Max waited outside the restaurant entrance for Kara as the valet drove off with her car. She tucked the ticket into her purse and headed toward him.

Being polite, he rested his hand in the dip of her back and casually asked if she was ready. Kara snorted and said never. Yeah, he could understand that. Not that his family was weird or anything. They were probably the most boring group out there.

He saw his brother, Brian, was seated already and he guided Kara toward the table. When Brian caught his eye, his brother’s brows drew down. He was sure that was due to Kara being there. When he and Kara reached the table, he pulled out her chair and seated her properly.

“Brian, you remember Kara Masters from the office.”

“I do,” Brian said, “but what is her loveliness doing with you, here?” Brian stood, leaned over the table and took Kara’s hand, bringing it to his lips. Max watched as Kara smiled at his brother, who was going to die when they left the restaurant.

Max yanked her hand away. “All right, enough already. Stop molesting the woman.”

Brian laughed loudly, drawing eyes from nearby tables to them. Kara scrunched down in her chair. Oh, why did he think having Kara here was a good idea? Being selfish again and wanting her with him.

“Jane asked Kara to come so they could talk while we discuss business.”

Brian feigned fainting, plopping onto his chair. “Jane wants to chitchat with Kara?” The beautiful face beside him darkened. Brian noted also. “Nothing against you, Kara. But if you’re not royalty, she usually doesn’t grace you with her presence.” Brian shook his head, scowling at Max. “And you let her say yes?”

“Hey,” Kara butted in, “Max didn’t let me do anything. I chose to come. Well, sorta. Not really, but that’s not the point here.”

That was an interesting reaction. He didn’t know how fiercely independent Kara was. She would be no wilting flower for him to push around. He bet she’d be a tiger in bed. When they got there. Hopefully, soon. No. She was an employee. Just no. He let out a long breath.

Kara turned on him. “What’s that sigh for?” she quietly barked.

He sat back in his chair, hands up in his defense. “Nothing. Can’t a guy exhale?” His tried to swallow his grin.

Her face blushed and she looked away. “No, guys don’t sigh without a reason.”

“I was breathing out,” he replied.

“You sighed. Loudly, I might add.” She fiddled with the wrapped silverware, keeping her eyes away from meeting his look.

“I have to agree with her, brother,” Brian said. “It was a sigh.”

He grumbled. “Who asked you to the party, little brother?”

Brian’s eyes opened wide. “I am the party, dear brother.”

Max would’ve loved to knock the man upside the head. Once a pest, always a pest. Siblings.

At the entrance to the restaurant, a big hubbub stole their attention as well as all other guests.

A young female in a short dress and spiked shoes was trying to push an old man in a wheelchair, slamming the chair’s foot rest against the side of door frame. The man was hollering at her, trying to control the wheels himself. She yelled back over his words, still bumping the side of the door.

Max glanced at his brother who was shaking his head at the scene at the front of the restaurant. His brother said, “Is it wrong to hate the woman your father is married to?”

Max chuckled. “Just not in front of Dad.” Both watched as a friendly face brushed Jane away from their father. She shoved from the wheelchair in disgust, almost tripping on the carpet. Designer purse hanging from her elbow, she strutted through the dining room toward their table, her chin tilted high.

Max glanced at Kara. Her shocked expression sent him into spastic laughs. Welcome to his world. She glanced at him and frowned. A moment later, Jane dropped her purse onto Kara’s end of the table and took a seat like she hadn’t made the scene of the day. Looking around, the woman snapped her fingers in the air.

“Where is the waiter? I need a drink,” Jane said. Max didn’t like the sound of that. He needed to ask about her drinking habits. His father rolled up to them. Brian moved the chair at the head of the table to the side.

Their father spoke to the man pushing him. “Carl, thank you for your help. One day I’ll get used to this damn contraption, I suppose.”

Max and Brian each gave a nod to the ex-bouncer who had been a godsend for their family since his father became physically limited. Carl returned the greeting.

“You’re welcome, sir. What else do you need?”

“Nothing right now,” Father replied. “After you park the car, get something to eat and put it on my tab.”

Carl bobbed his head once. “Yes, sir.” Carl’s eyes glanced down the table toward Jane. His scowl was telling. Max turned from looking at the end of the table where Kara and Jane were already in conversation. Well, Jane was in conversation. Kara’s eyes appeared a bit glazed over. Max held back his grin. He owed the poor girl for this. It would be worth it to have her here.

The waiter made his way to them after taking an order from Jane. Probably her alcoholic beverage. He wished he would’ve heard what she ordered. If he questioned the waiter, no doubt Jane would have a conniption fit. One scene was enough for the day.

Jane leaned forward onto the table, her scoop shirt hanging open, showing anyone with eyeballs more than they’d want to see. “Really, Dan. How do expect to learn to get around on your own if you let others baby you?”

Baby him? What the fuck was she talking about? Carl pushing his father’s wheelchair was babying him? What the hell was she doing when she rammed him into the side of the door? The vitriol on her face made her ugly, inside and out.

Why had his father married this spoiled little chit? One thing he learned from his father’s most recent marriage was that skin beauty didn’t mean shit in being happy. In this case, beauty was a bitch.

Brian’s voice brought Max’s attention back to them. “I have to say, the meeting didn’t go as well as I’d hoped this morning.”

Father dropped his fist on the table, making the silverware jump. “None of those old men know what the hell they are talking about.”

“Dad,” Max interrupted, “you’re one of those old men.”

His dad pointed a knobby finger at him. “I may be old in age, but my brain still functions logically, which theirs obviously don’t.” He lifted his napkin-wrapped utensils and unrolled them. “I have a mind to kick them all off the board and put in younger folks.”

Max caught his brother’s eye. In private, they had discussed this possibility and knew it wouldn’t happen as long as their father was Chair. Could they have been wrong?

“Dad,” Brian said, “I can’t believe you said that.”

The older man flipped his hand at them. “Bah. You’re stereotyping.” Max thought he and his brother could’ve been guilty as accused. He hadn’t considered that because his father was from a different generation, they couldn’t be on the same wavelength.

His dad continued. “If Paul and Edgar can’t see the future, then they’ll go out with the old. You can’t guarantee something you don’t have control over.”

“Dad,” Max said, alarm coursing through him. It sounded like his father was ready to drop the ax immediately. But they weren’t ready for that. “Let’s not do anything drastic until after my meeting with them.”

“Agreed,” his brother said. “Let’s wait to see how willing South America is to work with us before doing anything.”

Dad flipped his hand again. “I’m not. I’m just excited to get this started. Manufacturing is a challenge I haven’t conquered, and I want to do that before I die.”

“Dad,” Max replied, “it’s not like we’ve cornered the market on distribution. Our competition has as many ships sailing the sea as we do. And they’ve been in the business a lot longer.”

“Yes,” Dad said, “that’s why we need to have our own manufacturing empire. That’s the only way to guarantee we stay in shipping—have your own shit to ship.”

Max couldn’t disagree with that philosophy, but not sure he was ready to dive in with no safety net. “How do you plan to convince Paul or Edgar?”

Dad’s brows drew down, creasing the skin between. “Perhaps start with Frank. Where does he stand on this?”

“All in favor, I guess,” Max said, glancing at Brian.

“He hasn’t said anything to the negative.” His brother shrugged a shoulder.

“Good,” their father said, “get Frank to convince his old man this is the best for the company. If Paul still isn’t happy, he can get the hell off the board then.”

Max shifted in his seat, looking for his brother’s eye in the process. Where had this spitefulness in their father come from? Never before had he been negative against long-time friend Paul Thomas, or even Frank for that matter.

Max thought back to the meeting this morning. He recalled how Paul reacted to Kara’s announcement with hostility and almost anger. If he had been in the room alone with the board member, he might have put his fist in the elder’s face.

Granted, Paul hadn’t wanted to hire another person for the office, and Max hired Kara anyway. But good fucking god. The man had to get over it.

Maybe something was going on between his father and friend. It wasn’t any of his business. Until it affected the business. He wanted to talk with Brian about it. He hoped this change didn’t foreshadow a medical condition like Alzheimer’s.

Max glanced up at the man coming toward them. “Speak of the devil.”