“He is willing to give it to his kids,” Lacey said. “As long as you take your place here. Look at it this way. Your father wanted you back in the family business. Back in the family fold.”

“Bullshit,” I said. “That bastard never once tried to contact me after I left the state. He hated me, and he knew I’d hate this. He put me in the position of making or breaking everything for my brothers and sister. If I do what I want, my siblings lose. This was his last laugh. He didn’t do it to get me back in the family fold. He did it to punish me, and I hate him for it.”

“You can’t hate a dead man, Rock,” my brother Roy said.

Roy was usually quiet. This was only the second time I’d heard him speak since I got to town.

“Yes, I can, Roy. I’ll hate him until the day I die and every day after that too.”

“Turn the tables on him, then,” Lacey said. “Become CEO of the company and do a better job than he ever did.”

Reid laughed again, and I darted him a stink eye.

“Come on, Rock,” he said. “You don’t know anything about running a business.”

“He’s right,” I said to Lacey. “I don’t know anything about it, and I don’t want to know.”

“You’re going to have to, or you’re all screwed.”

I didn’t give a shit if I was screwed. I didn’t want anything from Derek Wolfe. But my siblings deserved better. I turned to Reid. “Will you help me?”

He nodded. “Not like I have a choice.”

“Great. Then I’ll be the CEO in name only, and you can run the fucking business.”

“No,” Lacey said. “You need to be involved in day-to-day operations. It’s—”

“In the fucking will. Christ.” I raked my fingers through my hair. “Fine. I’ll do it, but only so the three of you aren’t screwed. The only one who’s screwed here is me, and that’s exactly how the fucker wanted it.” I signaled the waitress. “Another round here.”

“Count me out,” Lacey said. “I have to get back up to the office.”

“Hell, no. You’re done for the day.”

“Uh…no, I’m not.”

“You want me to do this? To become CEO of my father’s corporation? Then you’re going to help me.”

“I’m happy to help in any way I can, but I’m a trusts and estates attorney, not a corporate attorney. I don’t have the knowledge or resources to help with this. The company has a full legal staff. They’ll be able—”

“I want you.”

“Rock,” Reid began.