dotted lines across the top.
Their mother looked like she’d been smacked over the head with a hockey stick. Their father, however, just sat back and studied them patiently. “I told you that’s not an option,” he finally stated.
“Yes, Dad, but we’ve had enough,” Gareth replied calmly. “We’ve talked about it, and we think the best thing that could happen to the team is for both of us to own it, and either you deal with that — or neither of us takes it.”
Darron Clark raised a single eyebrow…and for a moment, he looked impressed. Yes, almost proud. Then his gaze slid to Penny and concern filled his expression.
Familiar anger bubbled up inside her. How could he be proud of Gareth but worried about her?! That wasn’t right. God, she was so tired of being a puck, of being pushed around and enduring everything because she didn’t live up to expectations. She didn’t want to change. Shewouldn’tchange. She liked who she was. She always had — she had just let herself be unsettled for too long by all the people who had told her she was weird and crazy. That stopped now.
She took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes at her father. “What’s the problem, Dad?” she asked, forcing herself to remain calm.
“I think you know,” he said patiently. “If I let you two run the team, you’ll be on the next plane to South America tomorrow. You’ll be a silent partner, and Gareth will take care of the rest.”
She pressed her lips together. “Have you ever thought that if you didn’t treat me like a little kid, I might not be so eager to leave? God, you never intended to give me the team, did you? It’s always been Gareth. I’m too much of a hassle for this family.The scandalmonger you always had to referee! I wasn’t even surprised when Mom talked about me behind my back like I was missing a few important tools in the toolshed.”
“Penny…” her mother said pleadingly.
“No! Mom, you said I should disappear for a few weeks. I took your advice and now it turns out I didthatwrong, too? Doing what you asked of me?”
“I said a few weeks, Penelope, not years!” her mother snapped. “I didn’t want you to get hurt any further. It was so you wouldn’t have to endure the media circus for a few weeks.” She smoothed her hair nervously. “I know I shouldn’t have said you were in therapy, in public. But I couldn’t stand all those rich, self-righteous women talking about you. Making you out to be stupid when you’re so incredibly intelligent. So, it was easier…”
“To call me crazy instead of defending me, right?” Penny snapped, clenching her teeth.
“That’s how I defended you!”
“Because beingcrazyis better than beingstupid?” she exclaimed in disbelief.
“Well…yes!” her mother said, perplexed, blinking. “Your father was always called crazy because he had some innovative ideas that no one believed in.”
She snorted. “Mom! That’s bullshit.”
“I didn’t think so,” she said, raising her chin. “And I certainly didn’t mean you should disappear and never come back. You just had to…gain experience. Grow up. Find out what makes you happy. And you obviously couldn’t do that in Los Angeles under the scrutiny of the press. But you used that as an excuse to have little contact with us for years. To simply cut us out of your life.”
“Well, it took meyears, Mom!” she replied angrily. “To find what I was looking for.”
