An Engagement in Seattle - Debbie Macomber [64]
Jerry’s fists clenched at his side. “You can’t do that.”
“I’m the president of this company, I can do as I please.” She didn’t want to get hard-nosed about this, but her first obligation was to protect their family business. Jerry was silent as he absorbed her words. “So you’re going to pull rank on me.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. The last thing we need to do now is argue with each other.”
“If you ask Alek to go…”
“Jerry, please, I have to, don’t you see?”
“If you ask for Alek’s resignation,” he started again, “you’ll receive mine, as well.”
Julia felt as if her own brother had kicked her in the stomach. “It’s funny,” she said unemotionally, “I remember saying those very same words to Dad three years ago. I believed Roger, remember?”
“A week,” Jerry said. “We’ll know more in another week. All I ask is that you give him the opportunity to prove himself.”
“As I recall, I said something along those lines to Dad, too.”
“Alek isn’t Roger,” Jerry said angrily. “What’s it going to take to convince you of that?”
“I know he’s not,” she said vehemently. “Maybe it would be best if I was the one who resigned.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Just give this time. If Alek sold us out, then there’s nothing we can do about it now. The deed’s done. It isn’t going to hurt us any to sit on our doubts for the next few days. Promise me you’ll do that.”
“All right,” Julia said. “One week, but then it’s over, Jerry. Unless there’s incontrovertible proof that Alek’s telling the truth. If not, he goes and I can return to running this company the way it’s supposed to be run.”
Jerry’s smile was fleeting. “I promise you, it’s going to be different this time.”
She stood to leave, then recalled her conversation with her husband that morning. “Alek mentioned an important meeting with marketing this afternoon.” She gave Jerry the particulars. “He said he’d like us both to be there. Can you make it?”
Jerry nodded. “With a bit of juggling. You’re going, too?”
“Yes,” she said, but she wasn’t looking forward to it.
Alek waited for Julia and Jerry to arrive. He watched the door anxiously, glancing repeatedly at his watch. Jerry was the first to show up; he walked into the conference room and took the chair next to Alek. Apart from them, the room was still empty.
“You talked to her?” Alek didn’t need to explain who he meant.
Jerry nodded. “I’ve never seen her like this. It’s tearing her apart.”
“It hasn’t been easy on any of us. I wish I knew how to clear my name. Julia would barely listen to me. It’s as though she’s blocked out everything and everyone, including me.”
“It would be a lot easier if she were a man,” Jerry muttered.
Alek arched his brows and laughed for the first time in days. “No, it wouldn’t.”
“Yeah, it would. I hate to stereotype, but maybe then she’d listen to reason. Sometimes I forget my sister is a woman—she clouds the issues with emotion.”
Personally Alek had no trouble remembering Julia was female. “Not all women have been betrayed the way she was,” he said. “I understand her fears, but at the same time I want her to believe what I say because she loves me and knows me well enough to realize I’d never do anything to hurt either of you. Until she does, there’s nothing I can do.”
“I don’t know what Julia believes anymore and she doesn’t either,” Jerry said after a moment. “I talked her into giving the matter a week.”
“A week,” Alek repeated. “Nothing can happen in that short a time. The paint won’t reach the market for another two to three weeks at the earliest.”
“Unfortunately, there’s more than that to consider from her point of view,” Jerry said.
“She’s miserable,” Alek added. “She doesn’t eat properly, she’s working herself to death and she’s sleeping poorly.” In truth he wasn’t in much better shape himself.
He loved Julia, but he couldn’t force her to trust him, he couldn’t demand that she believe him. She would have to come to those conclusions herself. In the meantime he was left feeling helpless and hopeless, and worst of all, defenseless. She was judging him solely on