Authors: Edna Curry
“Well, now, it’s not quite that
easy, Lili.”
Lili stared at him incredulously.
“Forty-nine percent isn’t enough collateral? Mr. Armstrong, I personally know a
dozen people you gave loans to, who had only half that much equity in their
business.”
He nodded and sighed. “You’re
right, of course. I can easily make you the loan on that. But having enough
collateral or getting the loan isn’t your problem, Lili. Getting Northern
Lights to agree to sell back the shares is your problem.”
Lili frowned. “I know that. But
before I talk to them, I needed to be sure you would make me the loan.”
“Mr. Johnson told me he didn’t
think NL Corporation would even consider selling, but you never know. If they
agree, come see me, and I’ll write it up. I would rather see local control of
our businesses, too. I hope you can work it out, Lili.”
He sat up and held out his hand
to her. The interview was plainly over.
She shook hands. “I appreciate
your time, Mr. Armstrong.”
She signed the signature card for
Cindy and walked the short block back to the store. The sun had gone under a
cloud, suiting her mood. He was right, the biggest job lay ahead. Northern
Lights wasn’t likely to do an about face and sell something they had just
bought.
Suddenly she wondered if her
father had told the corporation that Adams’ Foods was losing money. After all,
why would they buy it, if they knew? She smiled, feeling better. Maybe when
they found out, they would be happy to sell their shares back to her.
When Lili walked back into the
store, Sally waved her over.
“There’s a man back there talking
to Arthur who’s been waiting to see you for half an hour. I told him you’d gone
out to a meeting, but he insisted on waiting.”
Lili’s heart flipped over as she
followed Sally’s pointed finger. It was Ken Mills, the man she’d met at the
motel pool last night. The man she’d dreamed about last night. How had he found
her? Maybe someone at the motel had told him who she was. But that would mean
he’d been interested in her enough to ask about her.
Her voice uneven, she thanked
Sally and walked back to talk to him. “Hello again, Mr. Mills.”
He turned as she spoke his name.
Surprise and shock spread over his features when he recognized her.
“Lili! It’s nice to see you
again, too. You’d left when I came back from my phone call last night.” He
reached out to take her hand in his. “I wanted to ask you to have a drink with
me.”
Lili’s pulse sped up to an
alarming rate at his warm touch. She did her best to keep her voice on an even
keel. “I’m flattered that you looked me up. Did someone at the motel tell you
where to find me
?
”
His sandy brow crinkled into a
puzzled frown. “Someone at the motel
?
”
Now it was her turn to be
confused. “Sally said you were waiting to see me
?
”
“Sally
?
” he asked, his voice soft.
She was intensely aware that her
hand was still captured in his, and removed it. “The girl at the check-out.”
Lili tipped her head toward the bleached blonde at the front of the store.
“Oh.” He frowned, his eyes
darting to Sally, then back to Lili. “Oh! You mean you’re Robert Adams’
daughter? But—”
Lili’s eyes narrowed. “What does
my father have to do with this
?
”
She was suddenly aware of Sally
watching them with interest from up front, and Arthur listening from behind his
meat counter. Mr. Mills saw her concerned glance and took the situation out of
her hands.
“I’m here on business, Miss
Adams,” he said more formally.
He hadn’t just looked her up
because he’d met her last night. She was wrong. He was only a business contact,
perhaps a sales rep from a manufacturer. No, not that. Something in his manner
told her he was someone more important. That something was sending tingles of
foreboding up and down her spine, in sharp contrast to the tingles of awareness
of him she had felt there a moment before.
She swallowed and hoped her voice
sounded even. “I see. Then perhaps my office would be a better place to talk.”
She led the way to the back of
the store, and into her office, gesturing for him to have a chair.
Suddenly nervous, she turned to
the table in the corner and filled a cup of coffee for herself. “Would you like
some coffee
?
”
“Yes, that would be nice
.
”
His voice still sounded soft and
polite. Why did it seem to carry a note of sympathy? “Cream or sugar
?
”
“Just black, please.”
She handed the cup to him, picked
up her own and sat down. Sipping the hot brew to ease her dry throat, she
looked at him across her desk, waiting for him to explain his business with
her.
“I was sorry to hear about
Robert’s passing.”
“Thank you,” she said
automatically, wondering how he had known about her father’s death.
“Mr. Johnson didn’t tell you to
expect me
?
”
Her eyes narrowed. “No.” But the
mention of her lawyer did it. She suddenly knew who he was, who he had to be.
“You’re from Northern Lights
Corporation.” It was a statement, not a question. Lili couldn’t keep the flat,
hard tone from her voice.
His voice stiffened in response.
“Yes.”
“So soon? My father is hardly
cold in his grave. Couldn’t your corporation have waited a bit to come to take
over
?
”
Bright green sparks of anger
flared for a moment in his hazel eyes. Lili watched him draw a deep breath, and
he appeared to regain control.
“I don’t blame you for being
upset,”
he said.
“Mr. Johnson told me he didn’t think Robert had told anyone about the sale. It
would have been much better if your father had introduced me to you himself.”
“You’re wrong.” Lili’s voice held
a bitter edge. “It would have been much better if he had never made it
necessary for us to meet at all.”
“But he did.” Ken impatiently
brushed back the brown wave that kept threatening to fall down over one eye. “I
take it you don’t approve of his selling the majority shares in the store.”
Lili shook her head, shifting
impatiently in her chair. “Of course I don’t. Especially since I already owned
a quarter of the shares. As a stockholder, I feel I should have had a say in
the matter.”
Ken frowned, sipping his coffee.
“I understood that he made these arrangements for your mother’s welfare, that
she had no interest or experience in the grocery business. Isn’t that so
?
”
“Yes,” she conceded. “But I’ve
worked in this store since high school. I could have handled it and paid Mother
an income.”
“You! You’re hardly old enough
for such a responsibility.”
Lili sighed, frowning. There it
was again, the old male chauvinistic attitude that she’d always had to fight.
“And just how old would you say that I am
?
”
His lip curled. He set down his
empty coffee cup. “About nineteen, I’d guess.”
Lili smiled knowingly. “Try
twenty-six, with a business degree thrown in, and five years’ experience with
the major grocery chain in the St. Louis area.”
Ken narrowed his eyes speculatively.
“Sorry. You don’t look it.”
“So you see there was no need for
father to sell out.”
“Then why did he
?
”
“Because I am a woman. In
father’s old-world view, only men are capable. Women should stay home, barefoot
and pregnant, and bake bread for the master of the house.” An angry flush
spread up Lili’s cheeks as she admitted it. She felt embarrassed that her
father should have held such views. On the other hand, she felt disloyal to her
dead father for criticizing him, because she’d loved him in spite of his views.
Ken looked at her for a long
minute, running a hand through his dark hair. She returned his gaze, her chin
raised in unflinching defiance.
“I see. Well, Lili, I share his
love for homemade bread. But I can assure you I know how capable women can be
in business as well. I have several very able women in my organization. If you
know your business, we’ll get along fine.”
Lili stared at him numbly. “I was
hoping you would agree to negate the sale.”
“No.” There was no hint of
compromise in either the word or tone.
“My bank has promised me a loan.
At least sell me back enough shares so that I would retain control.”
“No way! I am not interested in
investing as a silent partner. Your father’s terms stand. However, you are free
to leave if you wish
?
”
He raised a questioning eyebrow.
“No way,” she mimicked. “Adams’
Foods has been under an Adams’ control for more years than you’ve been alive. I
don’t know how, yet, but somehow I intend to keep it that way.”
He looked at her with admiration.
“I admire your spunk, but don’t let it get out of hand. I’m the boss, now, and
that’s the bottom line.”
Lili’s lips curved into a wry
smile. “You mean Northern Lights Corporation’s board of directors is the boss,
don’t you, Mr. Mills
?
”
she asked sweetly.
His lips turned upward, too. “I
mean
I
am the boss, Miss Adams. I
am
Northern Lights
Corporation.”
Her smile disappeared. “I see.”
Why had Robert agreed to this? “I can’t imagine Dad letting
you
boss him,” she said without thinking of how it must sound.
“I didn’t. Your father remained
in complete control until his death.”
She nodded, swallowing her tears.
Thank goodness for that, at least. His answer also explained why she hadn’t
seen him around the store since this sale had taken place. Her mind was swirling,
trying to take in all he’d told her and trying to decide what it all meant.
“So what happens now
?
” she asked. “Have you met the
staff? Will you be here for day-to-day operation
?
”
“Whoa—one question at a time. No,
I won’t be here day to day. That’s your job. I have a dozen stores to run, so I
can only spend a few hours a week with each manager unless there’s a special
problem, or we’re remodeling or resetting a store. And no, I haven’t met your
staff, except for Sally and Arthur a while ago.”
“Do you want me to introduce you
to them
?
”
“Yes, of course. How about
calling a staff meeting at closing time tonight? I realize
it’s
short notice, but I have another appointment here in the morning, and several
meetings in other towns tomorrow.”
“I’m sure nine tonight will be
fine.”
“Good. In the meantime, let’s go
over your last month’s sales figures and financial reports.”
At her shocked face, he said,
“You do have some
?
”
“No, Mr. Mills. I don’t.”
“You don’t keep records
?
” He stared at her with
disbelief.
“My father had his own way of
doing things, Mr. Mills. While he let me help with making up ads and checking
out the tills, he never let me pay bills or put together any financial
statements. However, I assure you, I do know how. This is my first day back
after my father’s death, and I haven’t had time to go through anything yet. If
you’ll just give me a bit of time, I’m sure I can come up with whatever
information you want. The last inventory was taken just a month ago.”
She glanced at him, sure for a
moment that she saw some sympathy in his face as he watched her. Instead of
making her feel better, it made her angry. She didn’t want or need his
sympathy. She wanted respect for her abilities and the right and opportunity to
prove her own worth. She wanted to be treated as a co-owner, not an employee.
How could her own father have put her in this position when he had always
professed to love her? She dragged her mind back to what Mr. Mills was saying.
“Yes. I have a copy of that inventory.
It was the one we based our agreement on.”
Lili nodded. “Rumors were flying
among the help then, because we usually only did an inventory twice a year. I
didn’t believe them,” she added bitterly.
“Rumors that the store had been
sold
?
” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Didn’t you ask your father about
them
?
”
She remembered the tension around
the store in those days, the uncertainty they had all felt. “Father was ill. No
one wanted to upset him. He shrugged it off without answering when I asked
him,” she said hollowly, keeping her brimming eyes on the opposite wall where
her father’s favorite picture hung.
His gaze followed hers to the
black and white copy of a painting in a beautiful oval wooden frame. “Robert
liked antiques, I see. Who did that one
?
”
he asked, changing the subject.